CINE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF PULSATILE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID FLOWUSING CSPAMM

Spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) is a well established imag ing technique which superimposes a tagging pattern on conventional mag netic resonance (MR) images, allowing movement to be visualized. A mod ification to the SPAMM technique, called complementary spatial modulat ion of magnetization (CSPAMM), which improves the contrast of the tagg ing pattern is explained. The application of CSPAMM to the visualizati on of pulsatile cerebrospinal fluid flow (CSF) using an 8 frame cardia c-gated cine sequence is described. Various combinations of binomial p ulses, up to the fifth order, were investigated to see which produces the optimum tagging pattern in the CSPAMM images. The flip angles of t he imaging RF pulses were studied to see which would give equal maximu m CSF signal intensity in all the cine images. The optimized cine CSPA MM technique was compared ir 2 vivo with SPAMM and CSF motion was foun d to be more easily visualized in the CSPAMM images.