Optimized Fast Gray Matter Acquisition T1 Inversion Recovery MRI for Localizing Mammillothalamic Tract in Deep Brain Stimulation Targeting

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used for neurological disorder treatment but requires precise image-based targeting. The fast gray matter acquisition T1 inversion recovery (FGATIR) sequence was developed to visualize DBS targets, such as the mammillothalamic tract (MTT). We investigated the imaging protocol of FGATIR through simulation, phantom experiment, and volunteer scanning to improve the contrast-to-noise ratio. Adjustments to inversion time, flip angle, and receive bandwidth were made to achieve the highest MTT-thalamus contrast. A compact 3T scanner was also leveraged to further maximize the contrast as the high-performance gradients reduce repetition time, thereby decreased the acquisition window of FGATIR.