What is NMR?

NUCLEAR
MAGNETIC
RESONANCE

A magnet, a glass of water,

and a radio wave source and detector….
What is NMR? Nuclear magnetism

M
=

2
fMRI - MR Physics 1
 E

B
E= h

protons
(N↑ – N↓)/NTOT = 1 – exp(-E/kT)
Earth’s ≈ 10-4

Field N

W E
compass

S
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 Compass needles

Earth’s Main
 Field z Field
North
Bo
N

W E
y

x
Freq =  B 42.58 MHz/T
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MRI is known as NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). It's more or less the same
process, but the medical establishment prefers the term MRI because some
patients are scared off by the word nuclear.
fMRI - MR Physics 1 5
 Gyroscopic motion

Main z North
Field • Proton has magnetic moment
Bo
M •Proton has spin (angular
momentum)
y >> gyroscopic precession

x  =  Bo
Larmor precession freq. = 42.58 MHz/T
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EXCITATION : Displacing the spins from
Equilibrium (North)

Problem: It must be moving for us to detect it.

Solution: knock out of equilibrium so it oscillates

How? 1) Tilt the magnet or compass suddenly

2) Drive the magnetization (compass needle)

with a periodic magnetic field

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 Excitation: Resonance
Why does only one frequency efficiently tip
protons?

Resonant driving force.

It’s like pushing a child on a swing in time with

the natural oscillating frequency.

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z is "longitudinal" direction and x-y is "transverse" plane

Static
Field, B0
RF Field (B1) z
applies a torque
to the spins…
y Applied RF
Field (B1)

x
Mo

The RF pulse rotates Mo the about applied field

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 "Exciting" the Magnetization:
tip angle
z z
Static
Field, B0

y y

x x

45° 90°
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Detecting the Magnetization: Faraday’s Law

A moving bar magnet induces a Voltage

z
in a coil of wire. (a generator…)
90°
y The RF coil design is the :
Bspins
A #1 determinant of the system SNR
x

o
V(t)= -d/dt

 = n Bspins A
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 Detecting the NMR: the noise
Noise comes from electrical losses in the resistance
of the coil or electrical losses in the tissue.
z

90°
For a resistor: Pnoise = 4kTRB
y
• Noise is white.
x >>Noise power  bandwidth
o • Noise is spatially uniform.
V(t)
• R is dominated by the tissue. >>
big coil is bad.
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 The NMR Signal
RF
time

Voltage
(Signal)
time

o
Bo z z
z 90°
Mo y
y
y

x
x
x
o V(t) 13
fMRI - MR Physics 1
 Signal to Noise Ratio in MRI

• Most important piece of hardware is the RF coil.

• SNR  voxel volume (# of spins)

• SNR  SQRT( total time of data collection)

• SNR depends on the amount of signal you throw away

to better visualize the brain (gain image contrast)

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 Physical Foundations of MRI

NMR: 60 year old phenomena that generates the signal

from water that we detect.

MRI: using NMR signal to generate an image

Three magnetic fields (generated by 3 coils)

1) static magnetic field Bo

2) RF field that excites the spins B1

3) gradient fields that encode spatial info

Gx, Gy, Gz
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 16

“The gradients.”
fMRI - MR Physics 1 17
fMRI - MR Physics 1 18
 Three Steps in MR:

1) Equilibrium (magnetization points along Bo)

2) RF Excitation (tip magn. away from equil.)

3) Precession induces signal, dephasing

(timescale = T2, T2*).

4) Return to equilibrium (timescale = T1).

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fMRI - MR Physics 1
Magnetization vector during MR

RF encode
time

Voltage
(Signal)

Mz

Mxy

fMRI - MR Physics 1 20
 Three places in process to make a
measurement (image)

0) Equilibrium (magnetization points along Bo)

proton
1) RF Excitation (tip magn. away from equil.) density
weighting
2) Precession induces signal, allow to dephase for
time TE.
T2 or T2*
weighting
3) Return to equilibrium (timescale =T1).
T1 Weighting

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 Contrast in MRI: proton density
Form image immediately after excitation
(creation of signal).

Tissue with more protons per cc give more

signal and is thus brighter on the image.

No chance to dephase, thus no

differences due to different tissue T2
values.

Magnetization starts fully relaxed (full Mz),

thus no T1 weighting.
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 T2*-Dephasing

Wait time TE after excitation before measuring M.

Shorter T2* spins have dephased

z
z z

y y y
vector
sum
x x x
initially at t= TE

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 T2* Dephasing

Just the tips of the

vectors…
 T2* decay graphs
1.0
Transverse Magnetization
0.8 T2* = 200

0.6 Tissue #1

T2* = 60
0.4

0.2
Tissue #2

0.0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Time (milliseconds) 25
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fMRI - MR Physics 1 26
 T2* Weighting

Phantoms with four different

T2* decay rates...
There is no contrast difference
immediately after excitation,
must wait (but not too long!).
Choose TE for max.
intensity difference.

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 Gradient Echo (T2* contrast)
Dephasing is entirely from a spatial difference in the applied static fields.

z Bo + Gx x
z
90°
y y

x x x
t=0 t=T

Red arrows processes faster

due to its higher local field
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fMRI - MR Physics 1 29
 Gradient Echo (T2* contrast)
Dephasing is entirely from a spatial difference in the applied static fields.

Bo + Gx x
z z
90°
y y

x x x
t=0 t=T
z z Bo + Gx x
y y

x x
t =T t = 2T x
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 Gradient Echo

RF excitation

t
Gx

t
S

Boring!

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7T 32ch MGH array

2D FLASH, TR/TE=3 500/30

0.22 x 0.22 x 1mm (48nl) 8min acq
W fMRI - MR Physics 1 32
A.A. Martinos Center, MGH Radiology ald, RSNA 2007
7T 32ch MGH array

G. Wiggins,
C. Wiggins,
2D FLASH, TR/TE=3 500/30
Martinos Center MGH
fMRI - MR Physics 1
0.22 x 0.22 x 1mm (48nl) 8min acq 33
Wald, RSNA 2007 A.A. Martinos Center, MGH Radiology
 7 Tesla
230um

2D FLASH 3
0.23 x 0.23, x 1.5mm
8min acq
Wald, Munich, 2008
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 7 Tesla
230um

2D FLASH, 3
0.23 x 0.23 x 1.5mm
8min acq
Wald, Munich, 2008
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 7 T, 32ch 200um x 200um x 1mm

an

2D T2* weighted “U-fiber” ??

200um x 200um x 1mm
(1024x1024 matrix)
Wald, Munich, 2008
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 Spin Echo (T2 contrast)
Some dephasing can be refocused because its due to static
fields.
180° Echo!
z z z z
90°
y y y y

x x x x
t=0 t=T t = T (+) t = 2T

Blue arrows precesses faster due to local

field inhomogeneity than red arrow
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 Spin Echo
180° pulse only helps cancel static inhomogeneity
The “runners” can have static speed distribution.
If a runner trips, he will not make it back in phase with the others.

fMRI - MR Physics 1 38
NMR Signal T2 weighed spin echo image

gray

white

Time to Echo , TE (ms)

fMRI - MR Physics 1 39
 Other contrast for MRI

In brain: (gray/white/CSF/fat)
Proton density differ ~ 20% T1
relaxation differ ~ 2000%

How to exploit for imaging?

Vary repetition rate - TR

fMRI - MR Physics 1 40
 T1 weighting in MRI (w/ 90o excite)
RF TR
encode encode encode

Voltage
(Signal)

Mz

grey matter (long T1) time

white matter (short T1)
fMRI - MR Physics 1 41
 T1-Weighting
1.0
white matter
0.8 T1 = 600 grey matter
T1 = 1000
Signal

0.6

CSF
0.4
T1 = 3000

0.2

0.0 0
1000 2000 3000
TR (milliseconds)
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fMRI - MR Physics 1
 T1 weighting in MRI (w/ 30o excite)
RF TR
encode encode encode

Voltage
(Signal)

Mz

white matter (short T1) time

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 Image contrast summary: TR, TE

Long Proton
Density T2

TR
Short
T1 poor!

Short Long
d, fMRI MR Physics
fMRI - MR Physics 1
TE 44
Source of T1 and T2 contrast in brain:
Myelin content
Layer I: no cell bodies,
moderate myelination

Layer IVb: thick region

with myelination (line of
Gennari)

White matter: heavy

myelination

Myelin differences are the

High-magnification of primary source of T1 and T2
myeloarchitecture contrast of gray/white matter.

fMRI - MR Physics 1 45
Cerebral cortex.
To the left, the groups of cells; to
the right, the systems of fibers.

fMRI - MR Physics 1 46
 Cortical layers in Monkey at 7T

Intensity along line perpendicular To V1

MPRAGE 250um x 250um x 750um (4 hours)

Wald, fMRI MR Physics 47
“ Thanks a lot
for your
kind attention “