Balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) is a highly efficient pulse sequence that is known to provide the highest signal-to-noise ratio per unit time. Recently, bSSFP is getting increasingly popular in both the research and clinical communities. This review will be focusing on the application of the bSSFP technique in the context of probing the physiological and functional information. In the first part of this review, the basic principles of bSSFP are briefly covered. Afterwards, recent developments related to the application of bSSFP, in terms of physiological and functional imaging, are introduced and reviewed. Despite its long development history, bSSFP is still a promising technique that has many potential benefits for obtaining high-resolution physiological and functional images.
Cervical Vertebrae/*blood supply/radiography ; Head/*blood supply/radiography ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

OBJECTIVETo study clinical significance of vertebral artery magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to vertebral artery type of cervical spondylosis' diagnosis and treatment.

METHODSThere were two groups in the study, which were observation group and control group. There were 53 patients in observation group,including 19 males and 34 females,with a mean age of (52.51 +/- 11.29) years. There were 30 subjects in control group,including 10 males and 20 females,with a mean age of (48.11 +/- 12.21) years. Based on the vertebral artery MRA picture,the course and caliber of vertebral artery were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThe abnormal incidence of course and caliber of vertebral artery in observation group was higher than that of control group, which had statistic difference (P=0.000). Furthermore, the patterns of abnormal course and caliber of vertebral artery in observation group were complicated and diverse, but the regional circuity and stegnosis was the most common pattern,about 47.18%(25/53). The cause of circuity and stegnosis was vertebra Gu-Cuofeng,about 43.41% (23/53).

CONCLUSIONThe vertebral artery MRA provides a guidance for the diagnosis of abnormal course and caliber of vertebral artery in vertebral artery cervical spondylosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Spondylosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Vertebral Artery ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging