In Vivo T1 Mapping of 31P Metabolites at Short TR

Mahon L. Maguire¹, Hannah Barnes¹, Stefan Neubauer¹, Jurgen E. Schneider¹

Quantitation of the energetics of the heart requires accurate tissue specific T1 values for the ³¹P metabolites involved. Acquisition of ³¹P spectroscopic data at high resolution necessitates the use of a short TR relative to the T1 of the metabolites. High resolution ³¹P chemical shift imaging was employed to take spatially resolved 2, 3 and 4 flip angle T1 measurements. Phantom studies are presented investigating the optimal parameters for T1 mapping in vivo. A dual angle T1 measurement employing flip angles of 30 and 15 is optimal where TR/T1<0.2; its application in the mouse is presented.