Artifact assessment of RARE sequence in brain with motion reduction techniques

Rapid acquisition relaxation-enhanced (RARE) sequences provide images with highly T2-weighted contrast in substantially reduced imaging times. The authors compared artifacts conspicuity on RARE and spin echo T2-weighted imaging of the brain in 24 patients from 12 to 65 years in age on a 0.28-T MR unit. The ghost and motion artifacts were quantitively evaluated. Three reviewers then independently analyzed the images for (a) susceptibility effect, (b) truncation artifact. In this study motion artifacts were reduced with the RARE compared with SE sequence (p<0.05). Furthermore, RARE with gradient-reorientation techniques appears to be a powerful solution to all types of motion artifacts in the brain. RARE images were rated the same as SE images in 100% (69 of 69) of the case reviews for truncation artifact and 56% (38 of 69) for susceptibility effect.