A post-processing technique to suppress fluid signal and increase contrast in multispectral MR exams of MS patients

Abstract

We present a new method to extract data from multispectral MR exams of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Our technique produces images of “spectral phase” relative to cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF-SP images). It provides a convenient way of reducing multispectral MR exams to a single, intuitive image with contrast characteristics similar to anatomical photographs. Our new images provide better tissue contrast than that found in any of the MR images. Contrast between CSF and white matter (WM) was increased from a maximum of 19.5 in the T1w MR image to 56 in the CSF-SP image (+187%). Contrast between CSF and gray matter (GM) increased from a maximum of 14.5 in the T1w image to 35.2 in the CSF-SP image (+143%). Finally, contrast between WM and GM increased from a maximum of 7.5 in the T2w image to 11.5 in the CSF-SP image (+53%). The additional contrast in CSF-SP images may aid the quantification and analysis of lesion activity in MR exams of MS patients.