Metabolic imaging at 14.1T in the rat brain: preliminary results for PRESS-MRSI vs FID-MRSI

Motivation: Valuable in the preclinical realm, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging encounters issues with long acquisition time and low signal-to-noise ratio. Numerous excitation schemes allow for metabolic mapping. Goal(s): The current study aims at comparing, with relevant quality metrics, preclinical application of two 1H-MRSI localization schemes at 14.1T: FID-MRSI and PRESS-MRSI. Approach: Both FID and PRESS-MRSI datasets were acquired on the rodent brain in identical conditions (n=3) and processed using the same workflow for objective analysis. Results: An increased coverage and SNR per unit of time were observed for FID-MRSI. Both methods reached similar quantitative results for two different brain regions. Impact: Objective assessment of preclinical 1H-FID and 1H-PRESS-MRSI allows for exploration of their respective limitations and optimization of both localization schemes for different case studies found in preclinical research.