A fast T(1) measurement sequence using inversion recovery Look-Locker echo-planar imaging at steady state (IR LL-EPI SS) is presented. Delay time for a full magnetization recovery is not required in the sequence, saving acquisition time significantly for high-resolution T(1) mapping. Imaging parameters of the IR LL-EPI SS sequence were optimized to minimize the bias from the excitation pulses i...

PURPOSE To compare the detectability of vertebral metastatic disease on T1-weighted, short-inversion-time inversion recovery (STIR), fast spin-echo (FSE), fat-saturated FSE, and inversion recovery FSE (IRFSE) MR sequences using percent contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios. METHODS Patients with proved metastatic disease underwent imaging on a 1.5-T MR system with sagittal T1-weighted (800/20...

PURPOSE To evaluate the differences in contrast between 1-second delay and zero delay (for magnetization recovery) before the preparation radio-frequency pulse in three-dimensional, inversion-recovery (IR) fast gradient-echo (GRE) acquisitions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mathematical simulations and measurements of brain image contrast were performed with healthy volunteers and 10 patients. RESU...