Cartesian MPnRAGE for Efficient Simultaneous Multi-Contrast and Quantitative Relaxometry Imaging

Motivation: Quantitative T1 (qT1) values help diagnose and examine progression of disease and characterization of brain development, yet long scan times diminish use in clinic and research settings. Faster, accurate qT1 sequences would have great benefit. Goal(s): To create a sequence with multiple image contrasts suitable for diagnostic evaluation and accurate qT1 maps in a short scan time. Approach: We created a novel 3D Cartesian MPnRAGE sequence with 10 inversion times and under-sampling to obtain qT1 values across the brain. Results: This method generated 10 T1-weighted images across the inversion recovery curve, and B1 and inversion efficiency corrected quantitative T1 maps with high accuracy. Impact: Cartesian MPnRAGE provides an accurate way for efficient qT1 mapping to facilitate applications in research or clinical scanning sessions with limited scan time.