The Variation of Tagging Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) of SPAMM Image by Modulation of Tagline Spacing

Myocardial tagging technique such as spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) allows the study of myocardial motion with high accuracy. Tagging contrast of such a tagging images can affect to the accuracy of the estimation of tag intersection in order to analyze the myocardial motion. Tagging contrast can be affected by tagline spacing. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tagline spacing of SPAMM image and tagging contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) experimentally. One healthy volunteer was undergone electrocardiographically triggered MR imaging with SPAMM-based tagging pulse sequence at a 1.5T MR scanner (Gyroscan Intera, Philips Medical System, Netherland). Horizontally modulated stripe patterns were imposed with a range from 3.6mm to 9.6mm of tagline spacing. Images of the left ventricle (LV) wall were acquired at the mid-ventricle level during cardiac cycle with FEEPI (TR/TE/FA=5.8/2.2/10). Tagging CNR for each image was calculated with a software which developed in our group. During contraction, tagging CNR was more rapidly decreased in case of short tagline spacing than in case of long tagline spacing. In the same heart phase, CNR was increased corresponding with tag line spacing. Especially, at the fully contracted heart phase, CNR was more rapidly increased than the other heart phases as a function of tagline spacing.