2026/05/24 by Alexa M. Diano, Alex Cerjanic, Alex M. Cerjanic +8
Medicine · #Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications #Automotive and Human Injury Biomechanics #Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography
paper · doi:10.1002/mrm.70447
openalex publication_date 2026/05/24 · openalex created_date 2026/05/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
PURPOSE: To introduce a novel multiecho, multishot spiral MR elastography (MRE) sequence to image brain and skull displacement simultaneously using a joint fat-water image reconstruction and distributed motion encoding. METHODS: Multiple echo times were implemented into a high-resolution multishot spiral MRE sequence to capture water-based brain signal and fat-based skull signal in a single acquisition. A joint fat-water reconstruction was optimized for brain-skull imaging, and a distributed motion encoding technique was incorporated to reduce acquisition time. This work demonstrates the feasibility of this sequence to quantify relative brain-skull displacement and brain tissue mechanical properties. RESULTS: Brain and skull displacement were successfully imaged in a single acquisition. This technique was validated through comparison to a reference EPI MRE scan in which no significant differences were found in mechanical properties derived from each scan. A preliminary analysis of brain and skull displacement over time revealed that relative brain-skull displacement was variable across the surface of the brain, with a higher amplitude of brain displacement at the anterior of the head. CONCLUSION: The proposed multiecho fat-water spiral MRE sequence is a promising technique for quantifying brain-skull displacement in vivo to improve computational modeling of traumatic brain injury.