Reproducibility of estimating total sodium concentration in the putamen and substantia nigra using sodium MRI at 3T

Motivation: Brain sodium (23Na) MRI can provide sodium concentration information in vivo, but there are still some challenges, such as low SNR and relatively low resolution. Goal(s): To assess the reproducibility of total sodium concentration (TSC) evaluation in the putamen and substantia nigra of healthy individuals using 3D 23Na MRI. Approach: Ten healthy subjects were scanned twice consecutively using the 3D TFE UTE and T1W sequence to quantify the TCS in the putamen and substantia nigra. The reproducibility was evaluated. Results: Concentration of sodium in phantoms can be accurately quantified and TSC in putamen, substantia nigra had good consistency for 23Na MRI. Impact: 23Na-MRI shows potential in becoming a stable and useful biomarker for the diagnosis of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.