(DWI) Magnetic resonance imaging is sensitive to diffusion, because the diffusion of water molecules along a field gradient reduces the MR signal. In areas of lower diffusion the signal loss is less intense and the display from this areas is brighter. The use of a bipolar gradient pulse and suitable pulse sequences permits the acquisition of diffusion weighted images (images in which areas of rapid proton diffusion can be distinguished from areas with slow diffusion).
Based on echo planar imaging, multislice DWI is today a standard for imaging brain infarction. With enhanced gradients, the whole brain can be scanned within seconds. The degree of diffusion weighting correlates with the strength of the diffusion gradients, characterized by the b-value, which is a function of the gradient related parameters: strength, duration, and the period between diffusion gradients.
Certain illnesses show restrictions of diffusion, for example demyelinization and cytotoxic edema. Areas of cerebral infarction have decreased apparent diffusion, which results in increased signal intensity on diffusion weighted MRI scans. DWI has been demonstrated to be more sensitive for the early detection of stroke than standard pulse sequences and is closely related to temperature mapping.
DWIBS is a new diffusion weighted imaging technique for the whole body that produces PET-like images. The DWIBS sequence has been developed with the aim to detect lymph nodes and to differentiate normal and hyperplastic from metastatic lymph nodes. This may be possible caused by alterations in microcirculation and water diffusivity within cancer metastases in lymph nodes.

See also Diffusion Weighted Sequence, Perfusion Imaging, ADC Map, Apparent Diffusion Coefficient, and Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

(DESS) This sequence was originally known as FADE. It combines both the gradient echoes acquired in FISP and PSIF sequences in separate acquisition periods during a single interpulse interval. Phase encoding gradients are balanced to maintain the transverse steady state signals. The frequency encoding gradient is left on for the period of both the echoes, and is incompletely balanced to avoid dark banding artifacts otherwise associated with long TR fully balanced steady state sequences. The contrast of DESS is quite unique, true T2 or T1 contrast weighting is not possible. There is a strong fluid signal but fat is bright and other soft tissues appear similar to the short TR FISP image.
Used for, e.g. the joints, cartilage and the prostate.

See Steady State Free Precession and Dual Echo Sequence.

(FLASH) A fast sequence producing signals called gradient echo with low flip angles. FLASH sequences are modifications, which incorporate or remove the effects of transverse coherence respectively.
FLASH uses a semi-random spoiler gradient after each echo to spoil the steady state (to destroy any remaining transverse magnetization) by causing a spatially dependent phase shift. The transverse steady state is spoiled but the longitudinal steady state depends on the T1 values and the flip angle. Extremely short TR times are possible, as a result the sequence provides a mechanism for gaining extremely high T1 contrast by imaging with TR times as brief as 20 to 30 msec while retaining reasonable signal levels. It is important to keep the TE as short as possible to suppress susceptibility artifacts.
The T1 contrast depends on the TR as well as on flip angle, with short TE.
Small flip angles and short TR results in proton density, and long TR in T2* weighting.
With large flip angles and short TR result T1 weighted images.

TR and flip angle adjustment:
TR 3000 ms, Flip Angle 90°
TR 1500 ms, Flip Angle 45°
TR 700 ms, Flip Angle 25°
TR 125 ms, Flip Angle 10°

The apparent ability to trade TR against flip angle for purposes of contrast and the variation in SNR as the scan time (TR) is reduced.

See also Gradient Echo Sequence.

Fat suppression is the process of utilizing specific MRI parameters to remove the deleterious effects of fat from the resulting images , e.g. with STIR, FAT SAT sequences, water selective (PROSET WATS - water only selection, also FATS - fat only selection possible) excitation techniques, or pulse sequences based on the Dixon method.
Spin magnetization can be modulated by using special RF pulses. CHESS or its variations like SPIR, SPAIR (Spectral Selection Attenuated Inversion Recovery) and FAT SAT use frequency selective excitation pulses, which produce fat saturation.
Fat suppression techniques are nearly used in all body parts and belong to every standard MRI protocol of joints like knee, shoulder, hips, etc. Imaging of, e.g. the foot can induce bad fat suppression with SPIR/FAT SAT due to the asymmetric volume of this body part. The volume of the foot alters the magnetic field to a different degree than the smaller volume of the lower leg affecting the protons there. There is only a small band of tissue where the fat protons are precessing at the frequency expected, resulting in frequency selective fat saturation working only in that area. This can be corrected by volume shimming or creating a more symmetrical volume being imaged with water bags.
Even with their longer scan time and motion sensitivity, STIR (short T1/tau inversion recovery) sequences are often the better choice to suppress fat. STIR images are also preferred because of the decreased sensitivity to field inhomogeneities, permitting larger fields of views when compared to fat suppressed images and the ability to image away from the isocenter.
See also Knee MRI.
Sequences based on Dixon turbo spin echo (fast spin echo) can deliver a significant better fat suppression than conventional TSE/FSE imaging.

(FA) The flip angle a is used to define the angle of excitation for a field echo pulse sequence. It is the angle to which the net magnetization is rotated or tipped relative to the main magnetic field direction via the application of a RF excitation pulse at the Larmor frequency. It is also referred to as the tip angle, nutation angle or angle of nutation.
The radio frequency power (which is proportional to the square of the amplitude) of the pulse is proportional to a through which the spins are tilted under its influence. Flip angles between 0° and 90° are typically used in gradient echo sequences, 90° and a series of 180° pulses in spin echo sequences and an initial 180° pulse followed by a 90° and a 180° pulse in inversion recovery sequences.