Functional, physiological, and metabolic toolbox for clinical magnetic resonance imaging: Integration of acquisition and analysis strategies

Selected neuroimaging strategies have been integrated into a clinical brain imaging protocol to provide quantitative high-resolution functional, physiological, and metabolic maps to complement exquisitely detailed anatomic images without excessively prolonging the conventional clinical examination or analysis time, The physiological maps of blood pool parameters (relative cerebral blood volume, tissue transit lime, and arrival time), apparent diffusion coefficient, tissue water content, and functional neuronal activation maps are derived from series of images acquired with echo-planar imaging, The metabolic map reflecting tissue sodium homeostasis (tissue sodium concentration) is acquired using twisted projection imaging and a customized dual-tuned, dual-quadrature 23Na/1H brain radiofrequency coil that ensures coregistration of data and avoids moving the patient, The different types of acquired images are transferred to a common file format with customized file management software and the corresponding maps are derived by applying appropriate fitting algorithms, Customized software allows rapid interrogation and manipulation of ail resultant images and maps for detailed but rapid interpretation, printing, and archiving immediately following completion of acquisition. As all acquisitions and processing are performed by the magnetic resonance technologist, the neuroradiologist is able to focus on the interpretation of this immensely rich data set. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.