QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN IN-VIVO NMR-SPECTROSCOPY .4. A MULTICENTER TRIAL OF TEST OBJECTS AND PROTOCOLS FOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN CLINICALNMR-SPECTROSCOPY

A multicentre trial of test objects and protocols for performance asse ssment in single volume and slice selective magnetic resonance spectro scopy (MRS) was conducted by the European Community Concerted Action o n MRI and MRS. The trial assessed phosphorus and proton localisation t echniques implemented on commercially available MR systems at ten site s in Europe. At each site, a number of parameters devised by the Conce rted Action were measured using prototype test objects, Some of these parameters related to the quality of localisation and others to the ov erall performance of the spectrometer. Results were obtained for the I SIS, DRESS, STEAM, and PRESS sequences with a range of acquisition par ameters, allowing evaluation of the assessment methodology and compari son of the efficacy of various implementations of these focalisation t echniques. The results of this trial have been important in the develo pment of the Concerted Action's final recommendations for MRS performa nce assessment, and demonstrate that such assessment provides valuable information in the comparison of spectroscopy data from different sit es and in the development of new localisation sequences, and provides a means of quality assurance in MRS.