Motion-Compensated Free-Breathing MRI for GlycoNOE Imaging in the Human Liver

Motivation: Radial sampling has shown great promise for free-breathing MRI applications and is adaptable for CEST imaging to enable motion-robust acquisitions. However, it remains susceptible to motion blurring, especially in patients with irregular breathing, which can introduce variability in the quantification of glycoNOE effects. Goal(s): To develop a motion-compensated technique, GraspNOE-Dixon, to enhance free-breathing glycoNOE imaging in the liver. Approach: GraspNOE combines multi-echo navi-stack-of-stars sampling with low-rank subspace reconstruction and additional motion compensation to generate dynamic CEST images for quantifying the Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE). Results: Our approach improves Z spectral quality compared to standard radial imaging without motion compensation. Impact: This technique can improve glycoNOE imaging in the human liver. The method could be valuable for studying the glycogen distribution and monitoring treatment in patients with glycogen storage disease.