What is the difference between the T2, T1 and the FLAIR images?
Arggghh… Okay, I was looking up for a good description and didn’t readily come across an easy one. I did find a thorough discussion of the T1 and T2 topic. It is a deeply scientific matter of mathematics and physics, and trying to read it made my brain hurt! So, I will describe what I understood. Where the stuff is really technical (i.e., I don’t understand it) I will just refer to the “miracle.” In the technology of the MRI the complex software that interprets the signal from the magnetic receiver is largely responsible for the difference in techniques. Remember a “lesion” is just an area of abnormality – from “any” cause. The T1-weighted images and the T2-weighted images refer to the different rates and strengths of the electromagnetic pulse that is sent through the body to the EM receiver. There are long-strong pulses, short-strong pulses, and long- and short- weak pulses, and actually many more. In a miracle the machine and the programmers use these different pulse/spin sequences
