Myelin Content Imaging Using Ultra-Short TE MRI with Variable Flip Angles

Myelin content was measured from the fast T1 relaxation component using bi-exponential T1 relaxation regression. The data was collected using UTE with variable flip angles to detect short T2 signal of myelin and to avoid magnetic susceptibility corruption by T2*-based myelin contrast methods. The estimated myelin content was influenced by CSF, which was suppressed by use of the slow T1 relaxation time. The estimated myelin content was higher in white matter than other brain regions. However, the myelin content was increased in the anterior pole and low in motor areas in this in-vivo piglet data.