Quantitative magnetic susceptibility mapping without phase unwrapping using WASSR

Abstract

The magnetic susceptibility of tissue within and around an image voxel affects the magnetic field and thus the local frequency in that voxel. Recently, it has been shown that spatial maps of frequency can be used to quantify local susceptibility if the contributions of surrounding tissue can be deconvolved. Currently, such quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) methods employ gradient recalled echo (GRE) imaging to measure spatial differences in the signal phase evolution as a function of echo time, from which frequencies can be deduced. Analysis of these phase images, however, is complicated by phase wraps, despite the availability and usage of various phase unwrapping algorithms. In addition, lengthy high-resolution GRE scanning often heats the magnet bore, causing the magnetic field to drift over several Hertz, which is on the order of the frequency differences between tissues. Here, we explore the feasibility of applying the WAter Saturation Shift Referencing (WASSR) method for 3D whole brain susceptibility imaging. WASSR uses direct saturation of water protons as a function of frequency irradiation offset to generate frequency maps without phase wraps, which can be combined with any image or spectroscopy acquisition. By utilizing a series of fast short-echo-time direct saturation images with multiple radiofrequency offsets, a frequency correction for field drift can be applied based on the individual image phases. Regions of interest were delineated with an automated atlas-based method, and the average magnetic susceptibilities calculated from frequency maps obtained from WASSR correlated well with those from the phase-based multi-echo GRE approach at 3T.

Keywords: Algorithm for sparse linear equations and sparse least squares; Am; Amygdala; Anterior limb of the Internal Capsule; Body of the Corpus callosum; Body of the Lateral Ventricle; CC; CI; CN; COSMOS; CSF; Calculation of Susceptibility through Multiple Orientation Sampling; Caudate Nucleus; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Confidence Interval; Corpus Callosum; DS; Direct Saturation; Direct saturation; EC; EvePM; External Capsule; Field mapping; Frontal portion of the Lateral Ventricle; GM; GP; GRE; Genu of the Corpus callosum; Globus Pallidus; Gradient Recalled Echo; Gray Matter; Hippocampus; Hp; IC; Internal Capsule; LSQR; MTR; Magnetic susceptibility; Magnetization Transfer Ratio; Phase; Posterior limb of the Internal Capsule; Pt; Putamen; QSM; Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping; Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM); RN; ROI; Red Nucleus; Region of Interest; SN; Splenium of the Corpus callosum; Substantia Nigra; TR; Th; Thalamic Radiations; Thalamus; WASSR; WAter Saturation Shift Referencing; WAter Saturation Shift Referencing (WASSR); WM; White Matter; aIC; bC; bLV; fLV; gC; pIC; sC; “Everything” Parcellation Map from the Eve atlas at Johns Hopkins University.