초록
Purpose
To optimize the saturation time and maximizing the pH-weighted difference between the normal and ischemic brain regions, on 3-tesla amide proton transfer (APT) imaging using an in vivo rat model.
Materials and Methods
Three male Wistar rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion, and were examined in a 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. APT imaging acquisition was performed with 3-dimensional turbo spin-echo imaging, using a 32-channel head coil and 2-channel parallel radiofrequency transmission. An off-resonance radiofrequency pulse was applied with a Sinc-Gauss pulse at a B1,rms amplitude of 1.2 μT using a 2-channel parallel transmission. Saturation times of 3, 4, or 5 s were tested. The APT effect was quantified using the magnetization-transfer-ratio asymmetry at 3.5 ppm with respect to the water resonance (APT-weighted signal), and compared with the normal and ischemic regions. The result was then applied to an acute stroke patient to evaluate feasibility.
Results
Visual detection of ischemic regions was achieved with the 3-, 4-, and 5-s protocols. Among the different saturation times at 1.2 μT power, 4 s showed the maximum difference between the ischemic and normal regions (-0.95%, P = 0.029). The APTw signal difference for 3 and 5 s was -0.9% and -0.7%, respectively. The 4-s saturation time protocol also successfully depicted the pH-weighted differences in an acute stroke patient.
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