Quantification of the Intrinsic T1 and T2 of Heschl's Gyri with MR Fingerprinting

Purpose: The human primary auditory cortex is located in the Heschl's gyrus (HG). To assess the intrinsic MR property in the gray matter of the HG (GM-HG) with T1 and T2 values using a commercially available MR fingerprinting (MRF) technique.

Methods: The subjects were 10 healthy volunteers (with 20 HGs; mean age, 31.5 years old; range, 25-53 years old). Coronal T1 and T2 maps were obtained with commercially available MRF using a 3-Tesla MR system. Two radiologists measured the T1 and T2 values of the GM-HG, the GM in the superior temporal gyrus (GM-STG), and the GM in the middle temporal gyrus (GM-MTG) by drawing a ROI on coronal maps.

Results: For both radiologists, the mean T1 and T2 values of the GM-HG were significantly lower than those in the GM-STG or GM-MTG (P < 0.01). The interobserver reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (2,1) showed strong agreement for the measurement of the T1 and T2 values (ICCs =⃥ 0.80 and 0.78 for T1 and T2 values, respectively).

Conclusion: The T1 and T2 values on MRF for the GM-HG were lower than those for the GM-STG and GM-MTG, likely reflecting a higher myelin content and iron deposition in the GM-HG. Quantitative measurements using the MRF can clarify cortical properties with high reliability, which may indicate that MRF mapping provides new insights into the structure of the human cortical GM.