ISMRM WORKSHOP SERIES ~ 14-17 August 2016

ISMRM Workshop on MR Spectroscopy:
From Current Best Practice to Latest Frontiers
Lake Constance, Germany

Overview

Shortly after introduction of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also first localized in vivo magnetic resonance spectra (MRS) were acquired in the early 1980s. In vivo MRS has evolved during the last 25 years in terms of localization quality and spatial resolution, acquisition speed, artifact suppression, number of detectable metabolites and quantification precision and has profited especially from improvements in B0 shim quality over the years and the significant increase of magnetic field strength that recently became available for in vivo investigations. Today it allows for non-invasive and non-ionizing determination of tissue concentrations and metabolic turn-over rates of various metabolites and compounds in animals or humans, is applied for clinical diagnostics and has established as an important tool for physiological research.

In addition to late breaking results, this workshop examines the substantial advances in MRS acquisition, processing and analysis methods that have been achieved by the MRS community during the last 10 - 15 years. The workshop will feature invited scientific presentations, proffered papers, a poster session and discussion to work toward consensus in the areas of standardization, harmonization, quality assurance and guidance on best practices in MRS methodology.

Target Audience

This workshop is designed for MR Physicists including Ph.D. students; Postdoctoral Fellows and faculty who develop methodology and support clinical and physiological research based on MRS; as well as Psychiatrists, Neurologists, Neuro Radiologists, and Body Radiologists, who will benefit from the comprehensive overview and consensus discussions in order to define the state-of-the art of spectroscopy. The workshop is organized by the ISMRM MR Spectroscopy Study Group.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Describe current MRS(I) data acquisition methodology including sequences, pre-scans and hardware requirements;
  • Discuss current MRS(I) data processing, reconstruction and analysis methods;
  • Compare the proīs and consīs of advanced MRS and MRSI methods;
  • Identify advanced MRS(I) methods that made it into application in clinical and basic research;
  • Summarize minimum quality standards with regard to data acquisition, processing, analysis and reporting for physiological or clinical MRS studies; and
  • Support the ongoing consensus discussion about state-of-the-art, unmet needs and still existing limitations.
 

The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is accredited by
the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.