Comprehensive Evaluation of B-corrected FISP-based Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting: Accuracy, Repeatability and Reproducibility of T and T Relaxation Times for ISMRM/NIST System Phantom and Volunteers.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate comprehensively; accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of T and T relaxation times measured by magnetic resonance fingerprinting using B-corrected fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP-MRF).

METHODS

The International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine/National Institute of Standards and Technology (ISMRM/NIST) phantom was scanned for 100 days, and six healthy volunteers for 5 days using a FISP-MRF prototype sequence. Accuracy was evaluated on the phantom by comparing relaxation times measured by FISP-MRF with the reference values provided by the phantom manufacturer. Daily repeatability was characterized as the coefficient of variation (CV) of the measurements over 100 days for the phantom and over 5 days for volunteers. In addition, the cross-scanner reproducibility was evaluated in volunteers.

RESULTS

In the phantom study, T and T values from FISP-MRF showed a strong linear correlation with the reference values of the phantom (R = 0.9963 for T; R = 0.9966 for T). CVs were <1.0% for T values larger than 300 ms, and <3.0% for T values across a wide range. In the volunteer study, CVs for both T and T values were <5.0%, except for one subject. In addition, all T values estimated by FISP-MRF in vivo were lower than those measured with conventional mapping sequences reported in previous studies. The cross-scanner variation of T and T showed good agreement between two different scanners in the volunteers.

CONCLUSION

B-corrected FISP-MRF showed an acceptable accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility in the phantom and volunteer studies.