Assessing the reproducibility of downfield MRSI in the human brain at 3T

Motivation: Downfield proton MR Spectroscopic Imaging (DF-MRSI) is a recently developed technique for mapping exchangeable protons which resonate downfield from water in the proton spectrum. To date, the reproducibility of this technique has not been evaluated. Goal(s): To quantitatively evaluate the reproducibility of the major peaks in the downfield spectrum using 3D DF-MRSI at 3T. Approach: 3D DF-MRSI data were collected from five healthy volunteers at two visits Results: Mean coefficients of variance (CV) were 17% or lower for amide and DF7.9 resonances. Impact: 3D DF-MRSI at 3T is a highly reproducible tool. In the future it may be useful in for studies of amides and other resonances in pathological conditions.