Optimized spiral imaging for measurement of myocardial T2 relaxation

Microcirculation oxygen levels and blood volumes should be reflected in measurements of myocardial T-2 relaxation. This work describes the optimization of a spiral imaging strategy for robust myocardial T-2 measurement to minimize the standard deviation of T-2 measurement (sigmaT(2)). Theoretical and experimental studies of blurring at muscle/blood interfaces enabled the derivation of parameter sets which reduce sigma T-2 to the level of 5%. T-2 relaxation mapping within healthy volunteers provided estimation of residual sigmaT(2) within the optimized technique. The standard deviation in T-2 measurement across regions of interest (ROIs) in different locations is about 9%. The standard deviation in T-2 measurement in an ROI across different time points is about 5%. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.