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Acoustic noise reduction in pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL)

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Abstract

Object

While pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) is a promising imaging technique to visualize cerebral blood flow, it is also (acoustically) very loud during labeling. In this paper, we reduced the labeling loudness on our scanner by increasing the interval between the RF pulses from the literature standard of 1.0 ms. We also propose recommendations to reduce the loudness on scanners of the same type at other sites.

Materials and methods

First, the sound pressure level (SPL) was both simulated and measured as a function of the labeling interval (1.0–1.8 ms) and longitudinal position in the scanner (−10 to +10 cm, relative to isocenter). Subsequently, we selected the labeling interval with the lowest overall SPL for the "SPL-optimized" pCASL sequence. Nine volunteers were scanned to compare raw signal intensity, temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) and labeling efficiency between the SPL-optimized and the standard PCASL sequence.

Results

Sound pressure level measurements on our scanner showed that loudness was reduced by 6.5 dB at the approximate location of the ear by adjusting the labeling interval to 1.4 ms. Furthermore, image quality was not affected, since no significant differences in signal intensity, tSNR and labeling efficiency were observed.

Conclusion

By increasing the pCASL labeling interval, acoustic noise in the pCASL sequence was reduced with 6.5 dB, while image quality was preserved.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Grant 0903-044 from the Nuts-Ohra foundation (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and by VICI Grant 453.07.001 from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research Cognition (NWO, the Hague, Netherlands).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Johan N. van der Meer & Eus J. W. van Someren

  2. Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Dennis F. R. Heijtel & Aart J. Nederveen

  3. Philips Medical Systems, Best, The Netherlands

    Guus van Hest & Geert-Jan Plattèl

  4. Department of Radiology, C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Matthijs J. P. van Osch

  5. Departments of Integrative Neurophysiology and Medical Psychology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Eus J. W. van Someren

  6. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Ed T. vanBavel

  7. Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany

    Johan N. van der Meer

Authors
  1. Johan N. van der Meer
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  2. Dennis F. R. Heijtel
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  3. Guus van Hest
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  4. Geert-Jan Plattèl
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  5. Matthijs J. P. van Osch
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  6. Eus J. W. van Someren
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  7. Ed T. vanBavel
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  8. Aart J. Nederveen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dennis F. R. Heijtel.

Additional information

Johan N. van der Meer and Dennis F. R. Heijtel have contributed equally to this work.

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van der Meer, J.N., Heijtel, D.F.R., van Hest, G. et al. Acoustic noise reduction in pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL). Magn Reson Mater Phy 27, 269–276 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-013-0406-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-013-0406-3

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