Magnetization Transfer Quantitation and Characterization for Clinical Scanners

This project will measure magnetization transfer (MT) parameters on normal subjects using two novel approaches. The first is the investigation of asymmetric MT effects with respect to the zero or on-resonance reference point. The technique measures the difference in MT effect between two symmetrically positioned off-resonance MT pulses in the positive and negative frequency ranges. Prior research with this technique in the kidney show a difference in the macromolecular lineshape that correlates to a specific metabolite. The second approach, utilizing a subset of the acquisitions from the first approach, will test newly developed formulation to calculate the macromolecular fraction, or fraction of proton density that accounts for MT. We foresee these measurements may significantly develop our understanding of MT and introduce diagnostic and quantitative tools to study human tissues.