An in-vivo comparison of stimulated-echo and motion compensated spin-echo sequences for 3 T diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance at multiple cardiac phases

• DOI: 10.1186/s12968-017-0425-8
• Publication Date: 2018-01-03T06:57:14Z
• Authors: Andrew D. Scott; Sonia Nielles-Val...; Pedro F. Ferreira; Zohya Khalique; Peter D. Gatehouse; Philip Kilner; Dudley J. Pennell; David N. Firmin
• Keywords: Diastasis; Systole

Stimulated-echo (STEAM) and, more recently, motion-compensated spin-echo (M2-SE) techniques have been used for in-vivo diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DT-CMR) assessment of cardiac microstructure. The two differ in the length scales interrogated, their signal-to-noise ratio efficiency and sensitivity to both motion strain. Previous comparisons high performance gradients at 1.5 T a single phase. However, recent work using STEAM has demonstrated novel findings microscopic dysfunction cardiomyopathy patients, when DT-CMR was performed multiple phases. We compare M2-SE clinical 3 scanner three potentially clinically interesting Breath hold mid-ventricular short-axis 15 subjects end-systole, systolic sweet-spot diastasis. Success defined by ≥50% myocardium demonstrating normal helix angles. From successful acquisitions results relating orientation, size shape were compared between sequences phases non-parametric statistics. Strain information obtained cine spiral displacement encoding with stimulated echoes comparison results. Acquisitions 98% 76% cases visual angle (HA) map scores higher There significant differences (p < 0.05) mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), mode, transmural HA gradient absolute second eigenvector (E2A). Differences E2A systole diastole correlated peak radial strain ≤ 0.01). can be equally well standard gradients, but is reliable image quality are higher. due longer time STEAM, although latter appears dominant factor. benefits should considered planning future studies sequence phase specific ranges comparison.