Enhanced approach for three-dimensional myelin-weighted imaging using a novel flow suppression technique in the ViSTa

Motivation: ViSTa offers improved myelin-weighted image. However, the presence of flow artifacts was seen when scanning a subject with a high flow speed. Goal(s): This study aimed to construct a novel 3D ViSTa sequence by implementing a series of flow saturation pulses. Approach: Three flow saturation pulses were placed as evenly as possible between the 1st inversion pulse and the excitation pulse to effectively mitigate the presence of flow with various speeds. Results: The results from the proposed ViSTa sequence reveal a significant reduction in flow artifacts. When we conduct MS patient scans, lesions have a significantly diminished signal level, providing a distinct demarcation. Impact: The proposed method provides improved whole-brain covered 3D myelin-weighted images in a clinically reasonable scan time (< 7 min). Moreover, it shows good sensitivity to MS lesions. These features make the proposed method appealing for clinical neuroimaging applications.