Spatially selective T2 and T2*measurement with line-scan echo-planar spectroscopic imaging

Line-scan echo planar spectroscopic imaging (LSEPSI) is applied to quickly measure the T2 and T2* relaxation time constants in pre-selected 2D or 3D regions. Results from brain imaging studies at 3 T suggest that the proposed method may prove valuable for both basic research (e.g., quantifying the changes of T2/T2* values in functional MRI with blood oxygenation level-dependent contrast) and clinical studies (e.g., measuring the T2* shortening due to iron deposition). The proposed spatially selective T2 and T2* mapping technique is especially well suited for studies, where T2/T2* quantification needs to be performed dynamically in a pre-selected 2D or 3D region. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.