Simultaneous T 1 and T 2 Mapping in the Brain With QuantoRAGE : An MP2RAGE Variant Using T 2 ‐Prepared Inversion
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Purpose To develop and validate a repeatable and reproducible approach, QuantoRAGE, for simultaneous whole‐brain T 1 and T 2 mapping using adiabatic magnetization preparation. Methods QuantoRAGE is a 3D FLASH‐based sequence using an adiabatic T 2 ‐prepared inversion followed by two readout blocks. Sequence repetitions with different preparation durations and inversion times provide T 1 ‐ and T 2 ‐weighted images. Quantitative parameters are voxel‐wise estimated by matching signal evolutions to a dictionary generated from extended phase graph simulations. To accelerate the method, the protocol was optimized using Cramér‐Rao lower bound analysis, and a neural‐network was trained on sequence‐specific dictionaries for fast matching. The optimized protocol was evaluated in phantom and healthy volunteers at 3 T and compared against reference MP2RAGE T 1 and multi‐echo spin‐echo T 2 measurements. In vivo repeatability and reproducibility were quantified using scan‐rescan experiments. Feasibility of QuantoRAGE at 7 T was tested in vivo. Results At 3 T, T 1 and T 2 phantom quantification agreed with nominal values (T 1 : r = 0.98, T 2 : r = 0.99). In eight healthy volunteers, high repeatability (bias ± SD, T 1 : 14.1 ± 30.2 ms, T 2 : 1.2 ± 1.7 ms) and reproducibility (T 1 : 18.9 ± 32.6 ms, T 2 : 1.1 ± 2.1 ms) were observed across brain regions, with T 1 estimates comparable to reference methods ( r = 0.96, slope = 0.74), and T 2 underestimated ( r = 0.79, slope = 0.44). Fast matching produced results consistent with dictionary‐matching and significantly reduced parameter estimation time. At 7 T, the adiabatic preparation resulted in homogeneous T 1 and T 2 maps at 0.8‐mm isotropic resolution. Conclusion QuantoRAGE enabled reproducible simultaneous T 1 and T 2 mapping at 3 T, providing an efficient framework for longitudinal and cross‐sectional quantitative MRI studies and showed feasibility at 7 T.
Source: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
DOI: 10.1002/mrm.70617
Authors: Natalia Pato Montemayor, Tâm Johan Nguyên, José P. Marques, Berk Can Açikgöz, Jessica A. M. Bastiaansen, Roland Kreis, Piotr Radojewski, Jonathan Stelter, Dimitrios Karampinos, Jocelyn Philippe, Lina Bacha, Tommaso Di Noto, Bénédicte Maréchal, Dominik Nickel, Patrick A. Liebig, Robin M. Heidemann, Tobias Kober, Jean‐Philippe Thiran, Tom Hilbert, Thomas Yu, Gian Franco Piredda, Gabriele Bonanno
Institutions: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern, Centre d'Imagerie BioMedicale, Siemens Healthineers (Germany)
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,680
OpenAlex ID: W7219583040