Accuracy of Real-Time Echo-Planar Imaging Phase Contrast MRI

Compared with CINE phase contrast MRI (CINE-PC), echo-planar imaging phase contrast (EPI-PC) can achieve realtime quantification of blood flow, with lower SNR. In this study, the pulsating real model of the simulated cerebral vasculature was used to verify the accuracy of EPI-PC. The imaging time of EPI-PC was 62ms/image at 100*60 spatial resolution. The reconstructed EPI-PC flow curve was extracted by homemade post-processing software. After comparison with the CINE-PC flow curve, it was concluded that EPI-PC can provide an average flow with less than 3% error, and its flow curve will be similar to the CINE-PC flow curve in shape.

Cerebro spinal fluid dynamic in front of cardiac and breathing influence

It is still debated how breathing interacts with the CSF. New Phase contrast MRI sequence based on Echo Planar imaging (EPI-PC) can now produce continuously during minutes a velocity map, more or less every 100 ms. We did not found in the literature quantitative evaluation of the CSF stroke volume change during breathing. The aim of this work is to quantify CSF dynamics change in the aqueduct and in the spinal canal during the breathing and cardiac period using EPI-PC.