Direct detection of peripheral nerve and skeletal muscle activity via spin-lock based MRI: a simulation and phantom study

Motivation: Precise localization of peripheral nerve disorders with electrophysiological examinations is challenging. The noninvasive spatio-temporal monitoring of normal and pathological nerve activity could pioneer groundbreaking applications in the field of biomedical imaging. Goal(s): This study aims at adapting and optimizing spin-lock sequence parameters for the direct detection of concomitant magnetic fields of peripheral nerve conduction. Approach: Electromyography data obtained during electrical stimulation served as a starting point for sequence optimization. Detection was experimentally trialed in a phantom study using artificial emulation of biomagnetic fields. Results: Optimal spin-lock parameters were identified and experimentally validated for the detection of Electromyography-modeled fields. Impact: This study extends the concept of SL-based detection of neural oscillations and cardiac-induced biomagnetism to the peripheral nervous system. This innovation could pave the way for non-invasive, high-resolution localization of peripheral nerve disorders using MRI, enhancing diagnostics in clinical routine.