ABSTRACT
In current clinical practice, diagnosis based on MRI primarily relies on the qualitative assessment of images, based on the contrast changes between different tissues. Direct quantication of the parameters underlying various MRI contrast mechanisms provides more accurate and reproducible information, which can improve the diagnostic accuracy, particularly in an early stage of a disease. Consequently, there is an increased interest in methods for quantitative MRI (QMRI) including the measurements of T1, T2, T2* relaxation times, diffusion, and so on, which provide quantitative information on tissue properties, concentrations, and function, and can be linked to distinct pathologic states [1]. Quantitative MRI has been used in the study of Parkinson’s disease [2], cardiac necrosis and edema [3], lung function [4], lesion classication [5], liver cirrhosis [6], and cartilage damage [7], among others.
