Contamination of single-voxel multiple quantum filters by external water signals arising from intermolecular multiple quantum coherences.

Multiple-quantum filtered pulse sequences simplify overlapping metabolite spectra by the elimination of peaks from uncoupled spin species, most notably from methyl groups and water, and the minimization of unwanted coupled-spin peaks. However, it is shown in this study that a significant contaminant water signal can pass through this family of filters in the form of intermolecular multiple-quantum coherences. An imaging evaluation of a single-voxel multiple quantum filter experiment confirms that the water contamination is excited from outside of the voxel of interest, thus having an increased potential for broad spectral contamination. Phantom and in vivo experiments at 3.0 T are used to illustrate, first, significant water contamination of a single-voxel double quantum filter experiment optimized for the observation of glutamate, and second, the elimination of the unwanted water signal with conventional phase cycling and optimized filter gradient orientations.