3T vs 7T CEST contrast comparison in a prospective diagnostic study in glioma patients: insights into age dependence and tumor subtype sensitivity

Motivation: Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a metabolic imaging tool increasingly used in glioma research. While 7T CEST offers superior chemical shift separation and SNR, 3T remains the clinical standard. Comparing these strengths can clarify CEST's diagnostic potential. Goal(s): To compare CEST contrasts at 3T vs. 7T in a glioma cohort, focusing on age dependence and tumor subtype sensitivity. Approach: We scanned 43 glioma patients at both 3T and 7T, analyzing CEST pools' Lorentzian amplitudes in normally appearing and tumor tissues. Results: Stronger age dependence appeared at 7T in normally appearing tissue, and not in tumor; IDH mutation sensitivity remains inconclusive across fields. Impact: This study shows that 7T CEST enhances age-dependent contrast but offers limited advantage for tumor subtyping over 3T, elucidating CEST's diagnostic potential. Future research can use age-related CEST changes at 7T to differentiate normal from pathological aging in clinical neuroimaging.