Abstract #1518

In-vivo Visualization of Locus Coeruleus using MTC-STAGE Imaging

Yu Liu¹, Jun Chen Li^1,2, Yongsheng Chen³, Naying He¹, Zhijia Jin¹, Weibo Chen⁴, Fuhua Yan¹, and Ewart Mark Haacke^1,5,6

¹Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, ²Radiology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu, China, ³Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States, ⁴Philips Healthcare, Shanghai, China, ⁵Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States, ⁶Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States

The locus coeruleus (LC) is mainly responsible for the synthesis of noradrenaline in the brain. Pathological alterations of the LC are involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we use the tissue properties (spin density and T1 value) of the LC extracted from an MTC-STAGE (strategically acquired gradient echo) susceptibility weighted imaging protocol. Choosing the right flip angle and resolution can provide optimal visualization of the LC. We found that a short echo scan, with a flip angle of 25-30^o and a resolution of 0.67 x 0.67 x 1.34mm³ provides the best visualization of the LC.

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