Myocardial Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Balanced Steady-State Free Precession Imaging Approaches

The current state of myocardial Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) MRI with balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) approaches is reviewed. Initial studies forming the basis for SSFP-based detection of oxygenation changes beginning with whole blood studies, progressing through controlled studies that consider microcirculatory changes in oxygenation in skeletal muscle and kidney, culminating in basic myocardial studies are outlined. The theoretical basis to observe signal changes and the mechanisms that facilitate such observations are elucidated. Methods to overcome limitations in sensitivity are described