Ultrafast and motion-robust quantitative MRI for awake infants with brain injury using multiple overlapping-echo detachment imaging

Motivation: Quantitative MRI (qMRI) could provide microscopic insights into brain injuries in infants but is often limited by long scanning time. Goal(s): To investigate the potential of single-shot multiple overlapping-echo detachment (MOLED) imaging for motion-robust T2 and T2* mapping in awake infants. Approach: We acquired SEMOLED T2 and GREMOLED T2* maps from 8 infants (range, 10-390 days) with a total scan time of 16 seconds and compared brain T2 and T2* values across different age periods. Results: SEMOLED/GREMOLED maps demonstrated better motion tolerance than clinical MRI images. The measured T2 and T2* values show an exponentially decreasing trend with increasing age until adulthood. Impact: Due to its ultrafast quantification nature, MOLED makes it possible to quantitatively track brain development in infants affected by postnatal brain injuries, which has previously been challenging.