The Effect of Cardiac Synchronization on the Temporal Characteristics of 3D SSFP & 3D SGPR

Rob Hendrikus Tijssen¹, Karla Loreen Miller¹

Recently, several groups have re-visited the potential of low-distortion sequences like 3D SSFP and SPGR sequences for high-field FMRI. This is particularly relevant for sub-cortical structures, which require high resolution to resolve small nuclei. 3D acquisitions however are susceptible to flow-induced instabilities and show reduced temporal SNR in inferior regions of the brain. Our results suggest that cardiac synchronization could significantly improve the tSNR of both SSFP and SPGR in these regions.