(STIR) Also called Short Tau (t) (inversion time) Inversion Recovery. STIR is a fat suppression technique with an inversion time t = T1 ln2 where the signal of fat is zero (T1 is the spin lattice relaxation time of the component that should be suppressed). To distinguish two tissue components with this technique, the T1 values must be different. Fluid Attenuation Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) is a similar technique to suppress water.
Inversion recovery doubles the distance spins will recover, allowing more time for T1 differences. A 180° preparation pulse inverts the net magnetization to the negative longitudinal magnetization prior to the 90° excitation pulse. This specialized application of the inversion recovery sequence set the inversion time (t) of the sequence at 0.69 times the T1 of fat. The T1 of fat at 1.5 Tesla is approximately 250 with a null point of 170 ms while at 0.5 Tesla its 215 with a 148 ms null point. At the moment of excitation, about 120 to 170 ms after the 180° inversion pulse (depending of the magnetic field) the magnetization of the fat signal has just risen to zero from its original, negative, value and no fat signal is available to be flipped into the transverse plane.
When deciding on the optimal T1 time, factors to be considered include not only the main field strength, but also the tissue to be suppressed and the anatomy. In comparison to a conventional spin echo where tissues with a short T1 are bright due to faster recovery, fat signal is reversed or darkened. Because body fluids have both a long T1 and a long T2, it is evident that STIR offers the possibility of extremely sensitive detection of body fluid. This is of course, only true for stationary fluid such as edema, as the MRI signal of flowing fluids is governed by other factors.

See also Fat Suppression and Inversion Recovery Sequence.

The selective excitation of spins in only a limited region of space. This can be particularly useful for spectroscopy as well as imaging. Spatial localization of the signal source may be achieved through spatially selective excitation and the resulting signal may be analyzed directly for the spectrum corresponding to the excited region. It is usually achieved with selective excitation.
Typically, a single dimension of localization can be achieved with one selective RF excitation pulse (and a magnetic field gradient along a desired direction), while a localized volume (3D) can be excited with a stimulated echo produced with three selective RF pulses whose selective magnetic field gradients are mutually orthogonal, having a common intersection in the desired region. Similar 'crossed plane' excitation can be used with selective 180° refocusing pulses and conventional spin echoes.
A degree of spatial localization of excitation can alternatively be achieved with depth pulses, e.g. when using surface coils for excitation as well as signal detection. An indirect application of selective excitation for volume-selected spectroscopy is to use appropriate combinations of signals acquired after selective inversion of different regions, in order to subtract away the signal from undesired regions.

If the receiving RF coil is sensitive to tissue signal arising from outside the desired FOV, this undesired signal may be incorrectly mapped to a location within the image, a phenomenon known as aliasing. This is a consequence of the acquired k-space frequencies not being sampled densely enough, whereby portions of the object outside of the desired FOV get mapped to an incorrect location inside the FOV. The sampling frequency should be at least twice the frequency being sampled. The maximum measurable frequency is therefore equal to half the sampling frequency. This is the so-called Nyquist limit. When the frequency is higher than the Nyquist limit, aliasing occurs.
A similar problem occurs in the phase encoding direction, where the phases of signal-bearing tissues outside of the FOV in the y-direction are a replication of the phases that are encoded within the FOV. This signal will be mapped, or wrapped back into the image at incorrect locations, and is seen as artifact.

See also Aliasing Artifact.

With this magnetic resonance angiography technique flowing blood appears dark.
MR black blood techniques have been developed for cardiovascular imaging to improve segmentation of myocardium from the blood pool. Black blood MRA techniques decrease the signal from blood with reference to the myocardium and make it easier to perform cardiac chamber segmentation.
ECG gated spin echo sequences with presaturation pulses for magnetization preparation will show strong intravascular signal loss due to flow effects when appropriate imaging conditions including spatial presaturation are used. The sequence use the flow void effect as blood passes rapidly through the selected slice.
For dark blood preparation, a pair of nonselective and selective 180° inversion pulses are used, followed by a long inversion time to null signal from inflowing blood. A second selective inversion pulse can also be applied with short inversion time to null the fat signal. These in cardiac imaging used black blood techniques are referred to as double inversion recovery T1 measurement turbo spin echo or fast spin echo, and double-inversion recovery STIR.

(CE-FAST) In this technique, the MR signal is sampled immediately prior to each RF pulse. Because the signal is formed by a true spin echo, its contrast is predominantly T2-, rather than T2*-based and is less sensitive to artifacts and signal losses related to field non-uniformity and susceptibility variation. While the signal to noise ratio is limited, the CE-FAST method has the advantage of good contrast.

See Contrast Enhanced Gradient Echo Sequence and Gradient Echo Sequence.