A comparison of ungated radial SMS and ECG-gated myocardial perfusion MRI

Motivation: Standard ECG-gated saturation recovery sequences can be limited under arrhythmia. However, few studies have compared the performance of ungated and gated saturation recovery sequences using radial simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) sequences. Goal(s): To analyze the accuracy and repeatability of ungated and gated radial SMS sequences. Approach: Pixel-wise myocardial blood flow maps were generated using the Fermi model for five canines and two human subjects. Human studies were performed twice on separate days for repeatability. Results: The ungated radial SMS saturation recovery sequence can be used to quantify resting perfusion myocardial blood flow with similar accuracy and reproducibility to its ECG-gated counterpart. Impact: The ungated radial SMS saturation recovery sequence could allow for increased robustness to ECG-related issues commonly seen in atrial fibrillation.