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MR physics and safety for fMRI. Massachusetts General Hospital Athinoula A. Martinos Center . Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D. Outline:. Monday Oct 18 (LLW): MR signal, Gradient and spin echo Basic image contrast. Wed. Oct 20 (JJ): Encoding the image. Monday Oct 25 (LLW): - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Massachusetts General HospitalAthinoula A. Martinos Center
MR physics and safety
for fMRILawrence L. Wald, Ph.D.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Outline:Monday Oct 18 (LLW):
MR signal, Gradient and spin echoBasic image contrast
Monday Oct 25 (LLW):Fast imaging for fMRI, artifacts
Wed. Oct 20 (JJ):Encoding the image
Wed. Oct 25 (LLW):fMRI BOLD contrast
Mon. Nov. 1 (JJ):Review, plus other contrast mechanisms for fMRI (CBV, CBF)
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
What is NMR?
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
A magnet, a glass of water,and a radio wave source and detector….
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
What is NMR? Nuclear magnetism
=M
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
B
N
S
W E
Earth’sField
protons
compass
E
E= h
(N↑ – N↓)/NTOT = 1 – exp(-E/kT) ≈ 10-4
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Compass needles
N
S
W E
x
y
zMainField Bo
42.58 MHz/T
Earth’sField North
Freq = B
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Gyroscopic motion
MainField Bo
Larmor precession freq. = 42.58 MHz/Tx
y
z North • Proton has magnetic moment
• Proton has spin (angular momentum)
>>gyroscopic precession
= Bo
M
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
EXCITATION : Displacing the spinsfrom Equilibrium (North)
Problem: It must be moving for us to detect it.
Solution: knock out of equilibrium so it oscillates
How? 1) Tilt the magnet or compass suddenly
2) Drive the magnetization (compass needle)with a periodic magnetic field
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Excitation: Resonance
Why does only one frequency efficiently tip protons?
Resonant driving force.It’s like pushing a child on a swing in time with
the natural oscillating frequency.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
x
y
z
StaticField, B0
Applied RFField (B1)
z is "longitudinal" directionx-y is "transverse" plane
The RF pulse rotates Mo the about applied field
Mo
RF Field (B1) applies a torque to the spins…
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
x
y
z
x
y
z
45° 90°
"Exciting" the Magnetization: tip angle
StaticField, B0
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Detecting the Magnetization: Faraday’s Law
A moving bar magnet induces a Voltage in a coil of wire.(a generator…)
The RF coil design is the #1 determinant of the system SNRx
y
z
o
90°
V(t)= -d/dt
= n Bspins A
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Detecting the NMR: the noise
x
y
z
o
90°
V(t)
Noise comes from electrical losses in the resistance of the coil or electrical losses in the tissue.
For a resistor:Pnoise = 4kTRB
• Noise is white.>>Noise power bandwidth
• Noise is spatially uniform.• R is dominated by the tissue. >>
big coil is bad.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
The NMR Signal
x
y
z
RF
time
x
y
z
Voltage(Signal)
time
o
x
y
z
o
90°
V(t)
Bo
Mo
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Signal to Noise Ratio in MRI
• Most important piece of hardware is the RF coil.
• SNR voxel volume (# of spins)
• SNR SQRT( total time of data collection)
• SNR depends on the amount of signal you throw away to better visualize the brain (gain image contrast)
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Physical Foundations of MRI
NMR: 60 year old phenomena that generates thesignal from water that we detect.
MRI: using NMR signal to generate an image
Three magnetic fields (generated by 3 coils)1) static magnetic field Bo2) RF field that excites the spins B13) gradient fields that encode spatial info
Gx, Gy, Gz
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Three Steps in MR:
0) Equilibrium (magnetization points along Bo)
1) RF Excitation (tip magn. away from equil.)
2) Precession induces signal, dephasing (timescale = T2, T2*).
3) Return to equilibrium (timescale = T1).
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Magnetization vector during MR
RF
Voltage(Signal)
timeencode
Mz
Mxy
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Three places in process to make ameasurement (image)
0) Equilibrium (magnetization points along Bo)
1) RF Excitation (tip magn. away from equil.)
2) Precession induces signal, allow to dephase for time TE.
3) Return to equilibrium (timescale =T1).
protondensityweighting
T2 or T2*weighting
T1 Weighting
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Contrast in MRI: proton density
Form image immediately after excitation (creation of signal).
Tissue with more protons per cc give more signal and is thus brighter on the image.
No chance to dephase, thus no differences due to different tissue T2 values.
Magnetization starts fully relaxed (full Mz), thus no T1 weighting.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
T2*-Dephasing
Wait time TE after excitation before measuring M.
Shorter T2* spins have dephased
x
y
z
x
y
z
x
y
z
vectorsum
initially at t= TE
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
T2* Dephasing
Just the tips of the vectors…
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
T2* = 200
T2* = 60
1008060402000.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Time (milliseconds)
Tran
sver
se M
agne
tizat
ion
T2* decay graphs
Tissue #2
Tissue #1
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
T2* Weighting
Phantoms withfour different T2* decay rates...
There is no contrast difference immediately after excitation, must wait (but not too long!).
Choose TE for max. inten. difference.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Gradient Echo (T2* contrast)Dephasing is entirely from a spatial difference in the
applied static fields.
t = 0x
y
z90°
t = T
Red arrows processes faster due to its higher local field
x
y
z Bo + Gx x
x
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Gradient Echo (T2* contrast)Dephasing is entirely from a spatial difference in the
applied static fields.
t = 0x
y
z90°
t = Tx
y
zBo + Gx x
x
Bo + Gx x
xt = Tx
y
z
t = 2Tx
yz
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Gradient Echo
RF excitation
Gx
t
St
t
Boring!
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Spin Echo (T2 contrast)Some dephasing can be refocused because its due to static fields.
t = 0x
y
z90°
t = T
Blue arrows precesses faster due to localfield inhomogeneity than red arrow
x
y
z
t = T (+) t = 2T
Echo!
x
y
z
x
y
z
180°
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Spin Echo180° pulse only helps cancel static inhomogeneity
The “runners” can have static speed distribution.
If a runner trips, he will not make it back in phase with the others.
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
T2 weighed spin echo image
gray
white
Time to Echo , TE (ms)
NM
R S
igna
l
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Other contrast for MRI
In brain: (gray/white/CSF/fat)Proton density differ ~ 20% T1 relaxation differ ~ 2000%
How to exploit for imaging?
Vary repetition rate - TR
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
RF
Voltage(Signal)
Mz
time
encode
T1 weighting in MRI (w/ 90o excite)TR
grey matter (long T1)white matter (short T1)
encode encode
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
white matterT1 = 600
30002000100000.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
TR (milliseconds)
Sign
al
grey matterT1 = 1000
CSFT1 = 3000
T1-Weighting
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
RF
Voltage(Signal)
Mz
time
encode
T1 weighting in MRI (w/ 30o excite)TR
white matter (short T1)
encode encode
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
TRLong
Short
Short LongTE
ProtonDensity
T1 poor!
Image contrast summary: TR, TE
T2
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Source of T1 and T2 contrast in brain:Myelin content
Nissel stain: Weigert stain:cell bodies fibers
Layer 4b: thick region with myelination (line of Gennari)
Layer 1: no cell bodies, moderate myelination
White matter: heavy myelination
Myelin differences are the primary source of T1 and T2 contrast of gray/white matter.
Determine functional boundaries based on MR strucure alone…
Wald, fMRI MR Physics
Cortical layers in Monkey at 7T
Intensity along line perpendicular To V1
MPRAGE 250um x 250um x 750um (4 hours)