HETERONUCLEAR CROSS-POLARIZATION FOR ENHANCED SENSITIVITY OF IN-VIVO C-13 MR SPECTROSCOPY ON A CLINICAL 1.5 T MR SYSTEM

The potential of heteronuclear (H-1-C-13) cross polarization was studi ed for optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio in in vivo C-13 MR sp ectroscopy at the clinical field strength of 1.5 T, Experiments on the human calf showed a significant chemical-shift selective signal enhan cement on triglyceride signals of 3.9 by heteronuclear cross polarizat ion, compared to a standard pulse-acquire sequence. Studies on a neona tal piglet brain showed an enhancement by cross polarization of 2.2 fo r the detection of C-13-1-glucose, This enhancement allowed a fourfold improvement in time resolution in dynamic 13C MR Of C-13-1-glucose in flow in piglet brain, Phantom experiments demonstrated the efficiency of this technique for interleaved detection of two spectral regions, T ests with a volume coil showed the feasibility of signal enhancement b y cross polarization over a large volume of interest. (C) 1998 Academi c Press.