Quantitative $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and $$$B_{0}$$$ Mapping of Fetal Brain Using Stack-of-Star Multi-Echo FLASH and Model-Based Reconstruction

Motivation: Quantitative $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and susceptibility mapping is of great interest for fetal MRI. While conventional EPI-based approaches are efficient, they usually suffer from motion and field distortion artifacts. Goal(s): To develop a distortion-free and motion-robust quantitative $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and susceptibility mapping approach for fetal brain. Approach: A stack-of-star multi-echo FLASH sequence and model-based reconstruction were developed for quantitative mapping of $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and $$$B_{0}$$$ of fetal brain. Motion estimation and correction is incorporated into the reconstruction to reduce motion artifacts. Results: Initial findings indicate accurate $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ measurements. Motion-corrected image reconstruction effectively minimized motion artifacts. Fetal $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and $$$B_{0}$$$ maps are obtained with reasonable quantitative $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ values. Impact: Our technique enables distortion-free and motion-robust quantitative $$$T_{2}^{*}$$$ and $$$B_{0}$$$ mapping for the fetal brain, utilizing a stack-of-star multi-echo acquisition and model-based reconstruction. It has the potential to address motion and field distortion artifacts typically encountered in EPI-based methods.