Brain diffusion/perfusion imaging at 1.5 T without motion artifact by means of echo-planer imaging

Interest has grown in mapping diffusion and perfusion of water (intravoxel incoherent motion [IVIM]) with MR imaging techniques in the head. Short-term changes in perfusion associated with brain function may be observable. Conventional imaging techniques when sensitized to diffusion by large gradients often show confusing artifacts arising from bulk tissue motion. Use of single- shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) avoids this problem. The authors present brain diffusion images acquired using the IVIM-EPI sequence, implemented on the Signa system with a customized z-gradient head coil capable of producing a gradient of 4.5 g/cm. Gray-white matter contrast is easily observable