Background: Optimizing scan parameters for double inversion recovery (DIR) sequences remains difficult.
Objective: To evaluate a new method for optimizing DIR sequence scan parameters using T1 mapping and a newly developed analysis algorithm.
Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers underwent T1 mapping and DIR magnetic resonance imaging. The following steps were used for image optimization including: 1) measurement of gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) T1 values to create a T1 map; 2) calculation of optimized scan parameters by using a developed analysis algorithm; 3) performance assessment of DIR magnetic resonance imaging by using the calculated optimized imaging parameters. Additionally, we used scan parameters from previous studies to obtain DIR images in order to evaluate our new method. The contrast between GM and suppressed tissues was compared between these images and those obtained using the optimized parameters.
Results: Using our optimization method, WM and CSF regions were suppressed uniformly for all scan conditions. The contrast was significantly higher in images obtained using this optimization method compared to those obtained using previously published parameters (p < 0.01).
Conclusions: It is possible to obtain superior DIR images by using an optimization method that involves T1 mapping and a newly developed analysis algorithm.
Keywords: DIR; MRI; T1 map; WAIR; brain.