Simultaneous multi-banding and multi-echo phase encoding for the accelerated acquisition of high-resolution volumetric diffusivity maps by spatiotemporally encoded MRI

Purpose: Spatiotemporal Encoding (SPEN) is an ultrafast imaging technique where the low-bandwidth axis is rasterized in a joint spatial/k-domain. SPEN benefits from increased robustness to field inhomogeneities, folding-free reconstruction of subsampled data, and an ability to combine multiple interleaved or signal averaged scans –yet its relatively high SAR complicates volumetric uses. Here we show how this can be alleviated by merging simultaneous multi-band excitation, with intra-slab multi-echo (ME) phase encoding, for the acquisition of high definition volumetric DWI/DTI data. Methods: A protocol involving phase-cycling of simultaneous multi-banded z-slab excitations in independently k _y-interleaved scans, together with ME trains that k _z-encoded positions within these slabs, was implemented. A reconstruction incorporating a CAIPIRINHA-like encoding of the multiple bands and exploiting SPEN's ability to deliver self-referenced, per-shot phase maps, then led to high-definition diffusivity acquisitions, with reduced SAR and acquisition times vis-à-vis non-optimized 3D counterparts. Results: The new protocol was used to collect full brain 3 T DTI experiments at a variety of nominal voxel sizes, ranging from 1.95 to 2.54 mm ³. In general, the new protocol yielded superior sensitivity and fewer distortions than what could be observed in comparably timed phase-encoded 3D SPEN, multi-slice 2D SPEN, or optimized EPI counterparts. Conclusions: A robust procedure for acquiring volumetric DWI/DTI data was developed and demonstrated.