Proton T2 relaxation study of water, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine in human brain using Hahn and Carr-Purcell spin echoes at 4T and 7T

Abstract

Carr-Purcell and Hahn spin-echo (SE) measurements were used to estimate the apparent transverse relaxation time constant (T2) of water and metabolites in human brain at 4T and 7T. A significant reduction in the T2 values of proton resonances (water, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine/phosphocreatine) was observed with increasing magnetic field strength and was attributed mainly to increased dynamic dephasing due to increased local susceptibility gradients. At high field, signal loss resulting from T2 decay can be substantially reduced using a Carr-Purcell-type SE sequence.