Segmented echo-planar acquisitions have been incorporated into a multiecho
imaging sequence to produce a MRI method for rapid transverse relaxometry.
The method is demonstrated on gel phantoms and rat brain and found to produ
ce unbiased estimates of T-2. Gradient performance can be a limiting factor
for the implementation of this technique and there is a cost in signal-to-
noise ratio resulting from the higher bandwidth required, as is typical for
echo-planar acquisitions. (C) 2000 Academic Press.