An interleaved echo-planar imaging (EPI) technique is described that p
rovides images from 20 sections of the brain at two echo times (27 and
84 ms) in 1:05. Six echoes per image per repetition are collected in
24 repetitions of the pulse sequence. MR images of the brain obtained
from five volunteers using the dual-echo EPI sequence, fast spin-echo
(FSE), and conventional dual-echo spin-echo were evaluated qualitative
ly for diagnostic use and quantitatively for relative signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR), contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR).