Whole‐brain chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging with optimized turbo spin echo readout

PURPOSE: To achieve fast whole-brain chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging with negligible susceptibility artifact. METHODS: inhomogeneity mapping. In addition, the proposed SPACE-CEST sequence was compared with the widely used turbo spin echo-CEST sequence for amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) images. RESULTS: offset values were 5.0 Hz, 5.6 Hz, and 16 Hz, respectively. Regarding the APTw map throughout the whole brain, its mean, median, and standard deviation values were 0.78%, 0.56%, and 1.74%, respectively. The SPACE-CEST sequence was also successfully applied to a postsurgery brain tumor patient, suggesting no disease progression. In addition, on the newly diagnosed brain tumor patients, the SPACE-CEST and turbo spin echo-CEST sequences yielded essentially identical APTw values. CONCLUSION: The proposed SPACE-CEST technique can rapidly generate whole-brain CEST source images with negligible susceptibility artifact.