Project Details
Projekt
Magnetic resonance intravoxel incoherent motion imaging: Inverted IVIM effect, B0 dependency, and super-simplification
Subject Area
Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
Term
since 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437119659
The intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging approach, developed by Denis le Bihan et al., attributes the observed strong signal decay in magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging at low b-values to a compartment undergoing flow-like motion, distinct from a tissue compartment experiencing only diffusive motion. The IVIM imaging approach is appealing because it enables the assessment of perfusion parameters in native exams. The ongoing discussions about Gadolinium depositions in the human brain have further increased its attractiveness. This project comprises three parts. First, the nature of the IVIM effect will be elucidated using inversion recovery preparations, which allow for the selective investigation of different flow compartments. For example, these preparations will differentiate the contributions of blood and primary urine compartments in the kidney. Second, the effect of field strength on IVIM imaging will be examined at low fields (0.55 T) and ultra-high fields (7 T). The relaxation times of blood depend on the field strength, and the venous contribution is expected to drop significantly at 7 T. Thus, IVIM experiments at different field strengths will help distinguish between venous and arterial blood contributions and offer an opportunity to assess blood oxygenation levels. Lastly, a step towards clinical translation of IVIM will be made using a "super-simplified" approach, applied in two clinical use cases: kidney transplant imaging and adenomyosis imaging.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
