Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence
Short T2 components in the brain are uniquely associated with myelin structure, but direct MR imaging is challenging due to their relatively short T2 values and low proton density compared to long T2 water. This study introduces a novel 3D double adiabatic inversion recovery-prepared ultrashort echo...
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003180 |
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| author | Jiyo S. Athertya Mahyar Daskareh Soo Hyun Shin Jiaji Wang James Lo Yajun Ma |
| author_facet | Jiyo S. Athertya Mahyar Daskareh Soo Hyun Shin Jiaji Wang James Lo Yajun Ma |
| author_sort | Jiyo S. Athertya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Short T2 components in the brain are uniquely associated with myelin structure, but direct MR imaging is challenging due to their relatively short T2 values and low proton density compared to long T2 water. This study introduces a novel 3D double adiabatic inversion recovery-prepared ultrashort echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence for selective whole-brain imaging of short T2 components. The sequence employs two identical adiabatic inversion pulses with optimized inversion times (TIs) to suppress long T2 signals, followed by a 3D UTE acquisition to capture rapidly decaying signals. Technical feasibility was evaluated using phantoms, six healthy volunteers, and five patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on a 3T MRI scanner. Short T2 proton fraction (SPF) was measured in white matter, gray matter, MS lesions, and across the whole brain to assess differences in myelin content. Phantom studies confirmed effective suppression of long T2 signals over a wide range of T1 values. In healthy volunteers, DIR-UTE selectively captured short T2 signals, with an estimated T2* of 0.21±0.01 ms in white matter. SPF in normal white matter (5.12±0.57 %) was significantly higher than in normal-appearing white matter (4.06±0.61 %, P < 0.0001) and MS lesions (2.76±0.78 %, P < 0.0001). Similar trends were observed in gray matter. Whole-brain analysis also showed lower average SPF in MS patients (3.42±0.38 %) compared to healthy controls (4.01±0.35 %, P < 0.0001). These results demonstrate the DIR-UTE sequence's ability to suppress long T2 signals and selectively image short T2 components, with SPF emerging as a potential biomarker for demyelinating diseases like MS. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d807a16e2b14eeda01454c7cbec5029 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d807a16e2b14eeda01454c7cbec50292025-08-20T02:10:01ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722025-08-0131612131510.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121315Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequenceJiyo S. Athertya0Mahyar Daskareh1Soo Hyun Shin2Jiaji Wang3James Lo4Yajun Ma5Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Corresponding author at. Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego 9452 Medical Center Dr., San Diego, CA 92037, USA.Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Radiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USAShort T2 components in the brain are uniquely associated with myelin structure, but direct MR imaging is challenging due to their relatively short T2 values and low proton density compared to long T2 water. This study introduces a novel 3D double adiabatic inversion recovery-prepared ultrashort echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence for selective whole-brain imaging of short T2 components. The sequence employs two identical adiabatic inversion pulses with optimized inversion times (TIs) to suppress long T2 signals, followed by a 3D UTE acquisition to capture rapidly decaying signals. Technical feasibility was evaluated using phantoms, six healthy volunteers, and five patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on a 3T MRI scanner. Short T2 proton fraction (SPF) was measured in white matter, gray matter, MS lesions, and across the whole brain to assess differences in myelin content. Phantom studies confirmed effective suppression of long T2 signals over a wide range of T1 values. In healthy volunteers, DIR-UTE selectively captured short T2 signals, with an estimated T2* of 0.21±0.01 ms in white matter. SPF in normal white matter (5.12±0.57 %) was significantly higher than in normal-appearing white matter (4.06±0.61 %, P < 0.0001) and MS lesions (2.76±0.78 %, P < 0.0001). Similar trends were observed in gray matter. Whole-brain analysis also showed lower average SPF in MS patients (3.42±0.38 %) compared to healthy controls (4.01±0.35 %, P < 0.0001). These results demonstrate the DIR-UTE sequence's ability to suppress long T2 signals and selectively image short T2 components, with SPF emerging as a potential biomarker for demyelinating diseases like MS.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003180Double adiabatic inversion recoveryUltrashort echo timeShort T2Myelin |
| spellingShingle | Jiyo S. Athertya Mahyar Daskareh Soo Hyun Shin Jiaji Wang James Lo Yajun Ma Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence NeuroImage Double adiabatic inversion recovery Ultrashort echo time Short T2 Myelin |
| title | Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence |
| title_full | Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence |
| title_fullStr | Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence |
| title_short | Brain short T2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort Echo time (DIR-UTE) sequence |
| title_sort | brain short t2 component imaging using double adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time dir ute sequence |
| topic | Double adiabatic inversion recovery Ultrashort echo time Short T2 Myelin |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003180 |
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