Contrast enhanced GRE sequences provide T2 contrast but have a relatively poor SNR. Repetitive RF pulses with small flip angles together with appropriate gradient profiles lead to the superposition of two resonance signals.
The first signal is due to the free induction decay FID observed after the first and all ensuing RF excitations.
The second is a resonance signal obtained as a result of a spin echo generated by the second and all addicted RF-pulses.
Hence it is absent after the first excitation, it is a result of the free induction decay of the second to last RF-excitation and has a TE, which is almost 2TR. For this echo to occur the gradients have to be completely symmetrical relative to the half time between two RF-pulses, a condition that makes it difficult to integrate this pulse sequence into a multiple slice imaging technique. The second signal not only contains echo contributions from free induction decay, but obviously weakened by T2-decay. Since the echo is generated by a RF-pulse, it is truly T2 rather than T2* weighted. Correspondingly it is also less sensitive to susceptibility changes and field inhomogeneities.
Companies use different acronyms to describe certain techniques.
Different terms (see also acronyms) for these gradient echo pulse sequences:
CE-FAST Contrast Enhanced Fourier Acquired Steady State,
CE-FFE Contrast Enhanced Fast Field Echo,
CE-GRE Contrast Enhanced Gradient-Echo,
DE-FGR Driven Equilibrium FGR,
FADE FASE Acquisition Double Echo,
PSIF Reverse Fast Imaging with Steady State Precession,
SSFP Steady State Free Precession,
T2 FFE Contrast Enhanced Fast Field Echo (T2 weighted).
In this context, 'contrast enhanced' refers to the pulse sequence, it does not mean enhancement with a contrast agent.

Spoiled gradient echo sequences use a spoiler gradient on the slice select axis during the end module to destroy any remaining transverse magnetization after the readout gradient, which is the case for short repetition times.
As a result, only z-magnetization remains during a subsequent excitation. This types of sequences use semi-random changes in the phase of radio frequency pulses to produce a spatially independent phase shift.
Companies use different acronyms to describe certain techniques.

Different terms for these gradient echo pulse sequences:
CE-FFE-T1 Contrast Enhanced Fast Field Echo with T1 Weighting,
GFE Gradient Field Echo,
FLASH Fast Low Angle Shot,
PS Partial Saturation,
RF spoiled FAST RF Spoiled Fourier Acquired Steady State Technique,
RSSARGE Radio Frequency Spoiled Steady State Acquisition Rewound Gradient Echo
S-GRE Spoiled Gradient Echo,
SHORT Short Repetition Techniques,
SPGR Spoiled Gradient Recalled (spoiled GRASS),
STAGE T1W T1 weighted Small Tip Angle Gradient Echo,
T1-FAST T1 weighted Fourier Acquired Steady State Technique,
T1-FFE T1 weighted Fast Field Echo.
In this context, 'contrast enhanced' refers to the pulse sequence, it does not mean enhancement with a contrast agent.

This family of sequences uses a balanced gradient waveform. This waveform will act on any stationary spin on resonance between 2 consecutive RF pulses and return it to the same phase it had before the gradients were applied. A balanced sequence starts out with a RF pulse of 90° or less and the spins in the steady state. Prior to the next TR in the slice encoding, the phase encoding and the frequency encoding direction, gradients are balanced so their net value is zero. Now the spins are prepared to accept the next RF pulse, and their corresponding signal can become part of the new transverse magnetization. If the balanced gradients maintain the longitudinal and transverse magnetization, the result is that both T1 and T2 contrast are represented in the image.
This pulse sequence produces images with increased signal from fluid (like T2 weighted sequences), along with retaining T1 weighted tissue contrast. Balanced sequences are particularly useful in cardiac MRI. Because this form of sequence is extremely dependent on field homogeneity, it is essential to run a shimming prior the acquisition.
Usually the gray and white matter contrast is poor, making this type of sequence unsuited for brain MRI. Modifications like ramping up and down the flip angles can increase signal to noise ratio and contrast of brain tissues (suggested under the name COSMIC - Coherent Oscillatory State acquisition for the Manipulation of Image Contrast).
These sequences include e.g. Balanced Fast Field Echo (bFFE), Balanced Turbo Field Echo (bTFE), Fast Imaging with Steady Precession (TrueFISP, sometimes short TRUFI), Completely Balanced Steady State (CBASS) and Balanced SARGE (BASG).

Refocused GRE sequences use a refocusing gradient in the phase encoding direction during the end module to maximize (refocus) remaining xy- (transverse) magnetization at the time when the next excitation is due, while the other two gradients are, in any case, balanced.
When the next excitation pulse is sent into the system with an opposed phase, it tilts the magnetization in the α direction. As a result the z-magnetization is again partly tilted into the xy-plane, while the remaining xy-magnetization is tilted partly into the z-direction.
Companies use different acronyms to describe certain techniques.

Different terms for these gradient echo pulse sequences
R-GRE Refocused Gradient Echo,
FAST Fourier Acquired Steady State,
FFE Fast Field echo,
FISP Fast Imaging with Steady State Precession,
F-SHORT SHORT Repetition Technique Based on Free Induction Decay,
GFEC Gradient Field Echo with Contrast,
GRASS Gradient Recalled Acquisition in Steady State,
ROAST Resonant Offset Averaging in the Steady State,
SSFP Steady State Free Precession.
STERF Steady State Technique with Refocused FID
In this context, 'contrast' refers to the pulse sequence, it does not mean enhancement with a contrast agent.

(SFP or SSFP) Steady state free precession is any field or gradient echo sequence in which a non-zero steady state develops for both components of magnetization (transverse and longitudinal) and also a condition where the TR is shorter than the T1 and T2 times of the tissue. If the RF pulses are close enough together, the MR signal will never completely decay, implying that the spins in the transverse plane never completely dephase. The flip angle and the TR maintain the steady state. The flip angle should be 60-90° if the TR is 100 ms, if the TR is less than 100 ms, then the flip angle for steady state should be 45-60°.
Steady state free precession is also a method of MR excitation in which strings of RF pulses are applied rapidly and repeatedly with interpulse intervals short compared to both T1 and T2. Alternating the phases of the RF pulses by 180° can be useful. The signal reforms as an echo immediately before each RF pulse; immediately after the RF pulse there is additional signal from the FID produced by the pulse.
The strength of the FID will depend on the time between pulses (TR), the tissue and the flip angle of the pulse; the strength of the echo will additionally depend on the T2 of the tissue. With the use of appropriate dephasing gradients, the signal can be observed as a frequency-encoded gradient echo either shortly before the RF pulse or after it; the signal immediately before the RF pulse will be more highly T2 weighted. The signal immediately after the RF pulse (in a rapid series of RF pulses) will depend on T2 as well as T1, unless measures are taken to destroy signal refocusing and prevent the development of steady state free precession.
To avoid setting up a state of SSFP when using rapidly repeated excitation RF pulses, it may be necessary to spoil the phase coherence between excitations, e.g. with varying phase shifts or timing of the exciting RF pulses or varying spoiler gradient pulses between the excitations.
Steady state free precession imaging methods are quite sensitive to the resonant frequency of the material. Fluctuating equilibrium MR (see also FIESTA and DRIVE)and linear combination SSFP actually use this sensitivity for fat suppression. Fat saturated SSFP (FS-SSFP) use a more complex fat suppression scheme than FEMR or LCSSFP, but has a 40% lower scan time.
A new family of steady state free precession sequences use a balanced gradient, a gradient waveform, which will act on any stationary spin on resonance between 2 consecutive RF pulses and return it to the same phase it had before the gradients were applied.
This sequences include, e.g. Balanced Fast Field Echo - bFFE, Balanced Turbo Field Echo - bTFE, Fast Imaging with Steady Precession - TrueFISP and Balanced SARGE - BASG.

See also FIESTA.