DETERMINATION OF SATURATION-TRANSFER PARAMETERS OF HUMAN TISSUES IN-VIVO

In order to study the applicability of magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) to tissue differentiation, the determination of the magnetizati on transfer (MT) parameters of normal tissues is necessary for the eva luation of pathological conditions. The time-dependent saturation tran sfer technique was used to investigate the observed magnetization tran sfer parameters in several human tissues in vivo at 0.1 T. The length of the off-resonance saturation pulse varied from 0 to 750 ms, The mag netization transfer contrast (MTC) was 0.71 in striated muscle, 0.49 i n liver, 0.49 in renal cortex, and 0.50 in spleen, The observed magnet ization transfer rates (R(wm)) were 5.5 s(-1) for muscle, 3.1 s(-1) fo r liver, and 1.5 s(-1) for both renal cortex and spleen, Our results i ndicate that measuring R(wm) and possibly other relaxation parameters could be useful in tissue differentiation.