Ultra-high field MR imaging lacks B 1 + inhomogeneity due to shorter RF wavelengths used at higher field strengths compared to human anatomy.CEST techniques tend to be highly susceptible to B 1 + inhomogeneities due to a high and uniform B 1 + field being necessary to create the endogenous contrast.High-permittivity dielectric pads have seen increasing usage in MR imaging due to their ability to tailor the spatial distribution of the B 1 + field produced. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that dielectric materials can be used to improve glutamate weighted CEST (gluCEST) at 7T. Theory and Methods:GluCEST images were acquired on a 7T system on six healthy volunteers. Aqueous calcium titanate pads, with a permittivity of approximately 110, were placed on either side in the subject ′ s head near the temporal lobes. A post-processing correction algorithm was implemented in combination with dielectric padding to compare contrast improvement. Tissue segmentation was performed to assess the effect of dielectric pads on gray and white matter separately. Results: GluCEST images demonstrated contrast enhancement in the lateral temporal lobe regions with dielectric pad placement. Tissue segmentation analysis showed an increase in correction effectiveness within the gray matter tissue compared to white matter tissue. Statistical testing suggested a significant difference in gluCEST contrast when pads were used and showed a difference in the gray matter tissue segment. Conclusion:The use of dielectric pads improved the B 1 + field homogeneity and enhanced gluCEST contrast for all subjects when compared to data that did not incorporate padding.

Purpose: A 7T magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT) technique was developed to validate the conversion factor between the system-measured transmitted radiofrequency (RF) power into a homebuilt RF wrist coil with the system-predicted SAR value. The conversion factor for a new RF coil developed for ultra high magnetic field MRI systems is used to ensure that regulatory limits on RF energy deposition in tissue, specifically the local 10g-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR 10g), are not exceeded. MRT can be used to validate this factor by ensuring that MRT-measured SAR values do not exceed those predicted by the system. Methods: A 14-cm diameter high-pass birdcage RF coil was built to image the wrist at 7T. A high spatial and temporal resolution dual-echo gradient echo MRT technique, incorporating quasi-simultaneous RF-induced heating and temperature change measurements using the proton resonance frequency method, was developed. The technique allowed for high-temperature resolution measurements (~AE0.1°C) to be performed every 20 s over a 4-min heating period, with high spatial resolution (2.56 mm 3 voxel size) and avoiding phase discontinuities arising from severe magnetic susceptibility-induced B 0 inhomogeneities. Magnetic resonance thermometry was performed on a phantom made from polyvinylpyrrolidone to mimic the dielectric properties of muscle tissue at 297.2 MHz. Temperature changes measured with MRT and four fiber optic temperature sensors embedded in the phantom were compared. Electromagnetic simulations of the coil and phantom were developed and validated via comparison of simulated and measured B 1 + maps in the phantom. The position of maximum SAR within the coil was determined from simulations, and MRT was performed within a wrist-sized piece of meat positioned at that SAR hotspot location. MRT-measured and system-predicted SAR values for the phantom and meat were compared. Results: Temperature change measurements from MRT matched closely to those from the fiber optic temperature sensors. The simulations were validated via close correlation between the simulated and MRT-measured B 1 + and SAR maps. Using a coil conversion factor of 2 kg −1 , MRT-measured point-SAR values did not exceed the system-predicted SAR 10g in either the uniform phantom or in the piece of meat mimicking the wrist located at the SAR hotspot location. Conclusions: A highly accurate MRT technique with high spatial and temporal resolution was developed. This technique can be used to ensure that system-predicted SAR values are not exceeded in practice, thereby providing independent validation of SAR levels delivered by a newly built RF wrist coil. The MRT technique is readily generalizable to perform safety evaluations for other RF coils at 7T.

Purpose Nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) is based on dipolar cross‐relaxation mechanism that enables the indirect detection of aliphatic protons via the water proton signal. This work focuses on determining the reproducibility of NOE magnetization transfer ratio (NOEMTR) and isolated or relayed NOE (rNOE) contributions to the NOE MRI of the healthy human brain at 7 Tesla (T). Methods We optimized the B1+$$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ amplitude and length of the saturation pulse by acquiring NOE images with different B1+$$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ values with multiple saturation lengths. Repeated NOE MRI measurements were made on five healthy volunteers by using optimized saturation pulse parameters including correction of B0 and B1+$$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ inhomogeneities. To isolate the individual contributions from z‐spectra, we have fit the NOE z‐spectra using multiple Lorentzians and calculated the total contribution from each pool contributing to the overall NOEMTR contrast. Results We found that a saturation amplitude of 0.72 μT and a length of 3 s provided the highest contrast. We found that the mean NOEMTR value in gray matter (GM) was 26%, and in white matter (WM) was 33.3% across the 3D slab of the brain. The mean rNOE contributions from GM and WM values were 8.9% and 9.6%, which were ∼10% of the corresponding total NOEMTR signal. The intersubject coefficient of variations (CoVs) of NOEMTR from GM and WM were 4.5% and 6.5%, respectively, whereas the CoVs of rNOE were 4.8% and 5.6%, respectively. The intrasubject CoVs of the NOEMTR range was 2.1%–4.2%, and rNOE range was 2.9%–10.5%. Conclusion This work has demonstrated an excellent reproducibility of both inter‐ and intrasubject NOEMTR and rNOE metrics in healthy human brains at 7 T.

Dielectric pads were used to improve the contrast of volumetric (3D) gluCEST via enhanced homogenization of B1 fields. Effective placement of the pads required additional coverage of the face due to their physical size to achieve the saturated B1 strength necessary to recover the gluCEST signal from the anterior portions of the brain. The origin of gluCEST's need for high B1 is discussed, and examples of 3D gluCEST images acquired with and without the use of the dielectric pads are provided and repeatability of the 3D gluCEST in the presence of pad placement was determined.

To monitor the metabolic turnover of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) oxidation using 2 H-MRS in conjunction with intravenous administration of 2 H labeled BHB.Methods: Nine-month-old mice were infused with [3,4,4,4]-2 H 4 -BHB (d 4 -BHB; 3.11 g/kg) through the tail vein using a bolus variable infusion rate for a period of 90 min. The labeling of downstream cerebral metabolites from the oxidative metabolism of d 4 -BHB was monitored using 2 H-MRS spectra acquired with a home-built 2 H surface coil on a 9.4T preclinical MR scanner with a temporal resolution of 6.25 min. An exponential model was fit to the BHB and glutamate/glutamine (Glx) turnover curves to determine rate constants of metabolite turnover and to aid in the visualization of metabolite time courses.Results: Deuterium label was incorporated into Glx from BHB metabolism through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, with an increase in the level of [4,4]-2 H 2 -Glx (d 2 -Glx) over time and reaching a quasi-steady state concentration of ∼0.6 ± 0.1 mM following 30 min of infusion. Complete oxidative metabolic breakdown of d 4 -BHB also resulted in the formation of semi-heavy water (HDO), with a four-fold (10.1 to ∼42.1 ± 7.3 mM) linear (R 2 = 0.998) increase in its concentration by the end of infusion. The rate constant of Glx turnover from d 4 -BHB metabolism was determined to be 0.034 ± 0.004 min −1 . Conclusion: 2 H-MRS can be used to monitor the cerebral metabolism of BHB with its deuterated form by measuring the downstream labeling of Glx. The integration of 2 H-MRS with deuterated BHB substrate provides an alternative and clinically promising MRS tool to detect neurometabolic fluxes in healthy and disease conditions. K E Y W O R D S2 H-MRS, brain, d 4 -BHB, ketone bodies, metabolism, TCA