Effect of simultaneous multislice imaging and repetition time on biexponential liver intravoxel incoherent motion

Motivation: Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) measurements are often performed with various acquisition parameters among different studies. Previous studies showed differences in f during the application of simultaneous multislice (SMS). Goal(s): The goal is to investigate the influence of SMS and the concomitant T1-effects due to the reduction of TR. Approach: Diffusion-weighted images of the liver were acquired for conventional and SMS excitation with long and short TR each. Results were verified with a biophysical model. Results: The evaluation indicates no dependence of IVIM parameters on SMS. Yet, the reduction of TR appears to be relevant for small gaps between slices in the simulations. Impact: This study indicates that while comparing different IVIM studies, TR and gaps between slices must be taken into account, as they may substantially alter the measured f. IVIM parameters for SMS excitation are well comparable with conventional excitation, though.