Week 3 Flashcards
What does a MRI use for imaging?
A magnetic field that is 90,000X stronger than Earth’s magnetic field and acts by aligning atoms in the body and creates a magnetic moment or spin that aligns with the created magnetic field
The image and indices created by a MRI is based on what?
Tissue specific based on hydrogen and other molecular content
True or false
There is no radiation associated with MRI imaging
True, There is no radiation associated with MRI imaging
Once the field of a MRI is created, what does a MRI image do?
It utilizes a series of radiofrequency pulses that is emitted at different points at 90 deg angles of the magnetic field, and deflects the spin of hydrogen atoms into the transverse plane
What happens when the radiofrequency pulse is turned off?
There is an assessment of how much impact/ influence there was on the atoms and how much of rotation their spin was, which then signals decay due to relaxation which is subdivided into T1 and T2 phases
What is T1 recovery?
A longitudinal assessment of the influence on the spin, which is defined as the time it takes for spins to realign with original magnetic field/ how long it takes to get back to the resting state
What is T2 decay?
A transverse measure, which is defined by the time it takes for the spin to lose energy in the transverse plane. It measures peak energy pieces
True or False
T1 is longer than T2
True, T1 is longer than T2
What are the specific factors that make up T1 and T2?
Echo Time (TE) and Repetition Time (TR)
What is Echo Time (TE)?
After original pulse, a spin echo is created by applying a refocusing RF that flips the
spin 180 deg, and spins realign and produce a signal peak at TE
What is Repetition Time (TR)?
The time between successive 90 degree angle RF pulses
What are the characteristics of a T1 MRI that can help distinguish it when looking at an image?
- Short TR and TE times
- Image created at high energy levels, which provides good anatomic detail because tissues are visualized with lower relaxation times
- High signal intensity in fat (will appear white)
What are the characteristics of a T2 MRI that can help distinguish it when looking at an image?
- Long TR and TE times
- Image created at low energy levels, so the tissues are with longer relaxation times, meaning that they take on energy a bit slower and are reluctant to give it back
- The images are grainier and with less spatial resolution compared to T1
- High signal intensity in water, making it valuable at looking for inflammation (will appear white)
What does CSF or synovial fluid look like on a T1 MRI?
Low intensity
What does CSF or synovial fluid look like on a T2 MRI?
High intensity, due to its high water content
What would an acute hemorrhage or blood look like on a T1 MRI image?
High intensity (bright white)
What would an acute hemorrhage or blood look like on a T2 MRI image?
Intermediate to low intensity
What would soft tissue tumors look like on a T1 MRI image?
Low intensity or a dark grayscale
What would soft tissue tumors look like on a T2 MRI image?
High signal intensity
What would a fracture look like on a T1 MRI image?
Darker as compared to the white and high intensity normal bone
What would a fracture look like on a T2 MRI image?
High intensity and bright as compared to the dark, low intensity bone image normally seen in T2
What would early and late avascular necrosis look like on a T1 MRI image?
Dark and low intensity
What would early and late avascular necrosis look like on a T2 MRI image?
Bright and high intensity image
What does fat look like on T1 and on T2 MRI image?
T1: White
T2: Gray
What does water look like on T1 and on T2 MRI image?
T1: Gray
T2: White
What does marrow look like on T1 and on T2 MRI image?
T1: Bright
T2: Gray
What does cortex look like on T1 and on T2 MRI image?
T1: Dark
T2: Dark
What is a T1 MRI image good for visualizing?
Anatomy
What is a T2 MRI image good for visualizing?
Pathologies
What is SE?
A spin- echo pulse sequence. Seen in T1 and T2