Magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4T: the Maastricht journey
Authors/Creators
- 1. lty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- 2. Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
- 3. Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- 4. Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 5. Philips Healthcare, Best, North Brabant, Netherlands
- 6. Scannexus BV, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
- 7. Krembil Brain Institute, Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science & Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- 8. Imaging Core Facility (INM-ICF), Institut für Neurowissenschaften und Medizin, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Description
The 9.4T scanner in Maastricht is a whole-body magnet with head gradients and parallel RF transmit capability. At the time of the design, it was conceptualized to be one of the best fMRI scanners in the world, but it has also been used for anatomical and diffusion imaging. 9.4T offers increases in sensitivity and contrast, but the technical ultra-high field (UHF) challenges, such as field inhomogeneities and constraints set by RF power deposition, are exacerbated compared to 7T. This article reviews some of the 9.4T work done in Maastricht. Functional imaging experiments included blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and blood-volume weighted (VASO) fMRI using different readouts. BOLD benefits from shorter T2* at 9.4T while VASO from longer T1. We show examples of both ex vivo and in vivo anatomical imaging. For many applications, pTx and optimized coils are essential to harness the full potential of 9.4T. Our experience shows that, while considerable effort was required compared to our 7T scanner, we could obtain high-quality anatomical and functional data, which illustrates the potential of MR acquisitions at even higher field strengths. The practical challenges of working with a relatively unique system are also discussed.
Files
Manuscript_9.4TMaastricht_Zenodo.pdf
Files
(2.8 MB)
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