• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the change in signal sensitivity over different acquisition start times and optimize the scanning window to provide the maximal signal sensitivity of [1-¹³C]pyruvate and its metabolic products, lactate and alanine, using spatially localized hyperpolarized 3D ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). Materials and Methods: We acquired 3D ¹³C MRSI data from the brain (n = 3), kidney (n = 3), and liver (n = 3) of rats using a 3T clinical scanner and a custom RF coil after the injection of hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate. For each organ, we obtained three consecutive 3D ¹³C MRSI datasets with different acquisition start times per animal from a total of three animals. The mean signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of pyruvate, lactate, and alanine were calculated and compared between different acquisition start times. Based on the SNRs of lactate and alanine, we identified the optimal acquisition start timing for each organ. Results: For the brain, the acquisition start time of 18 s provided the highest mean SNR of lactate. At 18 s, however, the lactate signal predominantly originated from not the brain, but the blood vessels; therefore, the acquisition start time of 22 s was recommended for 3D ¹³C MRSI of the rat brain. For the kidney, all three metabolites demonstrated the highest mean SNR at the acquisition start time of 32 s. Similarly, the acquisition start time of 22 s provided the highest SNRs for all three metabolites in the liver. Conclusion: In this study, the acquisition start timing was optimized in an attempt to maximize metabolic signals in hyperpolarized 3D ¹³C MRSI examination with [1-¹³C] pyruvate as a substrate. We investigated the changes in metabolic signal sensitivity in the brain, kidney, and liver of rats to establish the optimal acquisition start time for each organ. We expect the results from this study to be of help in future studies.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.517-527
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• 1997

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging is a methodology combining the imaging and spectroscopy. It can provide the spectrum of each areas of image so that one can easily compare the spectrum of one position to another position of the image. In this study, we developed pulse sequence or the spectroscopic imaging method, RF wave forms or the saturation of water signal, computer simulations to validate our method, and confirmed the methodology with phantom experiment. Then we applied the spectroscopic method to human subject and identified a few important metabolites in in vivo. To develope a water saturating RF waveform, we used Shinnar-Le-Roux algorithm and obtained maximum phase RF waveform. With this RF pulse, it could suppress the water signal to 1:1000. The magnet is shimmed to under 1.0ppm with auto-shimming technique. The saturation bandwidth is 80Hz(2ppm). The water and fat seperation is 3.3ppm(about 140Hz at 1 Tesla magnet), the bandwidth is enough to resolve the difference. But we are more concerned about the narrow window in between the two peaks, in which the small quantity of metabolites reside. We performed the computer simulation and phantom experiments in 8*8 matrix form and showed good agreement in the image and spectrum. Finally we applied spectroscopic imaging to the brain of human subject. Only the lipid signal was shown in the periphery region which agrees with the at distribution in human head surface area. The spectrum inside the brain shows the important metabolites such as NAA, Cr/PCr, Choline. We here have shown the spectroscopic imaging which is normally done above 1.5 Tesla machine can be performed in the 1 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.53-58
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• 2006

In this study, transverse relaxation time (T2) measurement and the evaluation of the characteristics of the spectral peak related to stomach tissue metabolites were performed using ex vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) at 1.5-T MRI/S instruments. Thirty-two gastric tissues resected from 12 patients during gastric cancer surgery, of which 19 were normal tissue and 13 were cancerous tissue, were used to measure the $T_2$ of the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) peaks. The volume of interest data results from the MRSI measurements were extracted from the proper muscle (MUS) layer and the composite mucosa/submucosa (MC/SMC) layer and were statistically analyzed. MR spectra were acquired using the chemical shift imaging (CSI) point resolved spectroscopy (CSI-PRESS) technique with the parameters of pulse repetition time (TR) and echo times (TE) TR/(TE1,TE2)=1500 msec/(35 msec, 144 msec), matrix $size=24{\times}24$, NA=1, and voxel $size=2.2{\times}2.2{\times}4mm^3$. In conclusion, the measured $T_2$ of the metabolite peaks, such as choline (3.21ppm) and lipid (1.33ppm), were significantly decreased (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) in the cancerous stomach tissue.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2005

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.397-402
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• 2012

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) is a rare, X-linked recessive disorder characterized by dysmyelination in the central nervous system. PMD results from deletion, mutation, or duplication of the proteolipid protein gene (PLP1) located at Xq22, leading to the failure of axon myelination by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system. PMD may be suspected when there are clinical manifestations such as nystagmus, developmental delays, and spasticity, and genetic analysis can confirm the diagnosis. Further diagnostic manifestations of the disease include a lack of myelination on brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and aberrant N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline concentrations that reflect axonal and myelination abnormalities on phroton MR spectroscopy. We report 5 cases of PMD (in 1 girl and 4 boys). PLP1 duplication was detected in 2 patients. Brain MR analyses and MR spectroscopy were performed for all the patients. The brain MR images showed white matter abnormalities typical of PMD, and the MR spectroscopic images showed diverse patterns of NAA, creatinine, and choline concentrations. We propose that MR spectroscopic analysis of metabolic alterations can aid the PMD diagnosis and can contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2012

Purpose : To investigate the feasibility of in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for evaluation of lung cancer. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board of our hospital and informed consent was obtained in all patients. Ten patients (7 men, 3 women; mean age, 64.4) with pathologicallyproven lung cancer (mean, 56.8 mm; range, 44-77 mm) were enrolled to 1.5 T MRS using a single-voxel respiration-triggered point-resolved spectroscopic sequence. Technical success rate and the reason of technical failure, if any, were investigated. Results: Out of 10 lung cancers, analyzable MRS spectra were obtained in 8 tumors (technical success rate, 80%). Two MRS datasets were not able to be analyzed due to serious baseline distortion. Choline and lipid signals were detected as major metabolites in analyzable MRS spectra. Conclusion: In vivo proton MRS method using a single-voxel respiration-triggered point-resolved spectroscopic sequence is feasible in obtaining the MR spectra of lung cancer because these spectra were analyzable and high success rate was shown in our study although there was the limitation of small patient group.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.412-416
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• 2010

In this study, we measured the chemical shift change of metabolite peaks in the brain-metabolite phantom according to the temperature variation using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR). The temperature range in NMR system was controled from 25 to 80 (5 step) by internal temperature controller. Temperature coefficients of each metabolite peaks were also calculated from the measured chemical shift depending on the temperature. The chemical shift changes depending on temperature were validated by linear regression method for each metabolite peaks. The temperature coefficients of $_{tot}Cr$, Cho, Cr, NAA, and Lac were 0.0086, 0.0088, 0.0091, 0.0089, and 0.0088ppm/$^{\circ}C$, respectively. This study shows that chemical shift change of brain metabolite and temperature variation have linear relationship each other. This also makes authors believe that brain temperature measurement is possible using MR spectroscopic imaging technique.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1999

Purpose : The purpose of this study was aimed to evaluate the BOLD(blood oxygen level dependent) contrast fMRI(functional MR imaging) in the occipital lobe and to compare with the metabolic changes based on H MRS (MR spectroscopy) and MRSI (MR spectroscopic imaging) before and after visual stimulation Materials and Methods : Healthy human volunteers (eight males and two females with 24-30 year age) participated in this study. All of the BOLD fMRI were acquired on a 1.5T MR with EPI during supervised visual stimulation in the occipital lobe. The red flicker with 8Hz was used for visual stimulation. After imaging acquisition, the MR images were transferred into unix workstation and processed with acquired from the same location based on the activation map. MRSI (magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging) was also acquired to analyze the lactate changes before and after stimulation. Results : The activation maps were successfully produced by BOLD effect due to visual stimulation. NAA (N-acetyle aspartate)/Cr (creatine) ratio varied only from $1.79{\pm}0.28{\;}to{\;}1.88{\pm}0.20$ in activation area before and after stimulation. However, the signal intensity of lactate was elevated $9.48{\pm}4.38$ times higher than before activation. Lactate metabolite images were consistent with the activation maps. Conclusion : The BOLD contrast fMRI is enough sensitive to detect the activated area in human brain during the visual stimulation. Lactate metabolite map presents the evidence of lactate elevation on the same area of activation.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2008

Purpose : We developed a 3D CSI (chemical shift imaging) sequence that uses the PRESS (point resolved spectroscopy) excitation scheme and spiral-based readout gradients. Materials and Methods : We implemented constant-density spirals ($32{\times}32$ matrix, $24{\times}24\;cm$ FOV) which use analytic equations to enable real-time prescription on the scanner. In-vivo data from the brain were collected and reconstructed using the gridding algorithm. Results : Data illustrate that with our imaging sequence, the benefits of the PRESS technique, which include elimination of lipid artifacts, remain intact while flexible scan time versus resolution tradeoffs can be achieved using the constant-density spirals. Volumetric high resolution 3D CSI covering 5760 cm3 could be obtained in 12.5 minutes. Conclusion : Spiral-based readout gradients offer a flexible tradeoff between scan time versus resolution. By combining this feature with PRESS based excitation, efficient methods of volumetric spectroscopic imaging can be accomplished by obtaining whole brain coverage while eliminating lipid contamination.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.916-930
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• 2019

Objective: To investigate the relationships of T₂^*-corrected 6-echo Dixon volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) imaging-based fat fraction (FF) and R₂^* values with bone mineral density (BMD); determine their associations with sex, age, and menopause; and evaluate the diagnostic performance of the FF and R₂^* for predicting osteopenia and osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: This study included 153 subjects who had undergone magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, including MR spectroscopy (MRS) and T₂^*-corrected 6-echo Dixon VIBE imaging. The FF and R₂^* were measured at the L4 vertebra. The male and female groups were divided into two subgroups according to age or menopause. Lin's concordance and Pearson's correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement, and the area under the curve (AUC) were calculated. Results: The correlation between the spectroscopic and 6-echo Dixon VIBE imaging-based FF values was statistically significant for both readers (p_c = 0.940 [reader 1], 0.908 [reader 2]; both p < 0.001). A small measurement bias was observed for the MRS-based FF for both readers (mean difference = -0.3% [reader 1], 0.1% [reader 2]). We found a moderate negative correlation between BMD and the FF (r = -0.411 [reader 1], -0.436 [reader 2]; both p <0.001) with younger men and premenopausal women showing higher correlations. R₂^* and BMD were more significantly correlated in women than in men, and the highest correlation was observed in postmenopausal women (r = 0.626 [reader 1], 0.644 [reader 2]; both p < 0.001). For predicting osteopenia and osteoporosis, the FF had a higher AUC in men and R₂^* had a higher AUC in women. The AUC for predicting osteoporosis was highest with a combination of the FF and R₂^* in postmenopausal women (AUC = 0.872 [reader 1], 0.867 [reader 2]; both p < 0.001). Conclusion: The FF and R₂^* measured using T₂^*-corrected 6-echo Dixon VIBE imaging can serve as predictors of osteopenia and osteoporosis. R₂^* might be useful for predicting osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.