Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a powerful technique for inverse metabolic imaging and non-invasive pH measurements, and is most efficient in the intermediate exchange regime between protons of metabolites and water. We examined the use of ultrashort-TE, short-TR MRSI for the direct signal detection of exchangeable protons of metabolites. If water is not saturated, fresh z-magnetization is transferred to the protons of metabolites, allowing a high SNR despite short TR. This approach was evaluated by simulations and measurements on creatine phantoms using solutions with different pH, demonstrating direct signal detection for exchange rates up to ~1000 s-1.
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