What Is a Stimulated Echo? MRI Physics Explained

A stimulated echo is an MRI signal arising when three or more RF pulses are applied, forming an echo that does not obey the usual spin-echo or gradient-echo rules. It can cause artifacts or be harnessed for diffusion and functional imaging.

• Educational post from MRI Questions (Elster) breaking down the physics of stimulated echoes.
• Describes how three RF pulses generate a stored longitudinal magnetization that later produces a signal.
• Key for understanding artifacts (e.g., in fast spin echo) and advanced techniques like stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) for diffusion and spectroscopy.

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