T1 and T2 effects during radio-frequency pulses in spoiled gradient echo sequences

Finite pulse durations in diverse pulse schemes lead to the reduction of the magnitude of the magnetization vector due to T₁ and T₂ effects during the radio-frequency pulses. This paper presents an analysis of the steady state signal in the presence of relaxation effects during radio-frequency pulses in MRI spoiled gradient echo sequences. It is shown that minor attenuations of the magnetization vector can have dramatic consequences on the measured signal, and may thus entail a loss in SNR benefits at high static magnetic fields if a careful analysis is not performed. It is emphasized that it is the time-integrated magnetization vector trajectory that matters for these effects and not only the pulse duration. Some experimental results obtained on a phantom at 3 T verify this analysis.