Maximum likelihood estimator for signal intensity in STEAM-based MR imaging techniques

Stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) is a generic imaging technique that lies at the core of many magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such MRI tagging, displacement encoded MRI, black-blood cardiac imaging. Nevertheless, tissue deformation causes frequency shift of the MR signal and leads to severe signal attenuation. In this work, a maximum likelihood estimator for the signal amplitude is proposed and used to correct the image artifacts. Numerical simulation and real MR data are used to test and validate the proposed method.