In Vivo Mapping of the Chemical Exchange Relayed Nuclear Overhauser Effect using Deep Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (rNOE-MRF)

Abstract Noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the relayed nuclear Overhauser effect (rNOE) constitutes a promising approach for gaining biological insights into various pathologies, including brain cancer, kidney injury, ischemic stroke, and liver disease. However, rNOE imaging is time-consuming and prone to biases stemming from the water T₁ and the semisolid magnetization transfer (MT) contrasts. Here, we developed a rapid rNOE quantification approach, combining magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) acquisition with deep-learning-based reconstruction. The method was systematically validated using tissue-mimicking phantoms, wild-type mice (n=7), and healthy human volunteers (n=5). In vitro rNOE parameter maps were highly correlated with ground truth (r>0.98, p<0.001). Simultaneous mapping of the rNOE and the semisolid MT exchange parameters in mice and humans were in agreement with previously reported literature values. Whole-brain 3D parameter mapping in humans took less than 5 minutes (282 sec for acquisition and less than 2 sec for reconstruction). With its demonstrated ability to rapidly extract quantitative molecular maps, deep rNOE-MRF can potentially serve as a valuable tool for the characterization and detection of molecular abnormalities in vivo.