Sensitive J-coupled metabolite mapping using Sel-MQC with selective multi-spin-echo readout.

The selective multiple quantum coherence technique is combined with a read gradient to accelerate the measurement of a specific scalar-coupled metabolite. The sensitivities of the localization using pure phase encoding and localization with the read gradient are compared in experiments at high magnetic field strength (17.6 T). Multiple spin-echoes of the selective multiple quantum coherence edited metabolite are acquired using frequency-selective refocusing of the specified molecule group. The frequency-selective refocusing does not affect the J-modulation of a coupled spin system, and the echo time is not limited to a multiple of 1/J to acquire pure in-phase or antiphase signal. The multiple echoes can be used to accelerate the metabolite imaging experiment or to measure the apparent transverse relaxation T(2). A simple phase-shifting scheme is presented, which enables the suppression of editing artifacts resulting from the multiple spin-echoes of the water resonance. The experiments are carried out on phantoms, in which lactate and polyunsaturated fatty acids are edited, and in vivo on tumors, in which lactate content and T(2) are imaged. The method is of particular interest when a fast and sensitive selective multiple quantum coherence editing is necessary, e.g., for spatial three dimensional experiments.