Evaluation of slice accelerations using multiband echo planar imaging at 3 T.

Journal article

We evaluate residual aliasing among simultaneously excited and acquired slices in slice accelerated multiband (MB) echo planar imaging (EPI). No in-plane accelerations were used in order to maximize and evaluate achievable slice acceleration factors at 3 T. We propose a novel leakage (L-) factor to quantify the effects of signal leakage between simultaneously acquired slices. With a standard 32-channel receiver coil at 3 T, we demonstrate that slice acceleration factors of up to eight (MB=8) with blipped controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (CAIPI), in the absence of in-plane accelerations, can be used routinely with acceptable image quality and integrity for whole brain imaging. Spectral analyses of single-shot fMRI time series demonstrate that temporal fluctuations due to both neuronal and physiological sources were distinguishable and comparable up to slice-acceleration factors of nine (MB=9). The increased temporal efficiency could be employed to achieve, within a given acquisition period, higher spatial resolution, increased fMRI statistical power, multiple TEs, faster sampling of temporal events in a resting state fMRI time series, increased sampling of q-space in diffusion imaging, or more quiet time during a scan.

Authors: Xu, J; Moeller, S; Auerbach, E; Strupp, J; Smith, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: NeuroImage
• Volume: 83
• Pages: 991-1001
• Publication date: 2013-12-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.055
• EISSN: 1095-9572
• ISSN: 1053-8119
• Language: English
• Keywords: Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Brain; Humans; Brain Mapping; Echo-Planar Imaging; Algorithms