FIG. 1.

Pulse sequence for two-dimensional, multislice, gradient-echo CEST, shown here for three slices. Saturation pulses are not spatially selective so the saturation pulse before each spatially selective observed pulse produces a CEST effect on all slices. The number of saturation pulses in each TR period is equal to the number of slices imaged. Scanning k-space from most negative to most positive, rather than working from 0 out, along with four dummy acquisitions at the start, assures reaching steady state before reaching the center of k-space.