• Mathias Engström and Stefan Skare.
• Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroradiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
• Magn Reson Med. 2013 Dec 1; 70 (6): 1507-14.

PurposeTo acquire isotropic high-resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficient, 3D encoded diffusion-weighted MRI data.MethodsMultiple Fourier encoded slabs were combined into one full volume, using a generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) accelerated diffusion-weighted 3D multislab echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence with 2D phase navigation and in-plane motion correction.ResultsReconstructed data with 1.5-mm(3) nominal resolution is presented and shown under the influence of motion and with variable slab thicknesses. The SNR efficiency between diffusion-weighted 3D multislab EPI and DW 2D ss-EPI is compared. Finally, a 1.3-mm(3) full brain scan with 45 diffusion directions is presented.ConclusionsDiffusion-weighted 3D multislab EPI has been presented as an alternative sequence for high-resolution and high-SNR full brain coverage diffusion studies. Compared with the gold standard 2D diffusion-weighted single-shot Echo Planar Imaging, the SNR efficiency is significantly higher.Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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