Motivation: In MRSI, obtaining concentration estimates is desirable to using metabolite ratios. We were limited due to segmentation. PD-based water maps can address this issue. Goal(s): To compare and validate metabolic imaging using PD-based approach, and compared against literature-driven strategy. Approach: Quantitative proton density maps are used to arrive at the water content for metabolic imaging at 7T, allowing concentration estimation based on internal water mapping with PDs. Results: A PD-based tissue referencing was successfully implemented and compared against a literature-driven approach in 13 volunteers and one tumor patient. Regional comparisons showed ~4% difference between, with values aligning with the previously established ranges Impact: Using quantitative proton density maps as an internal reference for MRSI enables to get concentration estimates from not only healthy brains, but also in pathological ones like brains with glioma.
Azgın et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: