In vivo validation and quantification of non-susceptibility frequency contrast obtained with DEEPOLE QUASAR

Abstract

Sources of MRI phase contrast include magnetic susceptibility, chemical exchange, and tissue microstructure. The novel DEEPOLE QUASAR method disentangles frequency sources and yields separate maps for magnetic susceptibility and non-susceptibility frequency shifts. In this work, we validated the method in vivo and performed the first quantitative study of non-susceptibility frequency in the human brain. We found substantial non-susceptibility contributions in WM and GM. The quantification of non-susceptibility in the human brain provides new ground for theories on the origins of frequency contrast.