Simultaneous multi‐slice spin‐ and gradient‐echo dynamic susceptibility‐contrast perfusion‐weighted MRI of gliomas

Although combined spin‐ and gradient‐echo (SAGE) dynamic susceptibility‐contrast (DSC) MRI can provide perfusion quantification that is sensitive to both macrovessels and microvessels while correcting for T1‐shortening effects, spatial coverage is often limited in order to maintain a high temporal resolution for DSC quantification. In this work, we combined a SAGE echo‐planar imaging (EPI) sequence with simultaneous multi‐slice (SMS) excitation and blipped controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (blipped CAIPI) at 3 T to achieve both high temporal resolution and whole brain coverage. Two protocols using this sequence with multi‐band (MB) acceleration factors of 2 and 3 were evaluated in 20 patients with treated gliomas to determine the optimal scan parameters for clinical use. ΔR2*(t) and ΔR2(t) curves were derived to calculate dynamic signal‐to‐noise ratio (dSNR), ΔR2*‐ and ΔR2‐based relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), and mean vessel diameter (mVD) for each voxel. The resulting SAGE DSC images acquired using MB acceleration of 3 versus 2 appeared visually similar in terms of image distortion and contrast. The difference in the mean dSNR from normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM) and that in the mean dSNR between NAWM and normal‐appearing gray matter were not statistically significant between the two protocols. ΔR2*‐ and ΔR2‐rCBV maps and mVD maps provided unique contrast and spatial heterogeneity within tumors.

[1]  Kawin Setsompop,et al.  Accelerated whole‐brain perfusion imaging using a simultaneous multislice spin‐echo and gradient‐echo sequence with joint virtual coil reconstruction , 2019, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[2]  T. Cloughesy,et al.  Improved Spatiotemporal Resolution of Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion MRI in Brain Tumors Using Simultaneous Multi-Slice Echo-Planar Imaging , 2018, American Journal of Neuroradiology.

[3]  Ashley M Stokes,et al.  Assessment of a simplified spin and gradient echo (sSAGE) approach for human brain tumor perfusion imaging. , 2016, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[4]  Ashley M. Stokes,et al.  A simplified spin and gradient echo approach for brain tumor perfusion imaging , 2016, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[5]  Susan M. Chang,et al.  Clinically feasible NODDI characterization of glioma using multiband EPI at 7 T , 2015, NeuroImage: Clinical.

[6]  Himanshu Bhat,et al.  Slice accelerated gradient‐echo spin‐echo dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging with blipped CAIPI for increased slice coverage , 2014, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[7]  Bruce R. Rosen,et al.  Vessel Architectural Imaging Identifies Cancer Patient Responders to Anti-angiogenic Therapy , 2013, Nature Medicine.

[8]  Glyn Johnson,et al.  Treatment-related change versus tumor recurrence in high-grade gliomas: a diagnostic conundrum--use of dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion MRI. , 2012, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[9]  G. Zaharchuk,et al.  Combined spin‐ and gradient‐echo perfusion‐weighted imaging , 2012, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[10]  J. Polimeni,et al.  Blipped‐controlled aliasing in parallel imaging for simultaneous multislice echo planar imaging with reduced g‐factor penalty , 2012, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[11]  M. Berger,et al.  Differentiation of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme from radiation necrosis after external beam radiation therapy with dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging. , 2009, Radiology.

[12]  K. Schmainda,et al.  Comparison of dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced MR methods: recommendations for measuring relative cerebral blood volume in brain tumors. , 2008, Radiology.

[13]  Stefan Skare,et al.  Comparison of reconstruction accuracy and efficiency among autocalibrating data‐driven parallel imaging methods , 2008, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[14]  Susan M. Chang,et al.  Feasibility of dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MR imaging at 3T using a standard quadrature head coil and eight‐channel phased‐array coil with and without SENSE reconstruction , 2006, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[15]  R M Weisskoff,et al.  Relative cerebral blood volume maps corrected for contrast agent extravasation significantly correlate with glioma tumor grade, whereas uncorrected maps do not. , 2006, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[16]  Susan M. Chang,et al.  Dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion imaging of radiation effects in normal‐appearing brain tissue: Changes in the first‐pass and recirculation phases , 2005, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[17]  Robin M Heidemann,et al.  Controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration (CAIPIRINHA) for multi‐slice imaging , 2005, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[18]  R. Strecker,et al.  Vessel size imaging in humans , 2005, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[19]  B. D. Ward,et al.  Characterization of a first-pass gradient-echo spin-echo method to predict brain tumor grade and angiogenesis. , 2004, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[20]  Michael Brady,et al.  Improved Optimization for the Robust and Accurate Linear Registration and Motion Correction of Brain Images , 2002, NeuroImage.

[21]  M. Takahashi,et al.  Perfusion-sensitive MR imaging of gliomas: comparison between gradient-echo and spin-echo echo-planar imaging techniques. , 2001, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[22]  Stephen M. Smith,et al.  A global optimisation method for robust affine registration of brain images , 2001, Medical Image Anal..

[23]  D. Larkman,et al.  Use of multicoil arrays for separation of signal from multiple slices simultaneously excited , 2001, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[24]  O Speck,et al.  Perfusion MRI of the human brain with dynamic susceptibility contrast: Gradient‐echo versus spin‐echo techniques , 2000, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[25]  M A Viergever,et al.  Simultaneous quantitative cerebral perfusion and Gd‐DTPA extravasation measurement with dual‐echo dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI , 2000, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[26]  A P Pathak,et al.  Utility of simultaneously acquired gradient‐echo and spin‐echo cerebral blood volume and morphology maps in brain tumor patients , 2000, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[27]  M Takahashi,et al.  Posttherapeutic intraaxial brain tumor: the value of perfusion-sensitive contrast-enhanced MR imaging for differentiating tumor recurrence from nonneoplastic contrast-enhancing tissue. , 2000, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[28]  Y Yonekura,et al.  Vascular permeability: quantitative measurement with double-echo dynamic MR imaging--theory and clinical application. , 2000, Radiology.

[29]  G. Yancopoulos,et al.  Vessel cooption, regression, and growth in tumors mediated by angiopoietins and VEGF. , 1999, Science.

[30]  B R Rosen,et al.  Hyperacute stroke: simultaneous measurement of relative cerebral blood volume, relative cerebral blood flow, and mean tissue transit time. , 1999, Radiology.

[31]  B R Rosen,et al.  NMR imaging of changes in vascular morphology due to tumor angiogenesis , 1998, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[32]  M Takahashi,et al.  Correlation of MR imaging-determined cerebral blood volume maps with histologic and angiographic determination of vascularity of gliomas. , 1998, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[33]  B. Rosen,et al.  Signal‐to‐noise analysis of cerebral blood volume maps from dynamic NMR imaging studies , 1997, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[34]  B R Rosen,et al.  Mr contrast due to intravascular magnetic susceptibility perturbations , 1995, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[35]  B. Rosen,et al.  Microscopic susceptibility variation and transverse relaxation: Theory and experiment , 1994, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[36]  G Brix,et al.  Assessment of Cerebral Blood Volume with Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Enhanced Gradient‐Echo Imaging , 1994, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[37]  E F Halpern,et al.  Cerebral blood volume maps of gliomas: comparison with tumor grade and histologic findings. , 1994, Radiology.

[38]  T Kubota,et al.  Tumor vascularity in the brain: evaluation with dynamic susceptibility-contrast MR imaging. , 1993, Radiology.

[39]  B. Rosen,et al.  MR Contrast Due to Microscopically Heterogeneous Magnetic Susceptibility: Numerical Simulations and Applications to Cerebral Physiology , 1991, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[40]  B. Rosen,et al.  Perfusion imaging with NMR contrast agents , 1990, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[41]  A. Macovski,et al.  Variable-rate selective excitation , 1988 .

[42]  B. Rosen,et al.  Dynamic imaging with lanthanide chelates in normal brain: Contrast due to magnetic susceptibility effects , 1988, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[43]  C. Starmer,et al.  Indicator Transit Time Considered as a Gamma Variate , 1964, Circulation research.

[44]  Mei-Yin Polley,et al.  Assessment of perfusion MRI-derived parameters in evaluating and predicting response to antiangiogenic therapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. , 2011, Neuro-oncology.

[45]  Susan M. Chang,et al.  Evaluation of MR markers that predict survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM prior to adjuvant therapy , 2008, Journal of Neuro-Oncology.

[46]  Stephen M. Smith,et al.  Segmentation of brain MR images through a hidden Markov random field model and the expectation-maximization algorithm , 2001, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[47]  K Sartor,et al.  Accuracy of gamma-variate fits to concentration-time curves from dynamic susceptibility-contrast enhanced MRI: influence of time resolution, maximal signal drop and signal-to-noise. , 1997, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[48]  M. Knopp,et al.  Age dependency of the regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) measured with dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging (DSC). , 1996, Magnetic resonance imaging.