Reduction of gradient acoustic noise in MRI using SENSE-EPI

A new approach to reduce gradient acoustic noise levels in EPI experiments is presented. Using multichannel RF receive coils, combined. With SENSE data Acquisition and reconstruction, gradient slew-rates in single-shot EPI were reduced fourfold for rate-2 and ninefold for rate-3 SENSE. Multislice EPI experiments Were performed on three different scanner platforms. With 3.4 min in-plane resolution, measuring 6 slices per second (1 slices with 2000 ms TR), this resulted in average sound pressure level reductions of 11.3 dB(A) and 16.5 dB(A) for rate-2 and rate-3 SENSE, respectively. BOLD fMRI experiments, using visually paced finger-tapping paradigms, showed no detrimental effect of the acoustic noise reduction strategy con temporal noise levels and t scores.