High resolution neuroimaging at 4.1 T

In this article we report on acquisition of high resolution 512 × 512 images at 4.1 T using an inversion recovery gradient-echo sequence and a volume head coil developed for high field applications. The T1 values for cerebral white and grey matter were measured to be 834 and 1282 ms, respectively. The partial saturation inversion recovery sequence (Tir 800 ms and TR 2500 ms) provided excellent contrast-to-noise for white to grey matter. Consequently, the images consistently visualized the thalamic nuclear groups, hippocampal fine structure, as well as small draining vessels of the white matter.