FAST PROTON SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING OF HUMAN BRAIN USING MULTIPLE SPIN-ECHOES

We introduce a multi-echo multi-slice MR proton spectroscopic imaging method, which allows for a dramatic reduction of the measurement time by acquiring multiple spin-echoes within a single repetition time. In the multi-echo multi-slice experiment discussed in this paper, a threefold reduction in measurement time is obtained by sacrificing some spectral resolution. Signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution are preserved. Metabolite images of N-acetyl aspartate, and total choline + total creatine from multiple slices through the human brain are presented and compared with images obtained with a conventional single-echo multi-slice method.