Reduction of artifacts in T2‐weighted PROPELLER in high‐field preclinical imaging

A simple technique is implemented for correction of artifacts arising from nonuniform T2‐weighting of k‐space data in fast spin echo–based PROPELLER (periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction). An additional blade with no phase‐encoding gradients is acquired to generate the scaling factor used for the correction. Results from simulations and phantom experiments, as well as in vivo experiments in free‐breathing mice, demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method. This technique is developed specifically for high‐field imaging applications where T2 decay is rapid. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.