Human Brain High-Resolution Diffusion MRI With Optimized, Slice-By-Slice, Zeroth and First Order B0 Shimming in Head-Only High-Gradient MRI Systems

Patricia Lan; Sherry S. Huang; Chitresh Bhushan; Xinzeng Wang; Seung Kyun Lee; Desmond Teck Beng Yeo; Raymond Y. Huang; Jerome J. Maller; Jennifer A. McNab; Ante Zhu

doi:10.1002/mrm.70310

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Human Brain High-Resolution Diffusion MRI With Optimized, Slice-By-Slice, Zeroth and First Order B0 Shimming in Head-Only High-Gradient MRI Systems

Journal article

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Human Brain High-Resolution Diffusion MRI With Optimized, Slice-By-Slice, Zeroth and First Order B0 Shimming in Head-Only High-Gradient MRI Systems

Patricia Lan, Sherry S. Huang, Chitresh Bhushan, Xinzeng Wang, Seung Kyun Lee, Desmond Teck Beng Yeo, Raymond Y. Huang, Jerome J. Maller, Jennifer A. McNab and Ante Zhu

Magnetic resonance in medicine

02/18/2026

DOI: 10.1002/mrm.70310

PMCID: PMC13075780

PMID: 41704205

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Abstract

Purpose: To propose a brain tissue-selective, optimized slice-by-slice 𝐵0 shimming for high-resolution brain diffusion MRI. Methods: We incorporated actual gradient fields of the 𝑋, 𝑌 , and 𝑍 imaging gradient coils, which are already designed for fast switching and accessible to any MRI system, in the calculation of the shimming coefficients in dynamic slice-by-slice 𝐵0 shimming to minimize 𝐵0 field inhomogeneity (i.e., Δ𝐵0 ) in deep-learning segmented brain tissues. Diffusion MRI with oscillating gradient spin echo (OGSE) at 55 Hz and pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) (approximated at 0 Hz) were obtained in phantoms and healthy volunteers using a head-only high-gradient 3T MRI system. In each diffusion MRI acquisition, standard static volumetric shimming and the proposed shimming were applied separately, and mean/axial/radial diffusivities (MD/AD/RD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were estimated. Results: Compared to static shimming, dynamic shimming reduced the root-mean-square of voxel displacement of each slice by a maximum of 5–10 voxels in single-shot EPI acquisition at 1–2 mm in-plane resolution in the phantom, and a maximum of 3 voxels in human brains. Improved accuracy of MD/AD/RD/FA in the frontal lobe, brainstem, and cerebellum was observed by applying dynamic shimming and/or two-shot EPI acquisition. MD (55 Hz)–MD (0 Hz) showed higher values in 𝑇2 FSE hypo-intensity region by applying dynamic shimming. Furthermore, in phantom, the root-mean-square of Δ𝐵0 in areas with high gradient non-linearity was reduced by 7 Hz when incorporating the actual gradient field in dynamic shimming. Conclusion: Diffusion MRI with brain tissue-selective, dynamic slice-by-slice 𝐵0 effectively improves diffusivity characterization in high-resolution images.

diffusion MRI

dynamic shimming

field inhomogeneity

gradient nonlinearity

image distortion

Details

Title: Subtitle: Human Brain High-Resolution Diffusion MRI With Optimized, Slice-By-Slice, Zeroth and First Order B0 Shimming in Head-Only High-Gradient MRI Systems
Creators: Patricia Lan
Sherry S. Huang - Royal Oak Community Coalition
Chitresh Bhushan - GE Global Research (United States)
Xinzeng Wang
Seung Kyun Lee - GE Global Research (United States)
Desmond Teck Beng Yeo - GE Global Research (United States)
Raymond Y. Huang - Harvard Medical School
Jerome J. Maller - University of Iowa
Jennifer A. McNab - Stanford University
Ante Zhu
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Magnetic resonance in medicine
DOI: 10.1002/mrm.70310
PMID: 41704205
PMCID: PMC13075780
NLM abbreviation: Magn Reson Med
ISSN: 0740-3194
eISSN: 1522-2594
Publisher: Wiley
Grant note: National Institutes of Health: U01EB034313
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. U01EB034313).
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 02/18/2026
Academic Unit: Radiology
Record Identifier: 9985142055602771

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