Fourier-transform-based velocity-selective (FT-VS) magnetization preparation has shown great promise for
unenhanced MR angiography and arterial spin labeling. Although recent technical advances made FT-VS
preparation resistant to B0 and B1 field inhomogeneity, there remain other non-ideal conditions including tissue
relaxation, eddy currents, and accelerated motion, which are often ignored during excitation pulse design. In
this study, using a double-refocused VS preparation pulse as a testbed, excitation profiles were numerically simulated
taking into account the potential effects of the three non-ideal conditions. The longitudinal magnetization
of arterial blood resulting from FT-VS preparation turned out to decrease from the ideal value of M0 to
0.92M0, 0.99M0, and 0.88M0 due to tissue relaxation, eddy currents, and accelerated motion, respectively. When
all three factors were considered simultaneously, the worst-case relative contrast ratio (CR) between arterial
blood and muscle tissue was estimated as 0.86, corresponding to a decrease by 14 % from the ideal CR of 1.0.