CEST: Covering the Full Spectrum
Nirbhay Yadav1,2
1Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Contrast mechanisms: CEST & MT, Contrast mechanisms: Molecular Imaging, Physics & Engineering: Physics

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) signals are often not visible in the MRS spectrum due to exchange-dependent line broadening and/or the effects of water presaturation transferring to solute signals. Conversely, CEST relies on the presaturation of solute signals transferring to water and then detecting the accumulated partial saturation of water. This process retains the molecular specificity of spectroscopy techniques and, the repeated label-tranfer effect during the presaturation period, results in a sensitivity enhancement that is orders of magnitude beyond the solute molecular concentration. This presentation will describe several different types of CEST signals and factors that determine their amplitude.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) methods offer excellent molecular specificity in biological tissue but due to the low concentration of solute molecules, the signal is weak thus requiring larger imaging voxels and limited spatial resolution. Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) signals are often not visible in the MRS spectrum due to exchange-dependent line broadening and/or the effects of water presaturation transferring to solute signals. Conversely, CEST relies on the presaturation of solute signals transferring to water and then detecting the accumulated partial saturation of water. This process retains the molecular specificity of spectroscopy techniques and, the repeated label-tranfer effect during the presaturation period, results in a sensitivity enhancement that is orders of magnitude beyond the solute molecular concentration. This presentation will describe several different types of CEST signals and factors that determine their amplitude. These underlying mechanisms report on different biological processes and thus their understanding is essential when interpreting CEST images.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.

References

No reference found.
Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 32 (2024)