Full-brain multi-pathway relaxometry using a golden-angle radial scheme and sparsely-sampled radial spokes

Quantitative MRI is emerging as a powerful diagnostic tool for neuroimaging applications. A motion-robust, golden-angle radial acquisition version of the ‘triple-echo steady-state’ (TESS) relaxometry method was implemented here, to mitigate the artifacts induced by the flowing motion of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). To improve the scan efficiency, a probability density function-based sparse sampling scheme was introduced in each radial spoke. Close agreement was obtained between reference and TESS scans for both T1 and T2 values, using a multi-compartment phantom. In vivo whole-brain results were further obtained (3D T1 and T2 maps, 1-mm isotropic resolution, whole-brain coverage, 7.5-minute scan).