Comparison of neurite density measured by MRI and histology after TBI.

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Shiyang Wang

Full Text Available Functional recovery after brain injury in animals is improved by marrow stromal cells (MSC which stimulate neurite reorganization. However, MRI measurement of neurite density changes after injury has not been performed. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of MRI measurement of neurite density in an animal model of traumatic brain injury (TBI with and without MSC treatment.Fifteen male Wistar rats, were treated with saline (n = 6 or MSCs (n = 9 and were sacrificed at 6 weeks after controlled cortical impact (CCI. Healthy non-CCI rats (n = 5, were also employed. Ex-vivo MRI scans were performed two days after the rats were sacrificed. Multiple-shell hybrid diffusion imaging encoding scheme and spherical harmonic expansion of a two-compartment water diffusion displacement model were used to extract neurite related parameters. Bielshowski and Luxol Fast blue was used for staining axons and myelin, respectively. Modified Morris water maze and neurological severity score (mNSS test were performed for functional evaluation. The treatment effects, the correlations between neurite densities measured by MRI and histology, and the correlations between MRI and functional variables were calculated by repeated measures analysis of variance, the regression correlation analysis tests, and spearman correlation coefficients.Neurite densities exhibited a significant correlation (R(2>0.80, p<1E-20 between MRI and immuno-histochemistry measurements with 95% lower bound of the intra-correlation coefficient (ICC as 0.86. The conventional fractional anisotropy (FA correlated moderately with histological neurite density (R(2 = 0.59, P<1E-5 with 95% lower bound of ICC as 0.76. MRI data revealed increased neurite reorganization with MSC treatment compared with saline treatment, confirmed by histological data from the same animals. mNSS were significantly correlated with MRI neurite density in the hippocampus region.The present studies

Role of pharmacokinetic parameters derived with high temporal resolution DCE MRI using simultaneous PET/MRI system in breast cancer: A feasibility study

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Jena, Amarnath, E-mail: drjena2002@gmail.com [Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, Delhi–Mathura Road, New Delhi 110076 (India); Taneja, Sangeeta; Singh, Aru; Negi, Pradeep; Mehta, Shashi Bhushan [Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, Delhi–Mathura Road, New Delhi 110076 (India); Sarin, Ramesh [Department of Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, Delhi–Mathura Road, New Delhi 110076 (India)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Simultaneous PET/MRI (with 3T MRI in the core) for quantitative pharmacokinetics. • Diagnostic accuracy of pharmacokinetic parameters like K{sup trans}, K{sub ep} and v{sub e} acquired through this system. • Incorporating high temporal resolution sequence with short acquisition time of 60 s within the routine DCE MRI in a simultaneous PET/MRI system. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of pharmacokinetic parameters like K{sup trans}, Kep and v{sub e} derived through DCE MRI breast protocol using 3 T Simultaneous PET/MRI (3 Tesla Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging) system in distinguishing benign and malignant lesions. Materials and methods: High temporal resolution DCE (Dynamic Contrast Enhancement) MRI performed as routine breast MRI for diagnosis or as a part of PET/MRI for cancer staging using a 3 T simultaneous PET/MRI system in 98 women having 109 breast lesions were analyzed for calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters (K{sup trans}, v{sub e}, and Kep) at 60 s time point using an in-house developed computation scheme. Results: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed a cut off value for K{sup trans}, Kep, v{sub e} as 0.50, 2.59, 0.15 respectively which reliably distinguished benign and malignant breast lesions. Data analysis revealed an overall accuracy of 94.50%, 79.82% and 87.16% for K{sup trans}, Kep, v{sub e} respectively. Introduction of native T1 normalization with an externally placed phantom showed a higher accuracy (94.50%) than without native T1 normalization (93.50%) with an increase in specificity of 87% vs 84%. Conclusion: Overall the results indicate that reliable measurement of pharmacokinetic parameters with reduced acquisition time is feasible in a 3TMRI embedded PET/MRI system with reasonable accuracy and application may be extended to exploit the potential of simultaneous PET/MRI in further work on breast cancer.

Differences in atypical resting-state effective connectivity distinguish autism from schizophrenia

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Dana Mastrovito

Full Text Available Autism and schizophrenia share overlapping genetic etiology, common changes in brain structure and common cognitive deficits. A number of studies using resting state fMRI have shown that machine learning algorithms can distinguish between healthy controls and individuals diagnosed with either autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. However, it has not yet been determined whether machine learning algorithms can be used to distinguish between the two disorders. Using a linear support vector machine, we identify features that are most diagnostic for each disorder and successfully use them to classify an independent cohort of subjects. We find both common and divergent connectivity differences largely in the default mode network as well as in salience, and motor networks. Using divergent connectivity differences, we are able to distinguish autistic subjects from those with schizophrenia. Understanding the common and divergent connectivity changes associated with these disorders may provide a framework for understanding their shared cognitive deficits. Keywords: Schizophrenia, Autism, Resting state, Classification, Connectivity, fMRI, Default mode network

Distinguishing Adolescents With Conduct Disorder From Typically Developing Youngsters Based on Pattern Classification of Brain Structural MRI

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Jianing Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Conduct disorder (CD is a mental disorder diagnosed in childhood or adolescence that presents antisocial behaviors, and is associated with structural alterations in brain. However, whether these structural alterations can distinguish CD from healthy controls (HCs remains unknown. Here, we quantified these structural differences and explored the classification ability of these quantitative features based on machine learning (ML.Materials and Methods: High-resolution 3D structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI was acquired from 60 CD subjects and 60 age-matched HCs. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM was used to assess the regional gray matter (GM volume difference. The significantly different regional GM volumes were then extracted as features, and input into three ML classifiers: logistic regression, random forest and support vector machine (SVM. We trained and tested these ML models for classifying CD from HCs by using fivefold cross-validation (CV.Results: Eight brain regions with abnormal GM volumes were detected, which mainly distributed in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, anterior cingulate, cerebellum posterior lobe, lingual gyrus, and insula areas. We found that these ML models achieved comparable classification performance, with accuracy of 77.9 ∼ 80.4%, specificity of 73.3 ∼ 80.4%, sensitivity of 75.4 ∼ 87.5%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC of 0.76 ∼ 0.80.Conclusion: Based on sMRI and ML, the regional GM volumes may be used as potential imaging biomarkers for stable and accurate classification of CD.

Performance comparison of deep learning and segmentation-based radiomic methods in the task of distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions on DCE-MRI

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Antropova, Natasha; Huynh, Benjamin; Giger, Maryellen

2017-03-01

Intuitive segmentation-based CADx/radiomic features, calculated from the lesion segmentations of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRIs) have been utilized in the task of distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions. Additionally, transfer learning with pre-trained deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) allows for an alternative method of radiomics extraction, where the features are derived directly from the image data. However, the comparison of computer-extracted segmentation-based and CNN features in MRI breast lesion characterization has not yet been conducted. In our study, we used a DCE-MRI database of 640 breast cases - 191 benign and 449 malignant. Thirty-eight segmentation-based features were extracted automatically using our quantitative radiomics workstation. Also, 2D ROIs were selected around each lesion on the DCE-MRIs and directly input into a pre-trained CNN AlexNet, yielding CNN features. Each method was investigated separately and in combination in terms of performance in the task of distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) served as the figure of merit. Both methods yielded promising classification performance with round-robin cross-validated AUC values of 0.88 (se =0.01) and 0.76 (se=0.02) for segmentationbased and deep learning methods, respectively. Combination of the two methods enhanced the performance in malignancy assessment resulting in an AUC value of 0.91 (se=0.01), a statistically significant improvement over the performance of the CNN method alone.

Experimental Influences in the Accurate Measurement of Cartilage Thickness in MRI.

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Wang, Nian; Badar, Farid; Xia, Yang

2018-01-01

Objective To study the experimental influences to the measurement of cartilage thickness by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Design The complete thicknesses of healthy and trypsin-degraded cartilage were measured at high-resolution MRI under different conditions, using two intensity-based imaging sequences (ultra-short echo [UTE] and multislice-multiecho [MSME]) and 3 quantitative relaxation imaging sequences (T 1 , T 2 , and T 1 ρ). Other variables included different orientations in the magnet, 2 soaking solutions (saline and phosphate buffered saline [PBS]), and external loading. Results With cartilage soaked in saline, UTE and T 1 methods yielded complete and consistent measurement of cartilage thickness, while the thickness measurement by T 2 , T 1 ρ, and MSME methods were orientation dependent. The effect of external loading on cartilage thickness is also sequence and orientation dependent. All variations in cartilage thickness in MRI could be eliminated with the use of a 100 mM PBS or imaged by UTE sequence. Conclusions The appearance of articular cartilage and the measurement accuracy of cartilage thickness in MRI can be influenced by a number of experimental factors in ex vivo MRI, from the use of various pulse sequences and soaking solutions to the health of the tissue. T 2 -based imaging sequence, both proton-intensity sequence and quantitative relaxation sequence, similarly produced the largest variations. With adequate resolution, the accurate measurement of whole cartilage tissue in clinical MRI could be utilized to detect differences between healthy and osteoarthritic cartilage after compression.

MRI in head trauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Jin Kyo

1986-01-01

In the diagnosis of head injury, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), like CT, is an effective method of distinguishing between intracerebral and extracerebral lesions. In our experience of MRI, early hematomas are almost isointense by Saturation Recovery (SR) method, so these must be performed with Spin Echo (SE) method for better visualization of hematomas. Isodense subdural hematomas, which is a diagnostic dilemma on CT images, are clearly seen on MRI. Delayed hematomas or residual parenchymal lesions are better demonstrated on MRI than on CT. Direct cornal, sagittal images and multiplanar facility of MRI provides excellent visualization of the the location and shape of extracerebral collection of hematoma. For the screening of head traumas, SE method is a technique of choice because of its excellent sensitivity within limited time.

MRI in head trauma

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Hong, Jin Kyo [Shin Wha Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1986-02-15

In the diagnosis of head injury, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), like CT, is an effective method of distinguishing between intracerebral and extracerebral lesions. In our experience of MRI, early hematomas are almost isointense by Saturation Recovery (SR) method, so these must be performed with Spin Echo (SE) method for better visualization of hematomas. Isodense subdural hematomas, which is a diagnostic dilemma on CT images, are clearly seen on MRI. Delayed hematomas or residual parenchymal lesions are better demonstrated on MRI than on CT. Direct cornal, sagittal images and multiplanar facility of MRI provides excellent visualization of the the location and shape of extracerebral collection of hematoma. For the screening of head traumas, SE method is a technique of choice because of its excellent sensitivity within limited time.

Distinguishing benign and malignant breast tumors: preliminary comparison of kinetic modeling approaches using multi-institutional dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI data from the International Breast MR Consortium 6883 trial.

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Sorace, Anna G; Partridge, Savannah C; Li, Xia; Virostko, Jack; Barnes, Stephanie L; Hippe, Daniel S; Huang, Wei; Yankeelov, Thomas E

2018-01-01

Comparative preliminary analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data collected in the International Breast MR Consortium 6883 multicenter trial was performed to distinguish benign and malignant breast tumors. Prebiopsy DCE-MRI data from 45 patients with suspicious breast lesions were obtained. Semiquantitative mean signal-enhancement ratio ([Formula: see text]) was calculated for all lesions, and quantitative pharmacokinetic, parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], were calculated for the subset with available [Formula: see text] maps ([Formula: see text]). Diagnostic performance was estimated for DCE-MRI parameters and compared to standard clinical MRI assessment. Quantitative and semiquantitative metrics discriminated benign and malignant lesions, with receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.71, 0.70, and 0.82 for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively ([Formula: see text]). At equal 94% sensitivity, the specificity and positive predictive value of [Formula: see text] (53% and 63%, respectively) and K trans (42% and 58%) were higher than clinical MRI assessment (32% and 54%). A multivariable model combining [Formula: see text] and clinical MRI assessment had an AUC value of 0.87. Quantitative pharmacokinetic and semiquantitative analyses of DCE-MRI improves discrimination of benign and malignant breast tumors, with our findings suggesting higher diagnostic accuracy using [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] has potential to help reduce unnecessary biopsies resulting from routine breast imaging.

Distinguishing stress fractures from pathologic fractures: a multimodality approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayad, Laura M.; Kamel, Ihab R.; Kawamoto, Satomi; Bluemke, David A.; Fishman, Elliot K.; Frassica, Frank J.

2005-01-01

Whereas stress fractures occur in normal or metabolically weakened bones, pathologic fractures occur at the site of a bone tumor. Unfortunately, stress fractures may share imaging features with pathologic fractures on plain radiography, and therefore other modalities are commonly utilized to distinguish these entities. Additional cross-sectional imaging with CT or MRI as well as scintigraphy and PET scanning is often performed for further evaluation. For the detailed assessment of a fracture site, CT offers a high-resolution view of the bone cortex and periosteum which aids the diagnosis of a pathologic fracture. The character of underlying bone marrow patterns of destruction can also be ascertained along with evidence of a soft tissue mass. MRI, however, is a more sensitive technique for the detection of underlying bone marrow lesions at a fracture site. In addition, the surrounding soft tissues, including possible involvement of adjacent muscle, can be well evaluated with MRI. While bone scintigraphy and FDG-PET are not specific, they offer a whole-body screen for metastases in the case of a suspected malignant pathologic fracture. In this review, we present select examples of fractures that underscore imaging features that help distinguish stress fractures from pathologic fractures, since accurate differentiation of these entities is paramount. (orig.)

Distinguishing the elements of a full product basis set needs only projective measurements and classical communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Pingxing; Li Chengzu

2004-01-01

Nonlocality without entanglement is an interesting field. A manifestation of quantum nonlocality without entanglement is the possible local indistinguishability of orthogonal product states. In this paper we analyze the character of operators to distinguish the elements of a full product basis set in a multipartite system, and show that distinguishing perfectly these product bases needs only local projective measurements and classical communication, and these measurements cannot damage each product basis. Employing these conclusions one can discuss local distinguishability of the elements of any full product basis set easily. Finally we discuss the generalization of these results to the locally distinguishability of the elements of incomplete product basis set

SU-F-I-27: Measurement of SAR and Temperature Elevation During MRI Scans

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Seo, Y [Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The poor reliability and repeatability of the manufacturer-reported SAR values on clinical MRI systems have been acknowledged. The purpose of this study is to not only measure SAR values, but also RF-induced temperature elevation at 1.5 and 3T MRI systems. Methods: SAR measurement experiment was performed at 1.5 and 3T. Three MRI RF sequences (T1w TSE, T1w inversion recovery, and T2w TSE) with imaging parameters were selected. A hydroxyl-ethylcelluose (HEC) gelled saline phantom mimicking human body tissue was made. Human torso phantom were constructed, based on Korean adult standard anthropometric reference data (Fig.1). FDTD method was utilized to calculate the SAR distribution using Sim4Life software. Based on the results of the simulation, 4 electrical field (E-field) sensors were located inside the phantom. 55 Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) temperature sensors (27 sensors in upper and lower cover lids, and one sensor located in the center as a reference) were located inside the phantom to measure temperature change during MRI scan (Fig.2). Results: Simulation shows that SAR value is 0.4 W/kg in the periphery and 0.001 W/kg in the center (Fig.2). One 1.5T and one of two 3T MRI systems represent that the measured SAR values were lower than MRI scanner-reported SAR values. However, the other 3T MRI scanner shows that the averaged SAR values measured by probe 2, 3, and 4 are 6.83, 7.59, and 6.01 W/kg, compared to MRI scanner-reported whole body SAR value (<1.5 W/kg) for T2w TSE (Table 1). The temperature elevation measured by FBG sensors is 5.2°C in the lateral shoulder, 5.1°C in the underarm, 4.7°C in the anterior axilla, 4.8°C in the posterior axilla, and 4.8°C in the lateral waist for T2w TSE (Fig.3). Conclusion: It is essential to assess the safety of MRI system for patient by measuring accurate SAR deposited in the body during clinical MRI.

Multimodal structural MRI in the diagnosis of motor neuron diseases.

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Ferraro, Pilar M; Agosta, Federica; Riva, Nilo; Copetti, Massimiliano; Spinelli, Edoardo Gioele; Falzone, Yuri; Sorarù, Gianni; Comi, Giancarlo; Chiò, Adriano; Filippi, Massimo

2017-01-01

This prospective study developed an MRI-based method for identification of individual motor neuron disease (MND) patients and test its accuracy at the individual patient level in an independent sample compared with mimic disorders. 123 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 44 patients with predominantly upper motor neuron disease (PUMN), 20 patients with ALS-mimic disorders, and 78 healthy controls were studied. The diagnostic accuracy of precentral cortical thickness and diffusion tensor (DT) MRI metrics of corticospinal and motor callosal tracts were assessed in a training cohort and externally proved in a validation cohort using a random forest analysis. In the training set, precentral cortical thickness showed 0.86 and 0.89 accuracy in differentiating ALS and PUMN patients from controls, while DT MRI distinguished the two groups from controls with 0.78 and 0.92 accuracy. In ALS vs controls, the combination of cortical thickness and DT MRI metrics (combined model) improved the classification pattern (0.91 accuracy). In the validation cohort, the best accuracy was reached by DT MRI (0.87 and 0.95 accuracy in ALS and PUMN vs mimic disorders). The combined model distinguished ALS and PUMN patients from mimic syndromes with 0.87 and 0.94 accuracy. A multimodal MRI approach that incorporates motor cortical and white matter alterations yields statistically significant improvement in accuracy over using each modality separately in the individual MND patient classification. DT MRI represents the most powerful tool to distinguish MND from mimic disorders.

Multimodal structural MRI in the diagnosis of motor neuron diseases

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Pilar M. Ferraro

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This prospective study developed an MRI-based method for identification of individual motor neuron disease (MND patients and test its accuracy at the individual patient level in an independent sample compared with mimic disorders. 123 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, 44 patients with predominantly upper motor neuron disease (PUMN, 20 patients with ALS-mimic disorders, and 78 healthy controls were studied. The diagnostic accuracy of precentral cortical thickness and diffusion tensor (DT MRI metrics of corticospinal and motor callosal tracts were assessed in a training cohort and externally proved in a validation cohort using a random forest analysis. In the training set, precentral cortical thickness showed 0.86 and 0.89 accuracy in differentiating ALS and PUMN patients from controls, while DT MRI distinguished the two groups from controls with 0.78 and 0.92 accuracy. In ALS vs controls, the combination of cortical thickness and DT MRI metrics (combined model improved the classification pattern (0.91 accuracy. In the validation cohort, the best accuracy was reached by DT MRI (0.87 and 0.95 accuracy in ALS and PUMN vs mimic disorders. The combined model distinguished ALS and PUMN patients from mimic syndromes with 0.87 and 0.94 accuracy. A multimodal MRI approach that incorporates motor cortical and white matter alterations yields statistically significant improvement in accuracy over using each modality separately in the individual MND patient classification. DT MRI represents the most powerful tool to distinguish MND from mimic disorders.

Diagnostic value of chemical shift artifact in distinguishing benign lymphadenopathy

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Farshchian, Nazanin, E-mail: farshchian.n@gmail.com [Department of Radiology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Tamari, Saghar; Farshchian, Negin [Department of Radiology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Madani, Hamid [Department of Pathology, Imam-Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rezaie, Mansour [Department of Biostatistics, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohammadi-Motlagh, Hamid-Reza, E-mail: mohammadimotlagh@gmail.com [Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-11-15

Purpose: Today, distinguishing metastatic lymph nodes from secondary benign inflammatory ones via using non-invasive methods is increasingly favorable. In this study, the diagnostic value of chemical shift artifact (CSA) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated to distinguish benign lymphadenopathy. Subjects and methods: A prospective intraindividual internal review board-approved study was carried out on 15 men and 15 women having lymphadenopathic lesions in different locations of the body who underwent contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging at 1.5 T. Then, the imaging findings were compared with pathology reports, using the statistics analyses. Results: Due to the findings of the CSA existence in MRI, a total of 56.7% of the studied lesions (17 of 30) were identified as benign lesions and the rest were malignant, whereas the pathology reports distinguished twelve malignant and eighteen benign cases. Furthermore, the CSA findings comparing the pathology reports indicated that CSA, with confidence of 79.5%, has a significant diagnostic value to differentiate benign lesions from malignant ones. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that CSA in MR imaging has a suitable diagnostic potential nearing readiness for clinical trials. Furthermore, CSA seems to be a feasible tool to differentiate benign lymph nodes from malignant ones; however, further studies including larger numbers of patients are required to confirm our results.

Which factors influence MRI-pathology concordance of tumour size measurements in breast cancer?

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Rominger, M.; Frauenfelder, T. [University Hospital Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Berg, D. [Urbankrankenhaus Berlin, Anesthesiology, Berlin (Germany); Ramaswamy, A. [University Hospital Marburg, Pathology, Marburg (Germany); Timmesfeld, N. [Philipps University Marburg, Institute for Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Marburg (Germany)

2016-05-15

To assess MRI-pathology concordance and factors influencing tumour size measurement in breast cancer. MRI tumour size (greatest diameter in anatomical planes (MRI-In-Plane) and greatest diameter along main tumour axis (MRI-MPR)) of 115 consecutive breast lesions (59 invasive lobular carcinoma, 46 invasive ductal carcinoma, and 10 ductal carcinoma in situ) was retrospectively compared to size measured at histopathology (pT size (Path-TNM) and greatest tumour diameter as relevant for excision (Path-Diameter; reference standard)). Histopathological tumour types, preoperative palpability, surgical management, additional high-risk lesions, and BI-RADS lesion type (mass versus non-mass enhancements) were assessed as possible influencing factors. Systematic errors were most pronounced between MRI-MPR and Path-TNM (7.1 mm, limits of agreement (LoA) [-21.7; 35.9]), and were lowest between MRI-In-Plane and Path-Diameter (0.2 mm, LoA [-19.7; 20.1]). Concordance rate of MRI-In-Plane with Path-Diameter was 86 % (97/113), overestimation 9 % (10/113) and underestimation 5 % (6/113); BI-RADS mass lesions were overestimated in 7 % (6/81) versus 41 % (13/32) for non-mass enhancements. On multivariate analysis only BI-RADS lesion type significantly influenced MRI-pathology concordance (p < 0.001). 2/59 (3 %) ILC did not enhance. Concordance rate varies according to the execution of MRI and histopathological measurements. Beyond this only non-mass enhancement significantly predicted discordance. (orig.)

Muscle MRI and functional outcome measures in Becker muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Barp, Andrea; Bello, Luca; Caumo, Luca; Campadello, Paola; Semplicini, Claudio; Lazzarotto, Annalisa; Sorarù, Gianni; Calore, Chiara; Rampado, Alessandro; Motta, Raffaella; Stramare, Roberto; Pegoraro, Elena

2017-11-22

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a neuromuscular disorder allelic to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by in-frame mutations in the dystrophin gene, and characterized by a clinical progression that is both milder and more heterogeneous than DMD. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as biomarker of disease progression in dystrophinopathies. Correlation with clinically meaningful outcome measures such as North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) and 6 minute walk test (6MWT) is paramount for biomarker qualification. In this study, 51 molecularly confirmed BMD patients (aged 7-69 years) underwent muscle MRI and were evaluated with functional measures (NSAA and 6MWT) at the time of the MRI, and subsequently after one year. We confirmed a pattern of fatty substitution involving mainly the hip extensors and most thigh muscles. Severity of muscle fatty substitution was significantly correlated with specific DMD mutations: in particular, patients with an isolated deletion of exon 48, or deletions bordering exon 51, showed milder involvement. Fat infiltration scores correlated with baseline functional measures, and predicted changes after 1 year. We conclude that in BMD, skeletal muscle MRI not only strongly correlates with motor function, but also helps in predicting functional deterioration within a 12-month time frame.

A stress MRI of the shoulder for evaluation of ligamentous stabilizers in acute and chronic acromioclavicular joint instabilities.

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Izadpanah, Kaywan; Winterer, Jan; Vicari, Marco; Jaeger, Martin; Maier, Dirk; Eisebraun, Leonie; Ute Will, Jutta; Kotter, Elmar; Langer, Mathias; Südkamp, Norbert P; Hennig, Jürgen; Weigel, Mathias

2013-06-01

To show the feasibility of a stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a new method for simultaneous evaluation of the morphology and the functional integrity of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) ligamentous stabilizers. MRI of four volunteers, 10 patients with acute, and six with chronic ACJ injuries was performed using a 0.25 T open MRI scanner. A 2D-proton-density and a 3D-gradient-echo sequence at rest and under 6.5 kg shoulder traction were performed. Comparative measurements of the coracoclavicular and the acromioclavicular distance were performed. Additionally, the conoid and trapezoid ligament lengths were measured with multiplanar reconstructions. MRI at rest correctly identified tears of the coracoclavicular and the acromioclavicular ligaments in eight patients suffering acute ACJ injuries. Stress application helped to distinguish between partial and complete coracoclavicular ligament tears in two cases. Insufficiency of the ACJ ligaments was present in all acute and chronic ACJ injuries. Stress application in chronic ACJ ligaments revealed isolated insufficiency of the conoid ligament in three cases and of the trapezoid ligament in one case. Combined insufficiency was present in two cases. Stress MRI facilitates simultaneous acquisition of morphologic and functional information of the ACJ stabilizers. In acute ACJ injuries it helps to distinguish between partial and complete ligament tears. In chronic ACJ injuries it provides functional information of the ligament regrinds. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MRI of superficial soft tissue masses: analysis of features useful in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions

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Calleja, Michele; Dimigen, Marion; Saifuddin, Asif [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore (United Kingdom)

2012-12-15

To identify the MRI features of superficial soft tissue masses, that may allow differentiation between malignant and non-malignant lesions. A total of 136 consecutive patients referred to a supra-regional musculoskeletal oncology center over a 10-year period with the diagnosis of a superficial soft tissue mass were included in this retrospective study. Features analyzed included patient demographics, lesion size, MRI signal characteristics, margins, lobulation, hemorrhage, necrosis, fascial edema, relationship to the fascia, as well as involvement of the skin. Comparison was then made with the final histological diagnosis. Of the patients reviewed, 58 were male and 78 were female, and the mean age was 49.9 years. The mean age for malignant lesions was 57.9 years, and that for non-neoplastic and benign conditions 41.9 years (p < 0.001). A significant relationship was identified between malignancy and lobulation (p < 0.01), hemorrhage (p < 0.001), fascial edema (p < 0.001), hemorrhage (p < 0.0001) and necrosis (p < 0.001). The relationship between skin thickening and skin contact and malignancy was also found to be significant. However, size was not found to be an important determining factor for malignancy, with a significant proportion of malignant superficial sarcomas measuring less than 5 cm in maximal diameter. This study has shown that a significant proportion of malignant superficial sarcomas measured less than 5 cm in maximal diameter. Fascial edema, skin thickening, skin contact, hemorrhage, and necrosis were found to be highly significant factors indicative of malignancy. Lobulation and peritumoral edema were also significant MRI features. (orig.)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head

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Full Text Available ... tumors stroke infections developmental anomalies hydrocephalus — dilatation of fluid spaces within the brain (ventricles) causes of epilepsy ( ... may not always distinguish between cancer tissue and fluid, known as edema . MRI typically costs more and ...

Comparative studies of MRI and operative findings in rotator cuff tear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, Seigo; Ichikawa, Norikazu; Itadera, Eichi; Hashizume, Hiroyuki; Inoue, Hajime

2001-01-01

A prospective study was performed to determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with operative findings in the evaluation of patients associated with rotator cuff tears. Fifty-four of 60 shoulders (58 patients) examined by MRI were confirmed as full-thickness tears and 6 as partial-thickness tears at the time of surgery. The oblique coronal, oblique sagittal, and axial planes of T2-weighted images with the 0.5 tesla MRI system were obtained preoperatively and compared with operative findings. MRI correctly identified 46 of 54 full-thickness rotator cuff tears and 5 of 6 partial-thickness tears. A comparison of MRI and operative findings in full-thickness cuff tears showed a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 83%, and a positive prospective value (PPV) of 99%. A comparison of partial-thickness tears showed a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 85%, and PPV of 39%. Linear regression analysis showed an excellent correlation between the MRI assessment and measurement at the time of surgery (r=0.90, P<0.01). MRI was useful in evaluating large and medium-sized rotator cuff tears, but less useful in distinguishing small full-thickness tears from partial-thickness tears. (author)

Degeneration and height of cervical discs classified from MRI compared with precise height measurements from radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolstad, Frode; Myhr, Gunnar; Kvistad, Kjell Arne; Nygaard, Oystein P.; Leivseth, Gunnar

2005-01-01

Study design: Descriptive study comparing MRI classifications with measurements from radiographs. Objectives: 1.Define the relationship between MRI classified cervical disc degeneration and objectively measured disc height. 2.Assess the level of inter- and intra-observer errors using MRI in defining cervical disc degeneration. Summary of background data: Cervical spine degeneration has been defined radiologically by loss of disc height, decreased disc and bone marrow signal intensity and disc protrusion/herniation on MRI. The intra- and inter-observer error using MRI in defining cervical degeneration influences data interpretation. Few previous studies have addressed this source of error. The relation and time sequence between cervical disc degeneration classified by MRI and cervical disc height decrease measured from radiographs is unclear. Methods: The MRI classification of degeneration was based on nucleus signal, prolaps identification and bone marrow signal. Two neuro-radiologists evaluated the MR-images independently in a blinded fashion. The radiographic disc height measurements were done by a new computer-assisted method compensating for image distortion and permitting comparison with normal level-, age- and gender-appropriate disc height. Results/conclusions: 1.Progressing disc degeneration classified from MRI is on average significantly associated with a decrease of disc height as measured from radiographs. Within each MRI defined category of degeneration measured disc heights, however, scatter in a wide range. 2.The inter-observer agreement between two neuro-radiologists in both defining degeneration and disc height by MRI was only moderate. Studies addressing questions related to cervical disc degeneration should take this into consideration

Degeneration and height of cervical discs classified from MRI compared with precise height measurements from radiographs

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Kolstad, Frode [National Centre of Spinal Disorders, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University Hospital of Trondheim, 7006 Trondheim (Norway)]. E-mail: frode.kolstad@medisin.ntnu.no; Myhr, Gunnar [Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, 7006 Trondheim (Norway); Kvistad, Kjell Arne [Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, 7006 Trondheim (Norway); Nygaard, Oystein P. [National Centre of Spinal Disorders, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University Hospital of Trondheim, 7006 Trondheim (Norway); Leivseth, Gunnar [Department of Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University Hospital of Trondheim, 7006 Trondheim (Norway)

2005-09-01

Study design: Descriptive study comparing MRI classifications with measurements from radiographs. Objectives: 1.Define the relationship between MRI classified cervical disc degeneration and objectively measured disc height. 2.Assess the level of inter- and intra-observer errors using MRI in defining cervical disc degeneration. Summary of background data: Cervical spine degeneration has been defined radiologically by loss of disc height, decreased disc and bone marrow signal intensity and disc protrusion/herniation on MRI. The intra- and inter-observer error using MRI in defining cervical degeneration influences data interpretation. Few previous studies have addressed this source of error. The relation and time sequence between cervical disc degeneration classified by MRI and cervical disc height decrease measured from radiographs is unclear. Methods: The MRI classification of degeneration was based on nucleus signal, prolaps identification and bone marrow signal. Two neuro-radiologists evaluated the MR-images independently in a blinded fashion. The radiographic disc height measurements were done by a new computer-assisted method compensating for image distortion and permitting comparison with normal level-, age- and gender-appropriate disc height. Results/conclusions: 1.Progressing disc degeneration classified from MRI is on average significantly associated with a decrease of disc height as measured from radiographs. Within each MRI defined category of degeneration measured disc heights, however, scatter in a wide range. 2.The inter-observer agreement between two neuro-radiologists in both defining degeneration and disc height by MRI was only moderate. Studies addressing questions related to cervical disc degeneration should take this into consideration.

Measurement and imaging of brain function using MRI, MEG, and TMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iramina, Keiji

2008-01-01

This paper reviews functional imaging techniques in neuroscience such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional MRI (fMRI), magnetoencephalogray (MEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). fMRI and MEG allow the neuronal activity of the brain to be measured non-invasively. MEG detects an electrical activity as neuronal activity, while, fMRI detects a hemodynamic response as neuronal activity. TMS is the application of a brief magnetic pulse or a train of pulses to the skull, which results in the induction of a local electric current in the underlying surface of the brain, thereby producing a localized axonal depolarization. As a non-invasive and effective method to make reversible lesions in the human brain, TMS has a long and successful history. All of these techniques have major potential for applications in the neuroscience and medicine. (author)

Cumulant expansions for measuring water exchange using diffusion MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Lipeng; Nilsson, Markus; Lasič, Samo; Westin, Carl-Fredrik; Rathi, Yogesh

2018-02-01

The rate of water exchange across cell membranes is a parameter of biological interest and can be measured by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). In this work, we investigate a stochastic model for the diffusion-and-exchange of water molecules. This model provides a general solution for the temporal evolution of dMRI signal using any type of gradient waveform, thereby generalizing the signal expressions for the Kärger model. Moreover, we also derive a general nth order cumulant expansion of the dMRI signal accounting for water exchange, which has not been explored in earlier studies. Based on this analytical expression, we compute the cumulant expansion for dMRI signals for the special case of single diffusion encoding (SDE) and double diffusion encoding (DDE) sequences. Our results provide a theoretical guideline on optimizing experimental parameters for SDE and DDE sequences, respectively. Moreover, we show that DDE signals are more sensitive to water exchange at short-time scale but provide less attenuation at long-time scale than SDE signals. Our theoretical analysis is also validated using Monte Carlo simulations on synthetic structures.

Tuberculous tenosynovitis of the wrist: MRI findings in three patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sueyoshi, E. [Department of Radiology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852 (Japan); Uetani, M. [Department of Radiology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852 (Japan); Hayashi, K. [Department of Radiology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852 (Japan); Kohzaki, S. [Nagasaki Municipal Hospital, Nagasaki (Japan)

1996-08-01

We report recent MRI findings in patients with tuberculous tenosynovitis of the wrist. Marked synovial thickening around the flexor tendons and fluid in the tendon sheath were clearly shown on MRI. Post-contrast study was useful in distinguishing the thick tenosynovium from the surrounding structures and fluid in the tendon sheath. The well-enhanced tenosynovium was also seen in the carpal tunnel in all cases. On the basis of these findings, we could easily distinguish tenosynovitis from other soft-tissue-mass lesions, such as tumors or infected ganglia. Tuberculous tenosynovitis is often not diagnosed early, and its differentiation from soft tissue tumors may be clinically difficult. MRI, particularly post-contrast study, is useful for early diagnosis of, and planning treatment for, tuberculous tenosynovitis. (orig.). With 3 figs.

Tuberculous tenosynovitis of the wrist: MRI findings in three patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sueyoshi, E.; Uetani, M.; Hayashi, K.; Kohzaki, S.

1996-01-01

We report recent MRI findings in patients with tuberculous tenosynovitis of the wrist. Marked synovial thickening around the flexor tendons and fluid in the tendon sheath were clearly shown on MRI. Post-contrast study was useful in distinguishing the thick tenosynovium from the surrounding structures and fluid in the tendon sheath. The well-enhanced tenosynovium was also seen in the carpal tunnel in all cases. On the basis of these findings, we could easily distinguish tenosynovitis from other soft-tissue-mass lesions, such as tumors or infected ganglia. Tuberculous tenosynovitis is often not diagnosed early, and its differentiation from soft tissue tumors may be clinically difficult. MRI, particularly post-contrast study, is useful for early diagnosis of, and planning treatment for, tuberculous tenosynovitis. (orig.). With 3 figs

MRI measurement for inner ear structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shuling; Liu Huaijun; Chi Chen; Qin Ruiping; Shi Zhaoxia

2003-01-01

Objective: To reconstruct the image of inner ear by using 3D-FASE heavily T 2 WI, and to establish MRI measurement criterion of inner ear structures. Methods: One hundred and six inner ears of 53 healthy volunteers underwent MRI heavily T2-weighted axial scanning by using 3D fast advanced spin echo sequence. All the original images were transferred to an online workstation. Analyze AVW software was used for image post-processing. All the structures of inner ear were reconstructed, rotated from various angles and measured by using maximum intensity projection (MIP). Results: (1) All the structures of inner ear and internal auditory channel (IAC) could be visualized clearly by using 3D-FASE heavily T 2 WI. (2) Using analysis of variance, there was no age, side or race-related difference in inner ear volume, but it was bigger in male than in female [(0.242 ± 0.0236) mm 3 (male) versus (0.226 ± 0.021) mm 3 (female)]. There was no age, side-related differences in three semicircular canal height and vestibule vertical diameter, but, again, they were bigger in male than in female. The height of upper, lateral and posterior semicircular canal were (5.511 ± 0.626) mm (male) versus (5.167 ± 0.357) mm (female); (3.763 ± 0.495) mm (male) versus (3.446 ± 0.405) mm (female); (5.227 ± 0.547) mm (male) versus (4.786 ± 0.500) mm (female). There was no age, sex or side-related differences in three semicircular canal diameter and cochlea. The diameter of upper, lateral and posterior semicircular canal were (1.06 ± 0.119) mm, (1.14 ± 0.181) mm, and (1.22 ± 0.196)mm; the external diameter of cochlea basal turn was (6.520 ± 0.475) mm, the diameter of cochlea basal turn was (1.413 ± 0.144) mm, and cochlea height was (4.100 ± 0.405) mm. Conclusion: (1) For the first time, the MRI measurement criterion of inner ear structures is established. (2) Vestibule and three semicircular canal of inner ear are bigger in male than in female

Dynamic MRI for the differentiation of inflammatory joint lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, H.; Wolf, K.J.; Sieper, J.

1990-01-01

Eighteen patients with inflammatory lesions of the knee joints (ten with rheumatoid arthritis, eight with undiagnosed lesions) and two normal subjects were examined by MRI. In addition to spin-echo measurements, the signals from normal and pathological tissues were evaluated quantitatively by dynamic flash sequences following the injection of gadolinium DTPA. The latter method was able to distinguish active pannus from other proliferative synovial changes; the degree of activity could be related to synovial histology and relevant clinical features in eight patients. Areas of flat articular and subchondral pannus could be identified by the enhanced signal following the administration of gadolinium DTPA. Dynamic MRI is able to provide important information for the early diagnosis and follow-up of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. (orig.) [de

Pseudotumours in chronic kidney disease: Can diffusion-weighted MRI rule out malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goyal, Ankur; Sharma, Raju; Bhalla, Ashu S.; Gamanagatti, Shivanand; Seth, Amlesh

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Conventional non-contrast MRI is unable to distinguish CKD pseudotumors from RCCs. •Pseudotumours in a background of CKD do not show restricted diffusion. •CKD pseudotumours demonstrate high ADC values whereas RCCs show restricted diffusion. •DW-MRI is reliable in ruling out malignancy incase of pseudotumours found in chronic kidney disease. •DW-MRI may obviate contrast administration and/or tissue sampling in renal pseudotumours and prevent inadvertent surgeries. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate whether diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) can distinguish pseudotumours in chronic kidney disease (CKD pseudotumours) from renal-cell-carcinomas (RCCs) (with or without CKD) and whether it offers additional benefit over conventional MRI. Methods: One-hundred patients underwent MDCT, MRI and DW-MRI (at b-values of 0 and 500 s/mm 2 ) for evaluation of focal renal lesions. Of these, 20 patients with 40 CKD pseudotumours and 36 patients with 40 RCCs were retrospectively analyzed. T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted images were evaluated, apparent-diffusion-coefficient (ADC) values were compared and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to establish cut-off ADC-values. Results: 92.5% of CKD pseudotumours remained indeterminate after conventional MRI. On DW-MRI, none of them showed restricted diffusion and thus malignancy could be ruled out in 100% of the lesions. In contrast, all the solid RCCs showed diffusion restriction. Mean ADC-value for CKD pseudotumours was significantly higher than RCCs and surrounding diseased parenchyma [2.50 vs 1.56 (×10 −3 mm 2 /s) (P < 0.0001) and 2.05 (×10 −3 mm 2 /s) (P = 0.0001) respectively]. ROC analysis for differentiating CKD pseudotumours and RCC yielded high sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (100%) for cut-off ADC-value of 2.04 (×10 −3 mm 2 /s). Conclusions: CKD pseudotumors usually remain indeterminate on conventional non-contrast MRI. DW-MRI can distinguish CKD pseudotumors

Pseudotumours in chronic kidney disease: Can diffusion-weighted MRI rule out malignancy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goyal, Ankur, E-mail: ankurgoyalaiims@gmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S.), New Delhi (India); Sharma, Raju, E-mail: raju152@yahoo.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S.), New Delhi (India); Bhalla, Ashu S., E-mail: ashubhalla1@yahoo.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S.), New Delhi (India); Gamanagatti, Shivanand, E-mail: shiv223@rediffmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S.), New Delhi (India); Seth, Amlesh, E-mail: amlesh.seth@gmail.com [Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S.), New Delhi (India)

2013-11-01

Highlights: •Conventional non-contrast MRI is unable to distinguish CKD pseudotumors from RCCs. •Pseudotumours in a background of CKD do not show restricted diffusion. •CKD pseudotumours demonstrate high ADC values whereas RCCs show restricted diffusion. •DW-MRI is reliable in ruling out malignancy incase of pseudotumours found in chronic kidney disease. •DW-MRI may obviate contrast administration and/or tissue sampling in renal pseudotumours and prevent inadvertent surgeries. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate whether diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) can distinguish pseudotumours in chronic kidney disease (CKD pseudotumours) from renal-cell-carcinomas (RCCs) (with or without CKD) and whether it offers additional benefit over conventional MRI. Methods: One-hundred patients underwent MDCT, MRI and DW-MRI (at b-values of 0 and 500 s/mm{sup 2}) for evaluation of focal renal lesions. Of these, 20 patients with 40 CKD pseudotumours and 36 patients with 40 RCCs were retrospectively analyzed. T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted images were evaluated, apparent-diffusion-coefficient (ADC) values were compared and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to establish cut-off ADC-values. Results: 92.5% of CKD pseudotumours remained indeterminate after conventional MRI. On DW-MRI, none of them showed restricted diffusion and thus malignancy could be ruled out in 100% of the lesions. In contrast, all the solid RCCs showed diffusion restriction. Mean ADC-value for CKD pseudotumours was significantly higher than RCCs and surrounding diseased parenchyma [2.50 vs 1.56 (×10{sup −3} mm{sup 2}/s) (P < 0.0001) and 2.05 (×10{sup −3} mm{sup 2}/s) (P = 0.0001) respectively]. ROC analysis for differentiating CKD pseudotumours and RCC yielded high sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (100%) for cut-off ADC-value of 2.04 (×10{sup −3} mm{sup 2}/s). Conclusions: CKD pseudotumors usually remain indeterminate on conventional non-contrast MRI. DW-MRI

Assessment of a semiautomated pelvic floor measurement model for evaluating pelvic organ prolapse on MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Onal, S; Lai-Yuen, S; Bao, P; Weitzenfeld, A; Greene, K; Kedar, R; Hart, S

2014-06-01

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of a semiautomated pelvic floor measurement algorithmic model on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images compared with manual pelvic floor measurements for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) evaluation. We examined 15 MRIs along the midsagittal view. Five reference points used for pelvic floor measurements were identified both manually and using our semiautomated measurement model. The two processes were compared in terms of accuracy and precision. The semiautomated pelvic floor measurement model provided highly consistent and accurate locations for all reference points on MRI. Results also showed that the model can identify the reference points faster than the manual-point identification process. The semiautomated pelvic floor measurement model can be used to facilitate and improve the process of pelvic floor measurements on MRI. This will enable high throughput analysis of MRI data to improve the correlation analysis with clinical outcomes and potentially improve POP assessment.

Tumour size measurement in a mouse model using high resolution MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montelius, Mikael; Ljungberg, Maria; Horn, Michael; Forssell-Aronsson, Eva

2012-01-01

Animal models are frequently used to assess new treatment methods in cancer research. MRI offers a non-invasive in vivo monitoring of tumour tissue and thus allows longitudinal measurements of treatment effects, without the need for large cohorts of animals. Tumour size is an important biomarker of the disease development, but to our knowledge, MRI based size measurements have not yet been verified for small tumours (10 −2 –10 −1 g). The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of MRI based tumour size measurements of small tumours on mice. 2D and 3D T2-weighted RARE images of tumour bearing mice were acquired in vivo using a 7 T dedicated animal MR system. For the 3D images the acquired image resolution was varied. The images were exported to a PC workstation where the tumour mass was determined assuming a density of 1 g/cm 3 , using an in-house developed tool for segmentation and delineation. The resulting data were compared to the weight of the resected tumours after sacrifice of the animal using regression analysis. Strong correlations were demonstrated between MRI- and necropsy determined masses. In general, 3D acquisition was not a prerequisite for high accuracy. However, it was slightly more accurate than 2D when small (<0.2 g) tumours were assessed for inter- and intraobserver variation. In 3D images, the voxel sizes could be increased from 160 3 μm 3 to 240 3 μm 3 without affecting the results significantly, thus reducing acquisition time substantially. 2D MRI was sufficient for accurate tumour size measurement, except for small tumours (<0.2 g) where 3D acquisition was necessary to reduce interobserver variation. Acquisition times between 15 and 50 minutes, depending on tumour size, were sufficient for accurate tumour volume measurement. Hence, it is possible to include further MR investigations of the tumour, such as tissue perfusion, diffusion or metabolic composition in the same MR session

Measurement of pulsatile motion with millisecond resolution by MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Souchon, Rémi; Gennisson, Jean-Luc; Tanter, Mickael; Salomir, Rares; Chapelon, Jean-Yves; Rouvière, Olivier

2012-06-01

We investigated a technique based on phase-contrast cine MRI combined with deconvolution of the phase shift waveforms to measure rapidly varying pulsatile motion waveforms. The technique does not require steady-state displacement during motion encoding. Simulations and experiments were performed in porcine liver samples in view of a specific application, namely the observation of transient displacements induced by acoustic radiation force. Simulations illustrate the advantages and shortcomings of the methods. For experimental validation, the waveforms were acquired with an ultrafast ultrasound scanner (Supersonic Imagine Aixplorer), and the rates of decay of the waveforms (relaxation time) were compared. With bipolar motion-encoding gradient of 8.4 ms, the method was able to measure displacement waveforms with a temporal resolution of 1 ms over a time course of 40 ms. Reasonable agreement was found between the rate of decay of the waveforms measured in ultrasound (2.8 ms) and in MRI (2.7-3.3 ms). Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Diffusion-weighted MRI of the prostate at 3.0 T: comparison of endorectal coil (ERC) MRI and phased-array coil (PAC) MRI-The impact of SNR on ADC measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazaheri, Yousef; Vargas, H Alberto; Nyman, Gregory; Shukla-Dave, Amita; Akin, Oguz; Hricak, Hedvig

2013-10-01

To compare ADC values measured from diffusion-weighted MR (DW-MR) images of the prostate obtained with both endorectal and phased-array coils (ERC+PAC) to those from DW-MRI images obtained with an eight-channel torso phased-array coil (PAC) at 3.0 T. The institutional review board issued a waiver of informed consent for this HIPAA-compliant study. Twenty-five patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer underwent standard 3-T MRI using 2 different coil arrangements (ERC+PAC and PAC only) in the same session. DW-MRI at five b-values (0, 600, 1000, 1200, and 1500 s/mm(2)) were acquired using both coil arrangements. On b=0 images, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were measured as the ratio of the mean signal from PZ and TZ ROIs to the standard deviation from the mean signal in an artifact-free ROI in the rectum. Matching regions-of-interest (ROIs) were identified in the peripheral zone and transition zone on ERC-MRI and PAC-MRI. For each ROI, mean ADC values for all zero and non-zero b-value combinations were computed. Mean SNR with ERC-MRI at PZ (66.33 ± 27.07) and TZ (32.69 ± 12.52) was 9.27 and 5.52 times higher than with PAC-MRI ((7.32 ± 2.30) and (6.13 ± 1.56), respectively) (PERC-MRI (PERC. To address these requirements, clinical MR systems should have image processing capabilities which incorporate the noise distribution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of MRI technique in measuring tendon cross-sectional area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Couppé, Christian; Svensson, R. B.; Elbrønd (Bibs), Vibeke Sødring

2014-01-01

, but the accuracy in relation to actual tendon dimensions has never been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare tendon CSA measured by MRI with that measured in vitro with the mould casting technique. The knee of a horse was MRI-scanned with 1.5 and 3 tesla, and two examiners measured the patellar...... tendon CSA. Thereafter, the patellar tendon of the horse was completely dissected and embedded in an alginate cast. The CSA of the embedded tendon was measured directly by optical imaging of the cast impression. 1.5 tesla grey tendon CSA and 3 tesla grey tendon CSA were 16.5% and 13.2% lower than...... the mould tendon CSA, respectively. Also, 3 tesla tendon CSA, based on the red-green border on the National Institute of Health (NIH) colour scale, was lower than the mould tendon CSA by 2.8%. The typical error between examiners was below 2% for all the measured CSA. The typical error between examiners...

Visual grading of 2D and 3D functional MRI compared with image-based descriptive measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ragnehed, Mattias [Linkoeping University, Division of Radiological Sciences, Radiology, IMH, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, CMIV, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences/Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkoeping (Sweden); Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist; Pihlsgaard, Johan; Lundberg, Peter [Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, CMIV, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Division of Radiological Sciences, Radiation Physics, IMH, Linkoeping (Sweden); Wirell, Staffan [Linkoeping University, Division of Radiological Sciences, Radiology, IMH, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Linkoeping (Sweden); Soekjer, Hannibal; Faegerstam, Patrik [Linkoeping University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Linkoeping (Sweden); Jiang, Bo [Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, CMIV, Linkoeping (Sweden); Smedby, Oerjan; Engstroem, Maria [Linkoeping University, Division of Radiological Sciences, Radiology, IMH, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, CMIV, Linkoeping (Sweden)

2010-03-15

A prerequisite for successful clinical use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the selection of an appropriate imaging sequence. The aim of this study was to compare 2D and 3D fMRI sequences using different image quality assessment methods. Descriptive image measures, such as activation volume and temporal signal-to-noise ratio (TSNR), were compared with results from visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis of the fMRI results. Significant differences in activation volume and TSNR were not directly reflected by differences in VGC scores. The results suggest that better performance on descriptive image measures is not always an indicator of improved diagnostic quality of the fMRI results. In addition to descriptive image measures, it is important to include measures of diagnostic quality when comparing different fMRI data acquisition methods. (orig.)

Convergence of EEG and fMRI measures of reward anticipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorka, Stephanie M; Phan, K Luan; Shankman, Stewart A

2015-12-01

Deficits in reward anticipation are putative mechanisms for multiple psychopathologies. Research indicates that these deficits are characterized by reduced left (relative to right) frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) activity and blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal abnormalities in mesolimbic and prefrontal neural regions during reward anticipation. Although it is often assumed that these two measures capture similar mechanisms, no study to our knowledge has directly examined the convergence between frontal EEG alpha asymmetry and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during reward anticipation in the same sample. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate if and where in the brain frontal EEG alpha asymmetry and fMRI measures were correlated in a sample of 40 adults. All participants completed two analogous reward anticipation tasks--once during EEG data collection and the other during fMRI data collection. Results indicated that the two measures do converge and that during reward anticipation, increased relative left frontal activity is associated with increased left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activation. This suggests that the two measures may similarly capture PFC functioning, which is noteworthy given the role of these regions in reward processing and the pathophysiology of disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance imaging: a useful tool to distinguish between keratocystic odontogenic tumours and odontogenic cysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Probst, F A; Probst, M; Pautke, Ch; Kaltsi, E; Otto, S; Schiel, S; Troeltzsch, M; Ehrenfeld, M; Cornelius, C P; Müller-Lisse, U G

2015-03-01

In contrast to odontogenic cysts, keratocystic odontogenic tumours often recur and require more aggressive surgical treatment, so we tried to find features that distinguished between them on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Without knowing the diagnosis, two radiologists reviewed intensity (low, intermediate, or high) and homogeneity (homogeneous or heterogeneous) of signals in short-tau-inversion-recovery (STIR), T1- and T2-weighted, and fat-suppressed, contrast-enhanced MRI in 20 consecutive patients with oval, radiolucent lesions of the mandible on panoramic radiography, and who were subsequently confirmed histopathologically to have either an odontogenic cyst or a keratocystic odontogenic tumour (n=10 in each group). Fisher's exact test was statistically significant at pkeratocystic odontogenic tumours (3/10, p=0.02, and 1/10, p=0.01, respectively). One radiologist found odontogenic cysts were more likely to be homogeneous on unenhanced T1-weighted images (odontogenic cysts 9/10, keratocystic odontogenic tumours 3/10, p=0.02) and one on contrast-enhanced MRI, when the cyst wall was enhanced (odontogenic cysts 7/9, keratocystic odontogenic tumours 0/3, p=0.01). There were no other significant distinguishing features on MRI. In conclusion, the signal intensity of the enhanced wall seems to be a feature on contrast-enhanced MRI that differentiates odontogenic cysts from keratocystic odontogenic tumours. Copyright © 2014 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural linear measurements in the newborn brain: accuracy of cranial ultrasound compared to MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijser, Lara M.; Srinivasan, Latha; Cowan, Frances M.; Rutherford, Mary A.; Counsell, Serena J.; Allsop, Joanna M.

2007-01-01

Structural size in the neonatal brain is of clinical importance. Cranial ultrasonography (cUS) is the primary method used for evaluating the neonatal brain and it is important to know whether linear measurements made using this technique are accurate. To compare linear measurements of different cerebral structures made from neonatal cUS and contemporaneous MRI. Preterm and term infants studies with cUS and MRI on the same day were studied. Linear measurements made using both techniques from many cerebral structures were compared using a paired t-test. A total of 44 sets of scans from 26 preterm and 8 term infants were assessed. Small but significant differences between the cUS and MRI measurements (P<0.05) were found for the ventricular index, the posterior horn depth of the lateral ventricle, the extracerebral space and interhemispheric fissure, and the cortex of the cingulate gyrus. No significant differences were found for any other measurements. Linear measurements from cUS are accurate for most neonatal cerebral structures. Significant differences compared to MRI were found for a few structures, but only for the cortex were the absolute differences marked and possibly of clinical importance. (orig.)

Role of FDG-PET/MRI, FDG-PET/CT, and Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion MRI in Differentiating Radiation Necrosis from Tumor Recurrence in Glioblastomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Hojjati, Mojgan; Badve, Chaitra; Garg, Vasant; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Rogers, Lisa; Sloan, Andrew; Faulhaber, Peter; Ros, Pablo R; Wolansky, Leo J

2018-01-01

To compare the utility of quantitative PET/MRI, dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI (pMRI), and PET/CT in differentiating radiation necrosis (RN) from tumor recurrence (TR) in patients with treated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The study included 24 patients with GBM treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide who presented with progression on imaging follow-up. All patients underwent PET/MRI and pMRI during a single examination. Additionally, 19 of 24 patients underwent PET/CT on the same day. Diagnosis was established by pathology in 17 of 24 and by clinical/radiologic consensus in 7 of 24. For the quantitative PET/MRI and PET/CT analysis, a region of interest (ROI) was drawn around each lesion and within the contralateral white matter. Lesion to contralateral white matter ratios for relative maximum, mean, and median were calculated. For pMRI, lesion ROI was drawn on the cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps and histogram metrics were calculated. Diagnostic performance for each metric was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and area under curve (AUC) was calculated. In 24 patients, 28 lesions were identified. For PET/MRI, relative mean ≥ 1.31 resulted in AUC of .94 with both sensitivity and negative predictive values (NPVs) of 100%. For pMRI, CBV max ≥3.32 yielded an AUC of .94 with both sensitivity and NPV measuring 100%. The joint model utilizing r-mean (PET/MRI) and CBV mode (pMRI) resulted in AUC of 1.0. Our study demonstrates that quantitative PET/MRI parameters in combination with DSC pMRI provide the best diagnostic utility in distinguishing RN from TR in treated GBMs. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Neuroimaging published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society of Neuroimaging.

3D Super-Resolution Motion-Corrected MRI: Validation of Fetal Posterior Fossa Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Pier, Danielle B; Gholipour, Ali; Afacan, Onur; Velasco-Annis, Clemente; Clancy, Sean; Kapur, Kush; Estroff, Judy A; Warfield, Simon K

2016-09-01

Current diagnosis of fetal posterior fossa anomalies by sonography and conventional MRI is limited by fetal position, motion, and by two-dimensional (2D), rather than three-dimensional (3D), representation. In this study, we aimed to validate the use of a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, 3D super-resolution motion-corrected MRI, to image the fetal posterior fossa. From a database of pregnant women who received fetal MRIs at our institution, images of 49 normal fetal brains were reconstructed. Six measurements of the cerebellum, vermis, and pons were obtained for all cases on 2D conventional and 3D reconstructed MRI, and the agreement between the two methods was determined using concordance correlation coefficients. Concordance of axial and coronal measurements of the transcerebellar diameter was also assessed within each method. Between the two methods, the concordance of measurements was high for all six structures (P fetal motion and orthogonal slice acquisition. This technique will facilitate further study of fetal abnormalities of the posterior fossa. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Differentiating between benign and malignant sinonasal lesions using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jingxuan; Xiao, Zebin; Tang, Zuohua; Zhong, Yufeng; Qiang, Jinwei

2018-01-01

To explore the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) for distinguishing between benign and malignant sinonasal lesions and investigate the correlations between the two methods. Patients with sinonasal lesions (42 benign and 31 malignant) who underwent DCE-MRI and IVIM before confirmation by histopathology were enrolled in this prospective study. Parameters derived from DCE-MRI and IVIM were measured, the optimal cut-off values for differential diagnosis were determined, and the correlations between the two methods were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and Spearman's rank correlation. Significantly higher K trans and K ep values but lower D and f values were found in malignant lesions than in benign lesions (all pbenign and malignant sinonasal lesions. IVIM findings correlate with DCE-MRI results and may represent an alternative to DCE-MRI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intracranial artery velocity measurement using 4D PC MRI at 3 T: comparison with transcranial ultrasound techniques and 2D PC MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meckel, Stephan; Leitner, Lorenz; Schubert, Tilman; Bonati, Leo H.; Lyrer, Philippe; Santini, Francesco; Stalder, Aurelien F.; Markl, Michael; Wetzel, Stephan G.

2013-01-01

4D phase contrast MR imaging (4D PC MRI) has been introduced for spatiotemporal evaluation of intracranial hemodynamics in various cerebrovascular diseases. However, it still lacks validation with standards of reference. Our goal was to compare blood flow quantification derived from 4D PC MRI with transcranial ultrasound and 2D PC MRI. Velocity measurements within large intracranial arteries [internal carotid artery (ICA), basilar artery (BA), and middle cerebral artery (MCA)] were obtained in 20 young healthy volunteers with 4D and 2D PC MRI, transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), and transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCD). Maximum velocities at peak systole (PSV) and end diastole (EDV) were compared using regression analysis and Bland-Altman plots. Correlation of 4D PC MRI measured velocities was higher in comparison with TCD (r = 0.49-0.66) than with TCCD (0.35-0.44) and 2D PC MRI (0.52-0.60). In mid-BA and ICA C7 segment, a significant correlation was found with TCD (0.68-0.81 and 0.65-0.71, respectively). No significant correlation was found in carotid siphon. On average over all volunteers, PSVs and EDVs in MCA were minimally underestimated compared with TCD/TCCD. Minimal overestimation of velocities was found compared to TCD in mid-BA and ICA C7 segment. 4D PC MRI appears as valid alternative for intracranial velocity measurement consistent with previous reference standards, foremost with TCD. Spatiotemporal averaging effects might contribute to vessel size-dependent mild underestimation of velocities in smaller (MCA), and overestimation in larger-sized (BA and ICA) arteries, respectively. Complete spatiotemporal flow analysis may be advantageous in anatomically complex regions (e.g. carotid siphon) relative to restrictions of ultrasound techniques. (orig.)

Efficacy and toxicity in brain tumor treatment - quantitative Measurements using advanced MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravn, Søren

2016-01-01

From the clinical introduction in the 1980s, MRI has grown to become an indispensable brain imaging modality, mainly due to its excellent ability to visualize soft tissues. Morphologically, T1- and T2-weighted brain tumor MRI have been part of routine diagnostic radiology for more than two decades...... with the introduction of magnets with higher field strength. Ongoing technical development has enabled a change from semiquantitative measurements to a true quantitative approach. This step is expected to have a great impact on the treatment of brain tumor patients in the future. The aim of this Ph.D. dissertation...... was to explore how different advanced MRI techniques could contribute to a higher degree of individualized treatment of brain tumor patients. The thesis is based on three studies in which advanced MRI is used to evaluate the possible role of fMRI in presurgical planning, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI...

Development of an outdoor MRI system for measuring flow in a living tree

Science.gov (United States)

Nagata, Akiyoshi; Kose, Katsumi; Terada, Yasuhiko

2016-04-01

An outdoor MRI system for noninvasive, long-term measurements of sap flow in a living tree in its natural environment has been developed. An open-access, 0.2 T permanent magnet with a 160 mm gap was combined with a radiofrequency probe, planar gradient coils, electromagnetic shielding, several electrical units, and a waterproofing box. Two-dimensional cross-sectional images were acquired for a ring-porous tree, and the anatomical structures, including xylem and phloem, were identified. The MRI flow measurements demonstrated the diurnal changes in flow velocity in the stem on a per-pixel basis. These results demonstrate that our outdoor MRI system is a powerful tool for studies of water transport in outdoor trees.

Oxidative stress measured in vivo without an exogenous contrast agent using QUEST MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Berkowitz, Bruce A.

2018-06-01

Decades of experimental studies have implicated excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the decline of tissue function during normal aging, and as a pathogenic factor in a vast array of fatal or debilitating morbidities. This massive body of work has important clinical implications since many antioxidants are FDA approved, readily cross blood-tissue barriers, and are effective at improving disease outcomes. Yet, the potential benefits of antioxidants have remained largely unrealized in patients because conventional methods cannot determine the dose, timing, and drug combinations to be used in clinical trials to localize and decrease oxidative stress. To address this major problem and improve translational success, new methods are urgently needed that non-invasively measure the same ROS biomarker both in animal models and patients with high spatial resolution. Here, we summarize a transformative solution based on a novel method: QUEnch-assiSTed MRI (QUEST MRI). The QUEST MRI index is a significant antioxidant-induced improvement in pathophysiology, or a reduction in 1/T1 (i.e., R1). The latter form of QUEST MRI provides a unique measure of uncontrolled production of endogenous, paramagnetic reactive oxygen species (ROS). QUEST MRI results to-date have been validated by gold standard oxidative stress assays. QUEST MRI has high translational potential because it does not use an exogenous contrast agent and requires only standard MRI equipment. Summarizing, QUEST MRI is a powerful non-invasive approach with unprecedented potential for (i) bridging antioxidant treatment in animal models and patients, (ii) identifying tissue subregions exhibiting oxidative stress, and (iii) coupling oxidative stress localization with behavioral dysfunction, disease pathology, and genetic vulnerabilities to serve as a marker of susceptibility.

Free Radical Imaging Using In Vivo Dynamic Nuclear Polarization-MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Utsumi, Hideo; Hyodo, Fuminori

2015-01-01

Redox reactions that generate free radical intermediates are essential to metabolic processes, and their intermediates can produce reactive oxygen species, which may promote diseases related to oxidative stress. The development of an in vivo electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer and its imaging enables us noninvasive and direct measurement of in vivo free radical reactions in living organisms. The dynamic nuclear polarization magnetic resonance imaging (DNP-MRI), also called PEDRI or OMRI, is also a new imaging method for observing free radical species in vivo. The spatiotemporal resolution of free radical imaging with DNP-MRI is comparable with that in MRI, and each of the radical species can be distinguished in the spectroscopic images by changing the frequency or magnetic field of ESR irradiation. Several kinds of stable nitroxyl radicals were used as spin probes to detect in vivo redox reactions. The signal decay of nitroxyl probes, which is determined with in vivo DNP-MRI, reflects the redox status under oxidative stress, and the signal decay is suppressed by prior administration of antioxidants. In addition, DNP-MRI can also visualize various intermediate free radicals from the intrinsic redox molecules. This noninvasive method, in vivo DNP-MRI, could become a useful tool for investigating the mechanism of oxidative injuries in animal disease models and the in vivo effects of antioxidant drugs. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of dynamic wedge angles and beam profiles by means of MRI ferrous sulphate gel dosimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtsson, Magnus; Furre, Torbjørn; Rødal, Jan; Skretting, Arne; Olsen, Dag R.

1996-02-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the possible value of measuring the dose distribution in dynamic wedge photon beams using ferrous sulphate gel phantoms analysed by MRI. The wedge angles and dose profiles were measured for a field size of and for dynamic wedge angles of , , and using a 15 MV photon beam generated from a Clinac 2100 CD (Varian). The dose profiles obtained from MRI ferrous sulphate gel were in good agreement with the dose measurements performed with a diode detector array. Also, the wedge angles determined from the MRI ferrous sulphate gel agreed well with the values obtained by using film dosimetry and with calculations by use of TMS (treatment planning system) (Helax, Uppsala, Sweden). The study demonstrated that MRI ferrous sulphate gel dosimetry is an adequate tool for measurements of some beam characteristics of dynamic radiation fields.

Measurement of Murine Single-Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Kai; Tang, Hui; Mishra, Prasanna K; Macura, Slobodan I; Lerman, Lilach O

2018-06-01

To develop and validate a method for measuring murine single-kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). This prospective study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A fast longitudinal relaxation time (T 1 ) measurement method was implemented to capture gadolinium dynamics (1 s/scan), and a modified two-compartment model was developed to quantify GFR as well as renal perfusion using 16.4T MRI in mice 2 weeks after unilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS, n = 6) or sham (n = 8) surgeries. This approach was validated by comparing model-derived GFR and perfusion to those obtained by fluorescein isothiocyanante (FITC)-inulin clearance and arterial spin labeling (ASL), respectively, using the Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlations and Bland-Altman analysis. The compartmental model provided a good fitting to measured gadolinium dynamics in both normal and RAS kidneys. The proposed DCE-MRI method offered assessment of single-kidney GFR and perfusion, comparable to the FITC-inulin clearance (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.95 and Spearman's correlation coefficient ρ = 0.94, P < 0.0001, and mean difference -7.0 ± 11.0 μL/min) and ASL (r = 0.92 and ρ = 0.84, P < 0.0001, and mean difference 4.4 ± 66.1 mL/100 g/min) methods. The proposed DCE-MRI method may be useful for reliable noninvasive measurements of single-kidney GFR and perfusion in mice. Magn Reson Med 79:2935-2943, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Can Asperger syndrome be distinguished from autism? An anatomic likelihood meta-analysis of MRI studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kevin K; Cheung, Charlton; Chua, Siew E; McAlonan, Gráinne M

2011-11-01

The question of whether Asperger syndrome can be distinguished from autism has attracted much debate and may even incur delay in diagnosis and intervention. Accordingly, there has been a proposal for Asperger syndrome to be subsumed under autism in the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, in 2013. One approach to resolve this question has been to adopt the criterion of absence of clinically significant language or cognitive delay--essentially, the "absence of language delay." To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of people with autism to compare absence with presence of language delay. It capitalizes on the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to systematically explore the whole brain for anatomic correlates of delay and no delay in language acquisition in people with autism spectrum disorders. We conducted a systematic search for VBM MRI studies of grey matter volume in people with autism. Studies with a majority (at least 70%) of participants with autism diagnoses and a history of language delay were assigned to the autism group (n = 151, control n = 190). Those with a majority (at least 70%) of individuals with autism diagnoses and no language delay were assigned to the Asperger syndrome group (n = 149, control n = 214). We entered study coordinates into anatomic likelihood estimation meta-analysis software with sampling size weighting to compare grey matter summary maps driven by Asperger syndrome or autism. The summary autism grey matter map showed lower volumes in the cerebellum, right uncus, dorsal hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus compared with controls; grey matter volumes were greater in the bilateral caudate, prefrontal lobe and ventral temporal lobe. The summary Asperger syndrome map indicated lower grey matter volumes in the bilateral amygdala/hippocampal gyrus and prefrontal lobe, left occipital gyrus, right cerebellum, putamen and precuneus

Turbulent Kinetic Energy Measurement Using Phase Contrast MRI for Estimating the Post-Stenotic Pressure Drop: In Vitro Validation and Clinical Application.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hojin Ha

Full Text Available Although the measurement of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI has been introduced as an alternative index for quantifying energy loss through the cardiac valve, experimental verification and clinical application of this parameter are still required.The goal of this study is to verify MRI measurements of TKE by using a phantom stenosis with particle image velocimetry (PIV as the reference standard. In addition, the feasibility of measuring TKE with MRI is explored.MRI measurements of TKE through a phantom stenosis was performed by using clinical 3T MRI scanner. The MRI measurements were verified experimentally by using PIV as the reference standard. In vivo application of MRI-driven TKE was explored in seven patients with aortic valve disease and one healthy volunteer. Transvalvular gradients measured by MRI and echocardiography were compared.MRI and PIV measurements of TKE are consistent for turbulent flow (0.666 400. The turbulence pressure drop correlates strongly with total TKE (R2 = 0.986. However, in vivo measurements of TKE are not consistent with the transvalvular pressure gradient estimated by echocardiography.These results suggest that TKE measurement via MRI may provide a potential benefit as an energy-loss index to characterize blood flow through the aortic valve. However, further clinical studies are necessary to reach definitive conclusions regarding this technique.

Complexity of MRI induced heating on metallic leads: Experimental measurements of 374 configurations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mendoza Gonzalo

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MRI induced heating on PM leads is a very complex issue. The widely varying results described in literature suggest that there are many factors that influence the degree of heating and that not always are adequately addressed by existing testing methods. Methods We present a wide database of experimental measurements of the heating of metallic wires and PM leads in a 1.5 T RF coil. The aim of these measurements is to systematically quantify the contribution of some potential factors involved in the MRI induced heating: the length and the geometric structure of the lead; the implant location within the body and the lead path; the shape of the phantom used to simulate the human trunk and its relative position inside the RF coil. Results We found that the several factors are the primary influence on heating at the tip. Closer locations of the leads to the edge of the phantom and to the edge of the coil produce maximum heating. The lead length is the other crucial factor, whereas the implant area does not seem to have a major role in the induced temperature increase. Also the lead structure and the geometry of the phantom revealed to be elements that can significantly modify the amount of heating. Conclusion Our findings highlight the factors that have significant effects on MRI induced heating of implanted wires and leads. These factors must be taken into account by those who plan to study or model MRI heating of implants. Also our data should help those who wish to develop guidelines for defining safe medical implants for MRI patients. In addition, our database of the entire set of measurements can help those who wish to validate their numerical models of implants that may be exposed to MRI systems.

Benign and malignant skull-involved lesions: discriminative value of conventional CT and MRI combined with diffusion-weighted MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Zhanhai; Xiao, Zebin; Zheng, Yingyan; Huang, Hongjie; Yang, Libin; Cao, Dairong

2018-01-01

Background Little is known about the value of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in distinguishing malignant from benign skull-involved lesions. Purpose To evaluate the discriminative value of DWI combined with conventional CT and MRI for differentiating between benign and malignant skull-involved lesions. Material and Methods CT and MRI findings of 58 patients with pathologically proven skull-involved lesions (43 benign and 15 malignant) were retrospectively reviewed. Conventional CT and MRI characteristics and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the two groups were evaluated and compared. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the differential performance of each parameter separately and together. Results The presence of cortical defects or break-through and ill-defined margins were associated with malignant skull-involved lesions (both P benign and malignant skull-involved lesions. Conclusion The combination of CT, MRI, and DWI can help to differentiate malignant from benign skull-involved lesions. CT + MRI + DWI offers optimal sensitivity, while DWI offers optimal specificity.

Integrating fMRI with psychophysiological measurements in the study of decision-making

OpenAIRE

Wong, Savio W.H.; Xue, Gui; Bechara, Antoine

2011-01-01

Neuroimaging techniques have recently been used to examine the neural mechanism of decision-making. Nevertheless, most of the neuroimaging studies overlook the importance of emotion and autonomic response in modulating the process of decision-making. In this paper, we discussed how to integrating fMRI with psychophysiological measurements in studying decision-making. We suggested that psychophysiological data would complement with fMRI findings in providing a more comprehensive understanding ...

Effects of hypoglycemia on human brain activation measured with fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Adam W; Heptulla, Rubina A; Driesen, Naomi; Flanagan, Daniel; Goldberg, Philip A; Jones, Timothy W; Rife, Fran; Sarofin, Hedy; Tamborlane, William; Sherwin, Robert; Gore, John C

2006-07-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure the effects of acute hypoglycemia caused by passive sensory stimulation on brain activation. Visual stimulation was used to generate blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast, which was monitored during hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic and euglycemic clamp studies. Hypoglycemia (50 +/- 1 mg glucose/dl) decreased the fMRI signal relative to euglycemia in 10 healthy human subjects: the fractional signal change was reduced by 28 +/- 12% (P variations in blood glucose levels may modulate BOLD signals in the healthy brain.

MRI Findings of Pericardial Fat Necrosis: Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyo Hyeok; Ryu, Dae Shick; Jung, Sang Sig; Jung, Seung Mun; Choi, Soo Jung; Shin, Dae Hee

2011-01-01

Pericardial fat necrosis is an infrequent cause of acute chest pain and this can mimic acute myocardial infarction and acute pericarditis. We describe here a patient with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of pericardial fat necrosis and this was correlated with the computed tomography (CT) findings. The MRI findings may be helpful for distinguishing pericardial fat necrosis from other causes of acute chest pain and from the fat-containing tumors in the cardiophrenic space of the anterior mediastinum.

Central nervous system infectious diseases mimicking multiple sclerosis: recognizing distinguishable features using MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Jose da Rocha

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The current diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS confirm the relevant role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, supporting the possibility of characterizing the dissemination in space (DIS and the dissemination in time (DIT in a single scan. To maintain the specificity of these criteria, it is necessary to determine whether T2/FLAIR visible lesions and the gadolinium enhancement can be attributed to diseases that mimic MS. Several diseases are included in the MS differential diagnosis list, including diseases with exacerbation, remitting periods and numerous treatable infectious diseases, which can mimic the MRI features of MS. We discuss the most relevant imaging features in several infectious diseases that resemble MS and examine the primary spatial distributions of lesions and the gadolinium enhancement patterns related to MS. Recognizing imaging "red flags" can be useful for the proper diagnostic evaluation of suspected cases of MS, facilitating the correct differential diagnosis by assessing the combined clinical, laboratory and MR imaging information.

Novel PCA-VIP scheme for ranking MRI protocols and identifying computer-extracted MRI measurements associated with central gland and peripheral zone prostate tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, Shoshana B; Viswanath, Satish E; Bloch, B Nicolas; Rofsky, Neil M; Genega, Elizabeth M; Lenkinski, Robert E; Madabhushi, Anant

2015-05-01

To identify computer-extracted features for central gland and peripheral zone prostate cancer localization on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Preoperative T2-weighted (T2w), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI were acquired from 23 men with confirmed prostate cancer. Following radical prostatectomy, the cancer extent was delineated by a pathologist on ex vivo histology and mapped to MRI by nonlinear registration of histology and corresponding MRI slices. In all, 244 computer-extracted features were extracted from MRI, and principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to reduce the data dimensionality so that a generalizable classifier could be constructed. A novel variable importance on projection (VIP) measure for PCA (PCA-VIP) was leveraged to identify computer-extracted MRI features that discriminate between cancer and normal prostate, and these features were used to construct classifiers for cancer localization. Classifiers using features selected by PCA-VIP yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 and 0.85 for peripheral zone and central gland tumors, respectively. For tumor localization in the central gland, T2w, DCE, and DWI MRI features contributed 71.6%, 18.1%, and 10.2%, respectively; for peripheral zone tumors T2w, DCE, and DWI MRI contributed 29.6%, 21.7%, and 48.7%, respectively. PCA-VIP identified relatively stable subsets of MRI features that performed well in localizing prostate cancer on MRI. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Manual and computerized measurement of coronal vertebral inclination on MRI images: A pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrtovec, T.; Likar, B.; Pernuš, F.

2013-01-01

Aim: A pilot study that presents a systematic approach for evaluating the variability of manual and computerized measurements of coronal vertebral inclination (CVI) on images acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods: Three observers identified the vertebral body corners of 28 vertebrae on two occasions on two-dimensional (2D) coronal MRI cross-sections, which served to evaluate CVI using six manual measurements (superior and inferior tangents, left and right tangents, mid-endplate and mid-wall lines). Computerized measurements were performed by evaluating CVI from the symmetry of vertebral anatomical structures of the same 28 vertebrae in 2D coronal MRI cross-sections and in three-dimensional (3D) MRI images. Results: In terms of standard deviation (SD), the mid-endplate lines proved to be the manual measurements with the lowest intra- (1.0° SD) and interobserver (1.4° SD) variability. The computerized measurements in 3D yielded even lower intra- (0.8° SD) and interobserver (1.3° SD) variability. The strongest inter-method agreement (1.2° SD) was found among lines parallel to vertebral endplates (superior tangents, inferior tangents, mid-endplate lines). The computerized measurements in 3D were most in agreement with the mid-endplate lines (1.9° SD). The estimated intra- and interobserver variabilities of standard Cobb angle measurements were equal to 1.6° SD and 2.5° SD, respectively, for manual measurements, and to 1.1° SD and 1.8° SD, respectively, for computerized measurements. Conclusion: The mid-endplate lines proved to be the most reproducible and reliable manual CVI measurements. Computerized CVI measurements based on the evaluation of the symmetry of vertebral anatomical structures in 3D were more reproducible and reliable than manual measurements

Preliminary evaluation of MRI-derived input function for quantitative measurement of glucose metabolism in an integrated PET-MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anazodo, Udunna; Kewin, Matthew; Finger, Elizabeth; Thiessen, Jonathan; Hadway, Jennifer; Butler, John; Pavlosky, William; Prato, Frank; Thompson, Terry; St Lawrence, Keith

2015-01-01

PET semi-quantitative methods such as relative uptake value can be robust but offer no biological information and do not account for intra-subject variability in tracer administration or clearance. Simultaneous multimodal measurements that combine PET and MRI not only permit crucial multiparametric measurements, it provides means of applying tracer kinetic modelling without the need for serial arterial blood sampling. In this study we adapted an image-derived input function (IDIF) method to improve characterization of glucose metabolism in an ongoing dementia study. Here we present preliminary results in a small group of frontotemporal dementia patients and controls. IDIF was obtained directly from dynamic PET data guided by regions of interest drawn on carotid vessels on high resolution T1-weighted MR Images. IDIF was corrected for contamination of non-arterial voxels. A validation of the method was performed in a porcine model in a PET-CT scanner comparing IDIF to direct arterial blood samples. Metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) was measured voxel-by-voxel in gray matter producing maps that were compared between groups. Net influx rate (Ki) and global mean CMRglc are reported. A good correlation (r = 0.9 p<0.0001) was found between corrected IDIF and input function measured from direct arterial blood sampling in the validation study. In 3 FTD and 3 controls, a trend towards hypometabolism was found in frontal, temporal and parietal lobes similar to significant differences previously reported by other groups. The global mean CMRglc and Ki observed in control subjects are in line with previous reports. In general, kinetic modelling of PET-FDG using an MR-IDIF can improve characterization of glucose metabolism in dementia. This method is feasible in multimodal studies that aim to combine PET molecular imaging with MRI as dynamic PET can be acquired along with multiple MRI measurements.

Preliminary evaluation of MRI-derived input function for quantitative measurement of glucose metabolism in an integrated PET-MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anazodo, Udunna; Kewin, Matthew [Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario (Canada); Finger, Elizabeth [Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario (Canada); Thiessen, Jonathan; Hadway, Jennifer; Butler, John [Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario (Canada); Pavlosky, William [Diagnostic Imaging, St Joseph' s Health Care, London, Ontario (Canada); Prato, Frank; Thompson, Terry; St Lawrence, Keith [Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario (Canada)

2015-05-18

PET semi-quantitative methods such as relative uptake value can be robust but offer no biological information and do not account for intra-subject variability in tracer administration or clearance. Simultaneous multimodal measurements that combine PET and MRI not only permit crucial multiparametric measurements, it provides means of applying tracer kinetic modelling without the need for serial arterial blood sampling. In this study we adapted an image-derived input function (IDIF) method to improve characterization of glucose metabolism in an ongoing dementia study. Here we present preliminary results in a small group of frontotemporal dementia patients and controls. IDIF was obtained directly from dynamic PET data guided by regions of interest drawn on carotid vessels on high resolution T1-weighted MR Images. IDIF was corrected for contamination of non-arterial voxels. A validation of the method was performed in a porcine model in a PET-CT scanner comparing IDIF to direct arterial blood samples. Metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) was measured voxel-by-voxel in gray matter producing maps that were compared between groups. Net influx rate (Ki) and global mean CMRglc are reported. A good correlation (r = 0.9 p<0.0001) was found between corrected IDIF and input function measured from direct arterial blood sampling in the validation study. In 3 FTD and 3 controls, a trend towards hypometabolism was found in frontal, temporal and parietal lobes similar to significant differences previously reported by other groups. The global mean CMRglc and Ki observed in control subjects are in line with previous reports. In general, kinetic modelling of PET-FDG using an MR-IDIF can improve characterization of glucose metabolism in dementia. This method is feasible in multimodal studies that aim to combine PET molecular imaging with MRI as dynamic PET can be acquired along with multiple MRI measurements.

Cerebrospinal fluid volumetric MRI mapping as a simple measurement for evaluating brain atrophy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Vis, J B; Zwanenburg, J J; van der Kleij, L A

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether volumetric cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) MRI can be used as a surrogate for brain atrophy assessment and to evaluate how the T2 of the CSF relates to brain atrophy. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects [mean age 64 (sd 2) years] were included; T1-weighted and CSF MRI were......) and medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA)] was evaluated. RESULTS: Relative total, peripheral subarachnoidal, and ventricular VCSF increased significantly with increased scores on the GCA and MTA (R = 0.83, 0.78 and 0.78 and R = 0.72, 0.62 and 0.86). Total, peripheral subarachnoidal, and ventricular T2...... be a marker of neurodegenerative disease. KEY POINTS: • A 1:11 min CSF MRI volumetric sequence can evaluate brain atrophy. • CSF MRI provides accurate atrophy assessment without partial volume effects. • CSF MRI data can be processed quickly without user interaction. • The measured T 2 of the CSF is related...

Lack of utility of measuring serum bilirubin concentration in distinguishing perforation status of pediatric appendicitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonadio, William; Bruno, Santina; Attaway, David; Dharmar, Logesh; Tam, Derek; Homel, Peter

2017-06-01

Pediatric appendicitis is a common, potentially serious condition. Determining perforation status is crucial to planning effective management. Determine the efficacy of serum total bilirubin concentration [STBC] in distinguishing perforation status in children with appendicitis. Retrospective review of 257 cases of appendicitis who received abdominal CT scan and measurement of STBC. There were 109 with perforation vs 148 without perforation. Although elevated STBC was significantly more common in those with [36%] vs without perforation [22%], the mean difference in elevated values between groups [0.1mg/dL] was clinically insignificant. Higher degrees of hyperbilirubinemia [>2mg/dL] were rarely encountered [5%]. Predictive values for elevated STBC in distinguishing perforation outcome were imprecise [sensitivity 38.5%, specificity 78.4%, PPV 56.8%, NPV 63.4%]. ROC curve analysis of multiple clinical and other laboratory factors for predicting perforation status was unenhanced by adding the STBC variable. Specific analysis of those with perforated appendicitis and percutaneously-drained intra-abdominal abscess which was culture-positive for Escherichia coli showed an identical rate of STBC elevation compared to all with perforation. The routine measurement of STBC does not accurately distinguish perforation status in children with appendicitis, nor discern infecting organism in those with perforation and intra-abdominal abscess. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The usefulness of 3D quantitative analysis with using MRI for measuring osteonecrosis of the femoral head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Ji Young; Lee, Sun Wha; Park, Youn Soo

2006-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of MRI 3D quantitative analysis for measuring osteonecrosis of the femoral head in comparison with MRI 2D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen. For 3 months at our hospital, 14 femoral head specimens with osteonecrosis were obtained after total hip arthroplasty. The patients preoperative MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for quantitative analysis of the size of the necrosis. Each necrotic fraction of the femoral head was measured by 2D quantitative analysis with using mid-coronal and mid-sagittal MRIs, and by 3D quantitative analysis with using serial continuous coronal MRIs and 3D reconstruction software. The necrotic fraction of the specimen was physically measured by the fluid displacement method. The necrotic fraction according to MRI 2D or 3D quantitative analysis was compared with that of the specimen by using Spearman's correlation test. On the correlative analysis, the necrotic fraction by MRI 2D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen showed moderate correlation (r = 0.657); on the other hand, the necrotic fraction by MRI 3D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen demonstrated a strong correlation (r = 0.952) (ρ < 0.05). MRI 3D quantitative analysis was more accurate than 2D quantitative analysis using MRI for measuring osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Therefore, it may be useful for predicting the clinical outcome and deciding the proper treatment option

A Comparison of Ultrasound and MRI Measurements of the Cross-Sectional Area of the Median Nerve at the Wrist.

Science.gov (United States)

Hersh, Beverly; D'Auria, Jennifer; Scott, Michael; Fowler, John R

2018-05-01

Ultrasound (US) measurement of cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve has emerged as a viable alternative to electromyography/nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The purpose of this study is to compare CSA of the median nerve between US and MRI using current MRI and US technology. The null hypothesis is there is no difference between US and MRI CSA measurements. The study design was an observational cohort, enrolling patients presenting to clinic with MRI of the wrist. Participants with clinical signs and symptoms of CTS were excluded. The CSA measurements of the median nerve on MRI T1-weighted axial images were performed by a hand fellow blinded to results of US measurements, and US measurement of median nerve CSA was performed by a hand fellowship trained surgeon blinded to results of the MRI measurements. Results were analyzed via percent error, Pearson correlation, and t tests. Twenty participants were enrolled with mean age of 29.4 years. Four left wrists and 16 right wrists were measured. The US mean CSA of the median nerve was 6.8 mm 2 (±2.330 mm 2 ). The MRI mean CSA of the median nerve was 6.8 mm 2 (±2.153 mm 2 ), P = .442. Pearson correlation between modalities was 0.93, suggesting near-perfect correlation. Mean percent error was 8.8%. Results of this study suggest that US is an accurate method to measure CSA of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet. The mean difference between US and MRI was unlikely to be clinically significant.

Association between MRI structural features and cognitive measures in pediatric multiple sclerosis

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Amoroso, N.; Bellotti, R.; Fanizzi, A.; Lombardi, A.; Monaco, A.; Liguori, M.; Margari, L.; Simone, M.; Viterbo, R. G.; Tangaro, S.

2017-09-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease associated with neurodegenerative processes that lead to brain structural changes. The disease affects mostly young adults, but 3-5% of cases has a pediatric onset (POMS). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is generally used for diagnosis and follow-up in MS patients, however the most common MRI measures (e.g. new or enlarging T2-weighted lesions, T1-weighted gadolinium- enhancing lesions) have often failed as surrogate markers of MS disability and progression. MS is clinically heterogenous with symptoms that can include both physical changes (such as visual loss or walking difficulties) and cognitive impairment. 30-50% of POMS experience prominent cognitive dysfunction. In order to investigate the association between cognitive measures and brain morphometry, in this work we present a fully automated pipeline for processing and analyzing MRI brain scans. Relevant anatomical structures are segmented with FreeSurfer; besides, statistical features are computed. Thus, we describe the data referred to 12 patients with early POMS (mean age at MRI: 15.5 +/- 2.7 years) with a set of 181 structural features. The major cognitive abilities measured are verbal and visuo-spatial learning, expressive language and complex attention. Data was collected at the Department of Basic Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, and exploring different abilities like the verbal and visuo-spatial learning, expressive language and complex attention. Different regression models and parameter configurations are explored to assess the robustness of the results, in particular Generalized Linear Models, Bayes Regression, Random Forests, Support Vector Regression and Artificial Neural Networks are discussed.

Differentiating between bipolar and unipolar depression in functional and structural MRI studies.

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Han, Kyu-Man; De Berardis, Domenico; Fornaro, Michele; Kim, Yong-Ku

2018-03-28

Distinguishing depression in bipolar disorder (BD) from unipolar depression (UD) solely based on clinical clues is difficult, which has led to the exploration of promising neural markers in neuroimaging measures for discriminating between BD depression and UD. In this article, we review structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that directly compare UD and BD depression based on neuroimaging modalities including functional MRI studies on regional brain activation or functional connectivity, structural MRI on gray or white matter morphology, and pattern classification analyses using a machine learning approach. Numerous studies have reported distinct functional and structural alterations in emotion- or reward-processing neural circuits between BD depression and UD. Different activation patterns in neural networks including the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and striatum during emotion-, reward-, or cognition-related tasks have been reported between BD and UD. A stronger functional connectivity pattern in BD was pronounced in default mode and in frontoparietal networks and brain regions including the PFC, ACC, parietal and temporal regions, and thalamus compared to UD. Gray matter volume differences in the ACC, hippocampus, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) have been reported between BD and UD, along with a thinner DLPFC in BD compared to UD. BD showed reduced integrity in the anterior part of the corpus callosum and posterior cingulum compared to UD. Several studies performed pattern classification analysis using structural and functional MRI data to distinguish between UD and BD depression using a supervised machine learning approach, which yielded a moderate level of accuracy in classification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring SPIO and Gd contrast agent magnetization using 3 T MRI

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Cantillon-Murphy, Pádraig; Wald, Lawrence L.; Zahn, Markus; Adalsteinsson, Elfar

2011-01-01

Traditional methods of measuring magnetization in magnetic fluid samples, such as vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), are typically limited to maximum field strengths of about 1 T. This work demonstrates the ability of MRI to measure the magnetization associated with two commercial MRI contrast agents at 3 T by comparing analytical solutions to experimental imaging results for the field pattern associated with agents in cylindrical vials. The results of the VSM and fitted MRI data match closely. The method represents an improvement over VSM measurements since results are attainable at imaging field strengths. The agents investigated are Feridex, a superparamagnetic iron oxide suspension used primarily for liver imaging, and Magnevist, a paramagnetic, gadolinium-based compound used for tumors, inflammation and vascular lesions. MR imaging of the agents took place in sealed cylindrical vials in the presence of a surrounding volume of deionized water where the effects of the contrast agents had a measurable effect on the water's magnetization in the vicinity of the compartment of contrast agent. A pair of phase images were used to reconstruct a B0 fieldmap. The resultant B0 maps in the water region, corrected for shimming and container edge effects, were used to predict the agent's magnetization at 3 T. The results were compared with the results from VSM measurements up to 1.2 T and close correlation was observed. The technique should be of interest to those seeking quantification of the magnetization associated with magnetic suspensions beyond the traditional scope of VSM. The magnetization needs to be sufficiently strong (Ms≳50 Am2/kg Fe for Feridex and χm≳5 × 10−5 m3/kg Gd for Magnevist) for a measurable dipole field in the surrounding water. For this reason, the technique is mostly suitable for undiluted agents. PMID:19588450

Effect of carbogen on tumor oxygenation: combined fluorine-19 and proton MRI measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Xiaobing; River, Jonathan N.; Zamora, Marta; Al-Hallaq, Hania A.; Karczmar, Gregory S.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used for noninvasive evaluation of the effects of tumor-oxygenating agents. However, there have been few tests of the validity of this method. The goal of the present work was to use the T 1 of fluorine-19 in perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions as a 'gold standard' for comparison with BOLD MRI. Methods and Materials: Rats bearing R3230AC tumors implanted in the hind limb were injected with an emulsion of perfluoro-15-crown-5-ether for 2-3 days before experiments, which ensured that the PFC emulsion concentrated in the tumors. We correlated changes in tumor oxygenation caused by carbogen inhalation measured by 1 H BOLD MRI with quantitative 19 F measurements. The 19 F spin-lattice relaxation rate R 1 (= 1/T 1 ) was measured to determine initial oxygen tension (pO 2 ) in each image pixel containing the PFC, and changes in pO 2 during carbogen (95% O 2 , 5% CO 2 ) breathing. In a second carbogen breathing period, changes in water signal linewidth were measured using high spectral and spatial resolution imaging. 19 F and 1 H measurements were used to classify pixels as responders to carbogen (pixels where oxygen increased significantly) or nonresponders (no significant change in tumor oxygenation). Results: The 19 F and 1 H measurements agreed in 65% ± 11% of pixels (n = 14). Agreement was even stronger among pixels where 1 H showed increased oxygenation; 19 F measurements agreed with 1 H measurements in over 79% ± 11% of these pixels. Similarly, there was strong agreement between the two modalities in pixels where 19 F reported no change in pO 2 ; 1 H also showed no changes in 76% ± 18% of these pixels. Quantitative correlation of changes T 2 * (ΔT 2 *) in 1 H and changes R 1 (ΔR 1 ) in 19 F was weak during carbogen breathing, and averaged over the whole tumor was ∼0.40 for 14 experiments. However, the spatial patterns of 1 H and 19 F changes were qualitatively

MRI volumetry for the preoperative diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia

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Kress, Bodo; Schindler, Markus; Haehnel, Stefan; Sartor, Klaus; Stippich, Christoph [University of Heidelberg, Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Neurology, Medical Center, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Rasche, Dirk; Tronnier, Volker [University of Heidelberg, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Center, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

2005-07-01

To assess whether quantitative measuring methods can help improve the reliability of MRI-based evaluations of the pathological role of a neurovascular conflict between an artery and the trigeminal nerve. In a prospective study, magnetic resonance images were obtained from 62 patients with unilateral facial pain and 50 healthy test subjects. In coronal T1- and T2-weighted sequences volume measurements were performed by regions of interest and compared intraindividually (healthy versus affected side in the patient populations and right versus left side in the group of test subjects) and on the basis of the different clinical pictures (t test for dependent and independent samples, p<0.05). In patients with trigeminal neuralgia, the affected nerve showed a smaller volume than the trigeminal nerve on the healthy side (p<0.001). Such a volume difference was noted neither in the other patients nor in the healthy test subjects. Quantitative MRI measurements allow a pathological neurovascular conflict to be distinguished from a nonpathological condition where an artery is in close proximity to the trigeminal nerve. The measured volume difference between the healthy and the affected nerve in patients with neuralgia is indicative of trigeminal nerve atrophy resulting from damage to the nerve. (orig.)

PREDICTING APHASIA TYPE FROM BRAIN DAMAGE MEASURED WITH STRUCTURAL MRI

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Yourganov, Grigori; Smith, Kimberly G.; Fridriksson, Julius; Rorden, Chris

2015-01-01

Chronic aphasia is a common consequence of a left-hemisphere stroke. Since the early insights by Broca and Wernicke, studying the relationship between the loci of cortical damage and patterns of language impairment has been one of the concerns of aphasiology. We utilized multivariate classification in a cross-validation framework to predict the type of chronic aphasia from the spatial pattern of brain damage. Our sample consisted of 98 patients with five types of aphasia (Broca’s, Wernicke’s, global, conduction, and anomic), classified based on scores on the Western Aphasia Battery. Binary lesion maps were obtained from structural MRI scans (obtained at least 6 months poststroke, and within 2 days of behavioural assessment); after spatial normalization, the lesions were parcellated into a disjoint set of brain areas. The proportion of damage to the brain areas was used to classify patients’ aphasia type. To create this parcellation, we relied on five brain atlases; our classifier (support vector machine) could differentiate between different kinds of aphasia using any of the five parcellations. In our sample, the best classification accuracy was obtained when using a novel parcellation that combined two previously published brain atlases, with the first atlas providing the segmentation of grey matter, and the second atlas used to segment the white matter. For each aphasia type, we computed the relative importance of different brain areas for distinguishing it from other aphasia types; our findings were consistent with previously published reports of lesion locations implicated in different types of aphasia. Overall, our results revealed that automated multivariate classification could distinguish between aphasia types based on damage to atlas-defined brain areas. PMID:26465238

Predicting aphasia type from brain damage measured with structural MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Yourganov, Grigori; Smith, Kimberly G; Fridriksson, Julius; Rorden, Chris

2015-12-01

Chronic aphasia is a common consequence of a left-hemisphere stroke. Since the early insights by Broca and Wernicke, studying the relationship between the loci of cortical damage and patterns of language impairment has been one of the concerns of aphasiology. We utilized multivariate classification in a cross-validation framework to predict the type of chronic aphasia from the spatial pattern of brain damage. Our sample consisted of 98 patients with five types of aphasia (Broca's, Wernicke's, global, conduction, and anomic), classified based on scores on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Binary lesion maps were obtained from structural MRI scans (obtained at least 6 months poststroke, and within 2 days of behavioural assessment); after spatial normalization, the lesions were parcellated into a disjoint set of brain areas. The proportion of damage to the brain areas was used to classify patients' aphasia type. To create this parcellation, we relied on five brain atlases; our classifier (support vector machine - SVM) could differentiate between different kinds of aphasia using any of the five parcellations. In our sample, the best classification accuracy was obtained when using a novel parcellation that combined two previously published brain atlases, with the first atlas providing the segmentation of grey matter, and the second atlas used to segment the white matter. For each aphasia type, we computed the relative importance of different brain areas for distinguishing it from other aphasia types; our findings were consistent with previously published reports of lesion locations implicated in different types of aphasia. Overall, our results revealed that automated multivariate classification could distinguish between aphasia types based on damage to atlas-defined brain areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new diagnostic score to detect osteoporosis in patients undergoing lumbar spine MRI

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Bandirali, Michele; Messina, Carmelo [Universita degli Studi di Milano, Scuola di Specializzazione in Radiodiagnostica, Milano (Italy); Di Leo, Giovanni; Papini, Giacomo Davide Edoardo [IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Radiology Unit, San Donato Milanese (Italy); Sconfienza, Luca Maria; Sardanelli, Francesco [IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Radiology Unit, San Donato Milanese (Italy); Universita degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, San Donato Milanese (Italy); Ulivieri, Fabio Massimo [IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mineralometria Ossea Computerizzata e Ambulatorio Malattie Metabolismo Minerale e Osseo, Servizio di Medicina Nucleare, Milano (Italy)

2015-10-15

Signal intensity of lumbar-spine at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates to bone mineral density (BMD). Our aim was to define a quantitative MRI-based score to detect osteoporosis on lumbar-spine MRI. After Ethics Committee approval, we selected female patients who underwent both lumbar-spine MRI and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a reference group of 131 healthy females (20-29 years) who underwent lumbar-spine MRI. We measured the intra-vertebral signal-to-noise ratio in L1-L4. We introduced an MRI-based score (M-score), on the model of T-score. M-score diagnostic performance in diagnosing osteoporosis was estimated against DXA using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. We included 226 patients (median age 65 years), 70 (31 %) being osteoporotic at DXA. MRI signal-to-noise ratio correlated to BMD (r = -0.677, P < 0.001). M-score negatively correlated to T-score (r = -0.682, P < 0.001). Setting a 90 %-specificity, an M-score threshold of 5.5 was found, distinguishing osteoporosis from non-osteoporosis (sensitivity 54 %; ROC AUC 0.844). Thirty-one (14 %) patients had a fragility fracture, with osteoporosis detected in 15 (48 %) according to M-score and eight (26 %) according to T-score (P = 0.016). M-score obtained on lumbar spine MRI is a quantitative method correlating with osteoporosis. Its diagnostic value remains to be demonstrated on a large prospective cohort of patients. (orig.)

Clinical investigation on usefulness of MRI in the diagnosis of mediastinal masses

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Oyama, Takao (Kagoshima Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine)

1994-02-01

This study evaluated the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing mediastinal masses. The subjects were 96 patients with pathologically (n=82) and clinically (n=14) proven mediastinal masses, consisting of thymomas (30), teratomas (4), other thymic tumors (5), intrathoracic goiters (4), neurogenic tumors (7), congenital cysts (12), mesenchymal tumors (10), vascular masses (5), phrenic hernia (3), malignant lymphomas (6), and sarcoidosis (10). MRI findings, including marginal and capsular appearances, internal structures and signal intensities, were analyzed. Internal structure characteristic to thymomas were seen in 24 teratoma patients (80%). In 4 teratomas, MRI was capable of distinguishing benign (2) from malignant (2) ones. In the other 5 thymic tumors, MRI delineated chemical characteristics of fluids for thymic cysts (2) and internal structures for thymic cancer (2) and lipoma (one). It also delineated the continuity of intrathoracic goiter from the cervical to intrathoracic regions. For neurogenic tumors, MRI was capable of distinguishing neurofibromas from schwannomas and also benign from malignant schwannomas. A well-defined smooth margin and very high signal intensity, which were characteristic to congenital cysts, were seen on T2-weighted images. Signal intensities on T1-weighted images reflected fluid features in cysts. For mesenchymal tumors, consisting of hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma, malignant melanoma, aneurysmal bone cyst and osteosarcoma, lymphangioma and chondrosarcoma, all but osteosarcoma showed their respective characteristic MRI findings. Vascular masses were delineated as flow void structures. MRI delineated herniated contents. Malignant lymphoma was shown as irregular and inhomogeneous swollen lymph nodes, but sarcoidosis was shown as regular and homogeneous ones on MRI. In conclusion, MRI is a useful, informative modality for diagnosing mediastinal masses. (N.K.) 84 refs.

Clinical investigation on usefulness of MRI in the diagnosis of mediastinal masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Takao

1994-01-01

This study evaluated the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing mediastinal masses. The subjects were 96 patients with pathologically (n=82) and clinically (n=14) proven mediastinal masses, consisting of thymomas (30), teratomas (4), other thymic tumors (5), intrathoracic goiters (4), neurogenic tumors (7), congenital cysts (12), mesenchymal tumors (10), vascular masses (5), phrenic hernia (3), malignant lymphomas (6), and sarcoidosis (10). MRI findings, including marginal and capsular appearances, internal structures and signal intensities, were analyzed. Internal structure characteristic to thymomas were seen in 24 teratoma patients (80%). In 4 teratomas, MRI was capable of distinguishing benign (2) from malignant (2) ones. In the other 5 thymic tumors, MRI delineated chemical characteristics of fluids for thymic cysts (2) and internal structures for thymic cancer (2) and lipoma (one). It also delineated the continuity of intrathoracic goiter from the cervical to intrathoracic regions. For neurogenic tumors, MRI was capable of distinguishing neurofibromas from schwannomas and also benign from malignant schwannomas. A well-defined smooth margin and very high signal intensity, which were characteristic to congenital cysts, were seen on T2-weighted images. Signal intensities on T1-weighted images reflected fluid features in cysts. For mesenchymal tumors, consisting of hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma, malignant melanoma, aneurysmal bone cyst and osteosarcoma, lymphangioma and chondrosarcoma, all but osteosarcoma showed their respective characteristic MRI findings. Vascular masses were delineated as flow void structures. MRI delineated herniated contents. Malignant lymphoma was shown as irregular and inhomogeneous swollen lymph nodes, but sarcoidosis was shown as regular and homogeneous ones on MRI. In conclusion, MRI is a useful, informative modality for diagnosing mediastinal masses. (N.K.) 84 refs

Predictive MRI correlates of lesser metatarsophalangeal joint plantar plate tear

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Umans, Rachel L. [Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY (United States); Umans, Benjamin D. [Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States); Umans, Hilary [Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (United States); Lenox Hill Radiology and Imaging Associates, New York, NY (United States); Elsinger, Elisabeth [Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (United States); Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY (United States)

2016-07-15

To identify correlated signs on non-enhanced MRI that might improve diagnostic detection of plantar plate (PP) tear. We performed an IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective analysis of 100 non-contrast MRI (50 PP tear, 50 controls). All were anonymized, randomized, and reviewed; 20 were duplicated to assess consistency. One musculoskeletal radiologist evaluated qualitative variables. A trained non-physician performed measurements. Consistency and concordance were assessed. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to test the correlation between qualitative findings and PP tear status. Correlation between measurements and PP status was assessed using t tests and Wilcoxon's rank-sum test (p values < 0.05 considered significant). Classification and regression trees were utilized to identify attributes that, taken together, would consistently distinguish PP tear from controls. Quantitative measurements were highly reproducible (concordance 0.88-0.99). Elevated 2nd MT protrusion, lesser MT supination and rotational divergence of >45 between the 1st-2nd MT axis correlated with PP tear. Pericapsular soft tissue thickening correlated most strongly with PP tear, correctly classifying 95 % of cases and controls. Excluding pericapsular soft tissue thickening, sequential assessment of 2nd toe enthesitis, 2nd flexor tendon subluxation, and splaying of the second and third toes accurately classified PP status in 92 %. Pericapsular soft tissue thickening most strongly correlated with PP tear. For cases in which it might be difficult to distinguish pericapsular fibrosis from neuroma, sequential assessment of 2nd toe enthesitis, flexor tendon subluxation and splaying of the 2nd and 3rd toe is most helpful for optimizing accurate diagnosis of PP tear. (orig.)

Accurate perioperative flow measurement of the portal vein and hepatic and renal artery: A role for preoperative MRI?

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Vermeulen, Mechteld A.R., E-mail: mar.vermeulen@vumc.nl [Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Ligthart-Melis, Gerdien C., E-mail: g.ligthart-melis@vumc.nl [Department of Internal Medicine, Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Buijsman, René, E-mail: renebuysman@gmail.com [Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Siroen, Michiel P.C., E-mail: m.siroen6@upcmail.nl [Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Poll, Marcel C.G. van de, E-mail: mcg.vandepoll@ah.unimaas.nl [Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht (Netherlands); Boelens, Petra G., E-mail: p.boelens@mumc.nl [Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht (Netherlands); Dejong, Cornelis H.C., E-mail: chc.dejong@mumc.nl [Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht (Netherlands); Schaik, Cors van, E-mail: c.vanschaik@vumc.nl [Department of Radiology, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hofman, Mark B.M., E-mail: mbm.hofman@vumc.nl [Department of Physics and Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Leeuwen, Paul A.M. van, E-mail: pam.vleeuwen@vumc.nl [Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2012-09-15

Background: Quantification of abdominal blood flow is essential for a variety of gastrointestinal and hepatic topics such as liver transplantation or metabolic flux measurement, but those need to be performed during surgery. It is not clear whether Duplex Doppler Ultrasound during surgery or MRI before surgery is the tool to choose. Objective: To examine whether preoperative evaluation of abdominal blood flow using MRI could prove to be a useful and reliable alternative for the perioperative sonographic approach. Methods: In this study portal and renal venous flow and hepatic arterial flow were sequentially quantified by preoperative MRI, preoperative and perioperative Duplex Doppler Ultrasound (DDUS). 55 Patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery were studied and methods and settings were compared. Additionally, average patient population values were compared. Results: Mean (±SD) plasmaflow measured by perioperative DDUS, preoperative DDUS and MRI, respectively was 433 ± 200/423 ± 162/507 ± 96 ml/min (portal vein); 96 ± 70/74 ± 41/108 ± 91 ml/min (hepatic artery); 248 ± 139/201 ± 118/219 ± 69 ml/min (renal vein). No differences between the different settings of DDUS measurement were detected. Equality of mean was observed for all measurements. Bland Altman Plots showed widespread margins. Hepatic arterial flow measurements correlated with each other, but portal and renal venous flow correlations were absent. Conclusions: Surgery and method (DDUS vs. MRI) do not affect mean flow values. Individual comparison is restricted due to wide range in measurements. Since MRI proves to be more reliable with respect to inter-observer variability, we recommend using mean MRI results in experimental setups.

Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement by MRI: a test of its validity and the electrical conductivity characteristics of glioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tha, Khin Khin; Katscher, Ulrich; Yamaguchi, Shigeru; Stehning, Christian; Terasaka, Shunsuke; Fujima, Noriyuki; Kudo, Kohsuke; Kazumata, Ken; Yamamoto, Toru; Van Cauteren, Marc; Shirato, Hiroki

2018-01-01

This study noninvasively examined the electrical conductivity (σ) characteristics of diffuse gliomas using MRI and tested its validity. MRI including a 3D steady-state free precession (3D SSFP) sequence was performed on 30 glioma patients. The σ maps were reconstructed from the phase images of the 3D SSFP sequence. The σ histogram metrics were extracted and compared among the contrast-enhanced (CET) and noncontrast-enhanced tumour components (NCET) and normal brain parenchyma (NP). Difference in tumour σ histogram metrics among tumour grades and correlation of σ metrics with tumour grades were tested. Validity of σ measurement using this technique was tested by correlating the mean tumour σ values measured using MRI with those measured ex vivo using a dielectric probe. Several σ histogram metrics of CET and NCET of diffuse gliomas were significantly higher than NP (Bonferroni-corrected p ≤ .045). The maximum σ of NCET showed a moderate positive correlation with tumour grade (r = .571, Bonferroni-corrected p = .018). The mean tumour σ measured using MRI showed a moderate positive correlation with the σ measured ex vivo (r = .518, p = .040). Tissue σ can be evaluated using MRI, incorporation of which may better characterise diffuse gliomas. • This study tested the validity of noninvasive electrical conductivity measurements by MRI. • This study also evaluated the electrical conductivity characteristics of diffuse glioma. • Gliomas have higher electrical conductivity values than the normal brain parenchyma. • Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement can be helpful for better characterisation of glioma.

A proposal for PET/MRI attenuation correction with μ-values measured using a fixed-position radiation source and MRI segmentation

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Kawaguchi, Hiroshi, E-mail: kwgc@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Hirano, Yoshiyuki, E-mail: yhirano@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Yoshida, Eiji, E-mail: rush@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Kershaw, Jeff, E-mail: len@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Shiraishi, Takahiro, E-mail: tshira@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Suga, Mikio, E-mail: mikio.suga@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Graduate School of Engineering of Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan); Ikoma, Yoko, E-mail: ikoma@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Obata, Takayuki, E-mail: t_obata@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Ito, Hiroshi, E-mail: hito@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Yamaya, Taiga, E-mail: taiga@nirs.go.jp [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2014-01-11

Several MRI-based attenuation correction methods have been reported for PET/MRI; these methods are expected to make efficient use of high-quality anatomical MRIs and reduce the radiation dose for PET/MRI scanning. The accuracy of the attenuation map (μ-map) from an MRI depends on the accuracy of tissue segmentation and the attenuation coefficients to be assigned (μ-values). In this study, we proposed an MRI-based μ-value estimation method with a non-rotational radiation source to construct a suitable μ-map for PET/MRI. The proposed method uses an accurately segmented tissue map, the partial path length of each tissue, and detected intensities of attenuated radiation from a fixed-position (rather than a rotating) radiation source to obtain the μ-map. We estimated the partial path length from a virtual blank scan of fixed-point radiation with the same scanner geometry using the known tissue map from MRI. The μ-values of every tissue were estimated by inverting a linear relationship involving the partial path lengths and measured radioactivity intensity. Validation of the proposed method was performed by calculating a fixed- point data set based upon real a real transmission scan. The root-mean-square error between the μ-values derived from a conventional transmission scan and those obtained with our proposed method were 2.4±1.4%, 17.4±9.1% and 6.6±4.3% for brain, bone and soft tissue other than brain, respectively. Although the error estimates for bone and soft tissue are not insignificant, the method we propose is able to estimate the brain μ-value accurately and it is this factor that most strongly affects the quantitative value of PET images because of the large volumetric ratio of the brain. -- Highlights: • An MRI-derived µ-map for the attenuation correction of PET images is proposed. • Method relies on segmentation of MRI and a fixed-point source transmission scan. • Tissue segmentation reduces the number of unknown µ-values. • Method

A proposal for PET/MRI attenuation correction with μ-values measured using a fixed-position radiation source and MRI segmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Yoshida, Eiji; Kershaw, Jeff; Shiraishi, Takahiro; Suga, Mikio; Ikoma, Yoko; Obata, Takayuki; Ito, Hiroshi; Yamaya, Taiga

2014-01-01

Several MRI-based attenuation correction methods have been reported for PET/MRI; these methods are expected to make efficient use of high-quality anatomical MRIs and reduce the radiation dose for PET/MRI scanning. The accuracy of the attenuation map (μ-map) from an MRI depends on the accuracy of tissue segmentation and the attenuation coefficients to be assigned (μ-values). In this study, we proposed an MRI-based μ-value estimation method with a non-rotational radiation source to construct a suitable μ-map for PET/MRI. The proposed method uses an accurately segmented tissue map, the partial path length of each tissue, and detected intensities of attenuated radiation from a fixed-position (rather than a rotating) radiation source to obtain the μ-map. We estimated the partial path length from a virtual blank scan of fixed-point radiation with the same scanner geometry using the known tissue map from MRI. The μ-values of every tissue were estimated by inverting a linear relationship involving the partial path lengths and measured radioactivity intensity. Validation of the proposed method was performed by calculating a fixed- point data set based upon real a real transmission scan. The root-mean-square error between the μ-values derived from a conventional transmission scan and those obtained with our proposed method were 2.4±1.4%, 17.4±9.1% and 6.6±4.3% for brain, bone and soft tissue other than brain, respectively. Although the error estimates for bone and soft tissue are not insignificant, the method we propose is able to estimate the brain μ-value accurately and it is this factor that most strongly affects the quantitative value of PET images because of the large volumetric ratio of the brain. -- Highlights: • An MRI-derived µ-map for the attenuation correction of PET images is proposed. • Method relies on segmentation of MRI and a fixed-point source transmission scan. • Tissue segmentation reduces the number of unknown µ-values. • Method

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of an intraventricular hemorrhage

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Kwak, Ryungchan; Higashi, Tooru; Ito, Shotaro; Kadoya, Satoru; Takarada, Akira; Sato, Shuji; Kurauchi, Manabu.

1987-08-01

The utility of MRI was investigated in 10 patients with intraventricular hemorrhage. MRI was found to be, in many respects, superior to CT: 1) MRI is able to detect to some extent the aging of an intraventricular hematoma. 2) It can determine the character of intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid, whether it is normal, bloody, or hyperprotein. 3) It can detect the cause of hemorrhage in the case of arterio-venous malformation. 4) MRI permits the detection of the penetration course and the location of a ventricular hematoma. 5) It can clearly detect periventricular lesions of early-stage hydrocephalus, accompanied by increased intracranial pressure and followed by intraventricular hemorrhage, by imaging the periventricular high-signal-intensity area. 6) MRI can clearly diagnose complications of intracranial lesions. For instance, it can distinguish subdural fluid collection from chronic subdural hematoma and can detect whether a cerebral infarction is new or old. On the other hand, MRI also has some disadvantages: 1) The imaging time is long, and clinical application is difficult, in serious and/or infant cases. 2) It is impossible to use MRI in some patients who have magnetic material in their bodies. 3) The spatial-image resolution is not good.

In vivo MRI volumetric measurement of prostate regression and growth in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nalcioglu Orhan

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mouse models for treatment of late-stage prostate cancer are valuable tools, but assessing the extent of growth of the prostate and particularly its regression due to therapeutic intervention or castration is difficult due to the location, small size and interdigitated anatomy of the prostate gland in situ. Temporal monitoring of mouse prostate regression requires multiple animals and examination of histological sections. Methods Initially, T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI was performed on normal year-old C57/BL6 mice. Individual mice were repeatedly imaged using inhalation anesthesia to establish the reproducibility of the method and to follow hormone manipulation of the prostate volume. Subsequently, MRI fat signal was suppressed using a chemical shift-selective (CHESS pulse to avoid signal contamination and enhance discrimination of the prostate. Results High field (7T MRI provides high resolution (117 × 117 μm in plane, highly reproducible images of the normal mouse prostate. Despite long imaging times, animals can be imaged repeatedly to establish reliability of volume measurements. Prostate volume declines following castration and subsequently returns to normal with androgen administration in the same animal. CHESS imaging allowed discrimination of both the margins of the prostate and the dorsal-lateral lobes of the prostate (DLP from the ventral lobes (VP. Castration results in a 40% reduction in the volume of the DLP and a 75% reduction in the volume of the VP. Conclusion MRI assessment of the volume of the mouse prostate is precise and reproducible. MRI improves volumetric determination of the extent of regression and monitoring of the same mouse over time during the course of treatment is possible. Since assessing groups of animals at each time point is avoided, this improves the accuracy of the measurement of any manipulation effect and reduces the number of animals required.

Measuring competition in plant communities where it is difficult to distinguish individual plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Christian

2011-01-01

A novel method for measuring plant-plant interactions in undisturbed semi-natural and natural plant communities where it is difficult to distinguish individual plants is discussed. It is assumed that the ecological success of the different plant species in the plant community may be adequately...... measured by plant cover and vertical density (a measure that is correlated to the 3-dimensional space occupancy and biomass). Both plant cover and vertical density are measured in a standard pin-point analysis in the beginning and at the end of the growing season. In the outlined competition model....... The method allows direct measurements of the competitive effects of neighbouringzplants on plant performance and the estimation of parameters that describe the ecological processes of plantplant interactions during the growing season as well as the process of survival and recruitment between growing seasons...

CT- and MRI-based volumetry of resected liver specimen: Comparison to intraoperative volume and weight measurements and calculation of conversion factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlo, C.; Reiner, C.S.; Stolzmann, P.; Breitenstein, S.; Marincek, B.; Weishaupt, D.; Frauenfelder, T.

2010-01-01

Objective: To compare virtual volume to intraoperative volume and weight measurements of resected liver specimen and calculate appropriate conversion factors to reach better correlation. Methods: Preoperative (CT-group, n = 30; MRI-group, n = 30) and postoperative MRI (n = 60) imaging was performed in 60 patients undergoing partial liver resection. Intraoperative volume and weight of the resected liver specimen was measured. Virtual volume measurements were performed by two readers (R1,R2) using dedicated software. Conversion factors were calculated. Results: Mean intraoperative resection weight/volume: CT: 855 g/852 mL; MRI: 872 g/860 mL. Virtual resection volume: CT: 960 mL(R1), 982 mL(R2); MRI: 1112 mL(R1), 1115 mL(R2). Strong positive correlation for both readers between intraoperative and virtual measurements, mean of both readers: CT: R = 0.88(volume), R = 0.89(weight); MRI: R = 0.95(volume), R = 0.92(weight). Conversion factors: 0.85(CT), 0.78(MRI). Conclusion: CT- or MRI-based volumetry of resected liver specimen is accurate and recommended for preoperative planning. A conversion of the result is necessary to improve intraoperative and virtual measurement correlation. We found 0.85 for CT- and 0.78 for MRI-based volumetry the most appropriate conversion factors.

Relationship of patient-reported outcomes with MRI measures in rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baker, Joshua F; Conaghan, Philip G.; Emery, Paul

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: We assessed whether MRI measures of synovitis, osteitis and bone erosion were associated with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a longitudinal clinical trial setting among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: This longitudinal cohort of 291 patients with RA was derived from...

Clinical application of functional MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniwaki, Takayuki

2010-01-01

Described is the present state of clinical application of fMRI in the preoperative assessment of brain tumors, and plasticity in and pathophysiology of central diseases. For the tumor resection, fMRI is useful for risk assessment of postoperative nerve dysfunction, for selection of the patient rather suitable for brain mapping at the invasive surgery than at the pre-operation and for guidance of the operation itself. Preoperative fMRI alone can neither distinguish the regions of the primary and secondary functions nor exhibit the relation between the tumor and white matter fibers but there are compensatory means for these drawbacks. Benefit of preoperative fMRI has not yet been based on the evidence on double blind trials. Combination of fMRI imaging and electroencephalography (EEG) finding has shown that, in generalized epilepsy, extensive and stimulated activation occurs in both frontal/occipital regions and in thalamus area, respectively, and that the concomitant lowered activities are conceivably the reflection of burst discharge in normal brain functions. Plasticity in the human brain has been demonstrated by fMRI in cerebral vascular diseases, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and depression has been better understood by fMRI investigations revealing regions with elevated and reduced activities. Studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have shown similar change of activities with functional reductions of the right dorsolateral frontal anterior area and of dorsal frontal cingulate gyrus, together with stimulated wider regions to given tasks. As above, fMRI has greatly contributed to our understanding of diseases of central nervous system and is to be expected to expand wider in this field. (T.T.)

Hypercapnic normalization of BOLD fMRI: comparison across field strengths and pulse sequences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cohen, Eric R.; Rostrup, Egill; Sidaros, Karam

2004-01-01

to be more accurately localized and quantified based on changes in venous blood oxygenation alone. The normalized BOLD signal induced by the motor task was consistent across different magnetic fields and pulse sequences, and corresponded well with cerebral blood flow measurements. Our data suggest...... size, as well as experimental, such as pulse sequence and static magnetic field strength (B(0)). Thus, it is difficult to compare task-induced fMRI signals across subjects, field strengths, and pulse sequences. This problem can be overcome by normalizing the neural activity-induced BOLD fMRI response...... for global stimulation, subjects breathed a 5% CO(2) gas mixture. Under all conditions, voxels containing primarily large veins and those containing primarily active tissue (i.e., capillaries and small veins) showed distinguishable behavior after hypercapnic normalization. This allowed functional activity...

Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement by MRI. A test of its validity and the electrical conductivity characteristics of glioma

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Tha, Khin Khin; Kudo, Kohsuke [Hokkaido University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, N-14, W-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo (Japan); Hokkaido University, Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Sapporo (Japan); Katscher, Ulrich; Stehning, Christian [Philips Research Laboratories, Hamburg (Germany); Yamaguchi, Shigeru; Terasaka, Shunsuke; Kazumata, Ken [Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Department of Neurosurgery, Sapporo (Japan); Fujima, Noriyuki [Hokkaido University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, N-14, W-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo (Japan); Yamamoto, Toru [Hokkaido University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sapporo (Japan); Van Cauteren, Marc [Clinical Science Philips Healthtech Asia Pacific, Tokyo (Japan); Shirato, Hiroki [Hokkaido University, Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Sapporo (Japan); Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Department of Radiation Medicine, Sapporo (Japan)

2018-01-15

This study noninvasively examined the electrical conductivity (σ) characteristics of diffuse gliomas using MRI and tested its validity. MRI including a 3D steady-state free precession (3D SSFP) sequence was performed on 30 glioma patients. The σ maps were reconstructed from the phase images of the 3D SSFP sequence. The σ histogram metrics were extracted and compared among the contrast-enhanced (CET) and noncontrast-enhanced tumour components (NCET) and normal brain parenchyma (NP). Difference in tumour σ histogram metrics among tumour grades and correlation of σ metrics with tumour grades were tested. Validity of σ measurement using this technique was tested by correlating the mean tumour σ values measured using MRI with those measured ex vivo using a dielectric probe. Several σ histogram metrics of CET and NCET of diffuse gliomas were significantly higher than NP (Bonferroni-corrected p ≤.045). The maximum σ of NCET showed a moderate positive correlation with tumour grade (r =.571, Bonferroni-corrected p =.018). The mean tumour σ measured using MRI showed a moderate positive correlation with the σ measured ex vivo (r =.518, p =.040). Tissue σ can be evaluated using MRI, incorporation of which may better characterise diffuse gliomas. (orig.)

Distinguishing medication-free subjects with unipolar disorder from subjects with bipolar disorder: state matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Rive, Maria M; Redlich, Ronny; Schmaal, Lianne; Marquand, André F; Dannlowski, Udo; Grotegerd, Dominik; Veltman, Dick J; Schene, Aart H; Ruhé, Henricus G

2016-11-01

Recent studies have indicated that pattern recognition techniques of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for individual classification may be valuable for distinguishing between major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Importantly, medication may have affected previous classification results as subjects with MDD and BD use different classes of medication. Furthermore, almost all studies have investigated only depressed subjects. Therefore, we focused on medication-free subjects. We additionally investigated whether classification would be mood state independent by including depressed and remitted subjects alike. We applied Gaussian process classifiers to investigate the discriminatory power of structural MRI (gray matter volumes of emotion regulation areas) and resting-state fMRI (resting-state networks implicated in mood disorders: default mode network [DMN], salience network [SN], and lateralized frontoparietal networks [FPNs]) in depressed (n=42) and remitted (n=49) medication-free subjects with MDD and BD. Depressed subjects with MDD and BD could be classified based on the gray matter volumes of emotion regulation areas as well as DMN functional connectivity with 69.1% prediction accuracy. Prediction accuracy using the FPNs and SN did not exceed chance level. It was not possible to discriminate between remitted subjects with MDD and BD. For the first time, we showed that medication-free subjects with MDD and BD can be differentiated based on structural MRI as well as resting-state functional connectivity. Importantly, the results indicated that research concerning diagnostic neuroimaging tools distinguishing between MDD and BD should consider mood state as only depressed subjects with MDD and BD could be correctly classified. Future studies, in larger samples are needed to investigate whether the results can be generalized to medication-naïve or first-episode subjects. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley

Distinguishing the processing of gestures from signs in deaf individuals: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Husain, Fatima T; Patkin, Debra J; Thai-Van, Hung; Braun, Allen R; Horwitz, Barry

2009-06-18

Manual gestures occur on a continuum from co-speech gesticulations to conventionalized emblems to language signs. Our goal in the present study was to understand the neural bases of the processing of gestures along such a continuum. We studied four types of gestures, varying along linguistic and semantic dimensions: linguistic and meaningful American Sign Language (ASL), non-meaningful pseudo-ASL, meaningful emblematic, and nonlinguistic, non-meaningful made-up gestures. Pre-lingually deaf, native signers of ASL participated in the fMRI study and performed two tasks while viewing videos of the gestures: a visuo-spatial (identity) discrimination task and a category discrimination task. We found that the categorization task activated left ventral middle and inferior frontal gyrus, among other regions, to a greater extent compared to the visual discrimination task, supporting the idea of semantic-level processing of the gestures. The reverse contrast resulted in enhanced activity of bilateral intraparietal sulcus, supporting the idea of featural-level processing (analogous to phonological-level processing of speech sounds) of the gestures. Regardless of the task, we found that brain activation patterns for the nonlinguistic, non-meaningful gestures were the most different compared to the ASL gestures. The activation patterns for the emblems were most similar to those of the ASL gestures and those of the pseudo-ASL were most similar to the nonlinguistic, non-meaningful gestures. The fMRI results provide partial support for the conceptualization of different gestures as belonging to a continuum and the variance in the fMRI results was best explained by differences in the processing of gestures along the semantic dimension.

Correlation of oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI with invasive micro probe measurements in healthy mice brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedlacik, Jan; Fiehler, Jens; Reitz, Matthias; Schmidt, Nils O.; Bolar, Divya S.; Adalsteinsson, Elfar

2015-01-01

The non-invasive assessment of (patho-)physiological parameters such as, perfusion and oxygenation, is of great importance for the characterization of pathologies e.g., tumors, which may be helpful to better predict treatment response and potential outcome. To better understand the influence of physiological parameters on the investigated oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI methods, MRI measurements were correlated with subsequent invasive micro probe measurements during free breathing conditions of air, air+10% CO2 and 100% O2 in healthy mice brain. MRI parameters were the irreversible (R2), reversible (R2') and effective (R2*) transverse relaxation rates, venous blood oxygenation level assessed by quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent (qBOLD) method and cerebral blood flow (CBF) assessed by arterial spin labeling (ASL) using a 7T small animal MRI scanner. One to two days after MRI, tissue perfusion and pO2 were measured by Laser-Doppler flowmetry and fluorescence quenching micro probes, respectively. The tissue pO2 values were converted to blood oxygen saturation by using the Hill equation. The animals were anesthetized by intra peritoneal injection of ketamine-xylazine-acepromazine (10-2-0.3 mg/ml.kg). Results for normal/hypercapnia/hyperoxia conditions were: R2[s and -1] = 20.7/20.4/20.1, R2*[s and -1] = 31.6/29.6/25.9, R2'[s and 1] = 10.9/9.2/5.7, qBOLD venous blood oxygenation level = 0.43/0.51/0.56, CBF[ml.min and -1.100g and -1] = 70.6/105.5/81.8, Laser-Doppler flowmetry[a.u.] = 89.2/120.2/90.6 and pO2[mmHg] = 6.3/32.3/46.7. All parameters were statistically significantly different with P < 0.001 between all breathing conditions. All MRI and the corresponding micro probe measurements were also statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.03) correlated with each other. However, converting the tissue pO2 to blood oxygen saturation = 0.02/0.34/0.63, showed only very limited agreement with the qBOLD venous blood oxygenation level. We found good

Correlation of oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI with invasive micro probe measurements in healthy mice brain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedlacik, Jan; Fiehler, Jens [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Neuroradiology; Reitz, Matthias; Schmidt, Nils O. [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Neurosurgery; Bolar, Divya S. [Massachusetts General Hospital, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA (United States). Radiology; Adalsteinsson, Elfar [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

2015-05-01

The non-invasive assessment of (patho-)physiological parameters such as, perfusion and oxygenation, is of great importance for the characterization of pathologies e.g., tumors, which may be helpful to better predict treatment response and potential outcome. To better understand the influence of physiological parameters on the investigated oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI methods, MRI measurements were correlated with subsequent invasive micro probe measurements during free breathing conditions of air, air+10% CO2 and 100% O2 in healthy mice brain. MRI parameters were the irreversible (R2), reversible (R2') and effective (R2*) transverse relaxation rates, venous blood oxygenation level assessed by quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent (qBOLD) method and cerebral blood flow (CBF) assessed by arterial spin labeling (ASL) using a 7T small animal MRI scanner. One to two days after MRI, tissue perfusion and pO2 were measured by Laser-Doppler flowmetry and fluorescence quenching micro probes, respectively. The tissue pO2 values were converted to blood oxygen saturation by using the Hill equation. The animals were anesthetized by intra peritoneal injection of ketamine-xylazine-acepromazine (10-2-0.3 mg/ml.kg). Results for normal/hypercapnia/hyperoxia conditions were: R2[s {sup and} -1] = 20.7/20.4/20.1, R2*[s {sup and} -1] = 31.6/29.6/25.9, R2'[s {sup and} 1] = 10.9/9.2/5.7, qBOLD venous blood oxygenation level = 0.43/0.51/0.56, CBF[ml.min {sup and} -1.100g {sup and} -1] = 70.6/105.5/81.8, Laser-Doppler flowmetry[a.u.] = 89.2/120.2/90.6 and pO2[mmHg] = 6.3/32.3/46.7. All parameters were statistically significantly different with P < 0.001 between all breathing conditions. All MRI and the corresponding micro probe measurements were also statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.03) correlated with each other. However, converting the tissue pO2 to blood oxygen saturation = 0.02/0.34/0.63, showed only very limited agreement with the qBOLD venous blood

Breast fat volume measurement using wide-bore 3 T MRI: comparison of traditional mammographic density evaluation with MRI density measurements using automatic segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Petridou, E; Kibiro, M; Gladwell, C; Malcolm, P; Toms, A; Juette, A; Borga, M; Dahlqvist Leinhard, O; Romu, T; Kasmai, B; Denton, E

2017-07-01

To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived breast density measurements using automatic segmentation algorithms with radiologist estimations using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) density classification. Forty women undergoing mammography and dynamic breast MRI as part of their clinical management were recruited. Fat-water separated MRI images derived from a two-point Dixon technique, phase-sensitive reconstruction, and atlas-based segmentation were obtained before and after intravenous contrast medium administration. Breast density was assessed using software from Advanced MR Analytics (AMRA), Linköping, Sweden, with results compared to the widely used four-quartile quantitative BI-RADS scale. The proportion of glandular tissue in the breast on MRI was derived from the AMRA sequence. The mean unenhanced breast density was 0.31±0.22 (mean±SD; left) and 0.29±0.21 (right). Mean breast density on post-contrast images was 0.32±0.19 (left) and 0.32±0.2 (right). There was "almost perfect" correlation between pre- and post-contrast breast density quantification: Spearman's correlation rho=0.98 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.97-0.99; left) and rho=0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-0.99; right). The 95% limits of agreement were -0.11-0.08 (left) and -0.08-0.03 (right). Interobserver reliability for BI-RADS was "substantial": weighted Kappa k=0.8 (95% CI: 0.74-0.87). The Spearman correlation coefficient between BI-RADS and MRI breast density was rho=0.73 (95% CI: 0.60-0.82; left) and rho=0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.83; right) which was also "substantial". The AMRA sequence provides a fully automated, reproducible, objective assessment of fibroglandular breast tissue proportion that correlates well with mammographic assessment of breast density with the added advantage of avoidance of ionising radiation. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. All rights reserved.

Comparison of causality analysis on simultaneously measured fMRI and NIRS signals during motor tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Anwar, Abdul Rauf; Muthalib, Makii; Perrey, Stephane; Galka, Andreas; Granert, Oliver; Wolff, Stephan; Deuschl, Guenther; Raethjen, Jan; Heute, Ulrich; Muthuraman, Muthuraman

2013-01-01

Brain activity can be measured using different modalities. Since most of the modalities tend to complement each other, it seems promising to measure them simultaneously. In to be presented research, the data recorded from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), simultaneously, are subjected to causality analysis using time-resolved partial directed coherence (tPDC). Time-resolved partial directed coherence uses the principle of state space modelling to estimate Multivariate Autoregressive (MVAR) coefficients. This method is useful to visualize both frequency and time dynamics of causality between the time series. Afterwards, causality results from different modalities are compared by estimating the Spearman correlation. In to be presented study, we used directionality vectors to analyze correlation, rather than actual signal vectors. Results show that causality analysis of the fMRI correlates more closely to causality results of oxy-NIRS as compared to deoxy-NIRS in case of a finger sequencing task. However, in case of simple finger tapping, no clear difference between oxy-fMRI and deoxy-fMRI correlation is identified.

Diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for submucosal palatal tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Hara, Marina; Katase, Naoki; Hisatomi, Miki; Unetsubo, Teruhisa; Konouchi, Hironobu; Takenobu, Toshihiko

2012-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for differentiating between benign and malignant tumors in the palate. Materials and methods: 26 patients with submucosal palatal tumors were preoperatively examined using DCE-MRI. Their maximum contrast index (CImax), time of CImax (Tmax), and washout ratios (WR300 and WR600) were determined from contrast index curves. The submucosal palatal tumors were divided into two groups according to their Tmax values: the early enhancement group (Tmax 2 = 0.92, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Tmax is a useful parameter for distinguishing between benign and malignant submucosal palatal tumors.

Attenuation of artifacts in EEG signals measured inside an MRI scanner using constrained independent component analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasheed, Tahir; Lee, Young-Koo; Lee, Soo Yeol; Kim, Tae-Seong

2009-01-01

Integration of electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) resonance will allow analysis of the brain activities at superior temporal and spatial resolution. However simultaneous acquisition of EEG and fMRI is hindered by the enhancement of artifacts in EEG, the most prominent of which are ballistocardiogram (BCG) and electro-oculogram (EOG) artifacts. The situation gets even worse if the evoked potentials are measured inside MRI for their minute responses in comparison to the spontaneous brain responses. In this study, we propose a new method of attenuating these artifacts from the spontaneous and evoked EEG data acquired inside an MRI scanner using constrained independent component analysis with a priori information about the artifacts as constraints. With the proposed techniques of reference function generation for the BCG and EOG artifacts as constraints, our new approach performs significantly better than the averaged artifact subtraction (AAS) method. The proposed method could be an alternative to the conventional ICA method for artifact attenuation, with some advantages. As a performance measure we have achieved much improved normalized power spectrum ratios (INPS) for continuous EEG and correlation coefficient (cc) values with outside MRI visual evoked potentials for visual evoked EEG, as compared to those obtained with the AAS method. The results show that our new approach is more effective than the conventional methods, almost fully automatic, and no extra ECG signal measurements are involved

Moisture Distribution in Broccoli: Measurements by MRI Hot Air Drying Experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, X.; Sman, van der R.G.M.; Gerkema, E.; Vergeldt, F.J.; As, van H.; Boxtel, van A.J.B.

2011-01-01

ABSTRACT The internal moisture distribution that arise in food products during drying, is a key factor for the retention of quality attributes. To reveal the course of moisture content in a product, internal moisture profiles in broccoli florets are measured by MRI imaging during drying experiments

Moisture distribution in broccoli: measurements by MRI hot air drying experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, X.; Sman, van der R.G.M.; Gerkema, E.; Vergeldt, F.J.; As, van H.; Boxtel, van A.J.B.

2011-01-01

The internal moisture distribution that arise in food products during drying, is a key factor for the retention of quality attributes. To reveal the course of moisture content in a product, internal moisture profiles in broccoli florets are measured by MRI imaging during drying experiments with

Occupational exposure measurements of static and pulsed gradient magnetic fields in the vicinity of MRI scanners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaennaelae, Sami; Toivo, Tim; Jokela, Kari [STUK-Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, PO Box 14, 00881 Helsinki (Finland); Alanko, Tommi [Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, New Technologies and Risks, Topeliuksenkatu 41a A, 00250 Helsinki (Finland)], E-mail: sami.kannala@stuk.fi

2009-04-07

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have increased occupational exposure to magnetic fields. In this study, we examined the assessment of occupational exposure to gradient magnetic fields and time-varying magnetic fields generated by motion in non-homogeneous static magnetic fields of MRI scanners. These magnetic field components can be measured simultaneously with an induction coil setup that detects the time rate of change of magnetic flux density (dB/dt). The setup developed was used to measure the field components around two MRI units (1 T open and 3 T conventional). The measured values can be compared with dB/dt reference levels derived from magnetic flux density reference levels given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The measured motion-induced dB/dt values were above the dB/dt reference levels for both MRI units. The measured values for the gradient fields (echo planar imaging (EPI) and fast field echo (FFE) sequences) also exceeded the dB/dt reference levels in positions where the medical staff may have access during interventional procedures. The highest motion-induced dB/dt values were 0.7 T s{sup -1} for the 1 T scanner and 3 T s{sup -1} for the 3 T scanner when only the static field was present. Even higher values (6.5 T s{sup -1}) were measured for simultaneous exposure to motion-induced and gradient fields in the vicinity of the 3 T scanner.

Distinguishability of countable quantum states and von Neumann lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakubo, Ryûitirô; Koike, Tatsuhiko

2016-01-01

The condition for distinguishability of a countably infinite number of pure states by a single measurement is given. Distinguishability is to be understood as the possibility of an unambiguous measurement. For a finite number of states, it is known that the necessary and sufficient condition of distinguishability is that the states are linearly independent. For an infinite number of states, several natural classes of distinguishability can be defined. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for a system of pure states to be distinguishable. It turns out that each level of distinguishability naturally corresponds to one of the generalizations of linear independence to families of infinite vectors. As an important example, we apply the general theory to von Neumann’s lattice, a subsystem of coherent states which corresponds to a lattice in the classical phase space. We prove that the condition for distinguishability is that the area of the fundamental region of the lattice is greater than the Planck constant, and also find subtle behavior on the threshold. These facts reveal the measurement theoretical meaning of the Planck constant and give a justification for the interpretation that it is the smallest unit of area in the phase space. The cases of uncountably many states and of mixed states are also discussed. (paper)

Temporal acoustic measures distinguish primary progressive apraxia of speech from primary progressive aphasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Joseph R; Hanley, Holly; Utianski, Rene; Clark, Heather; Strand, Edythe; Josephs, Keith A; Whitwell, Jennifer L

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if acoustic measures of duration and syllable rate during word and sentence repetition, and a measure of within-word lexical stress, distinguish speakers with primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) from nonapraxic speakers with the agrammatic or logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and control speakers. Results revealed that the PPAOS group had longer durations and reduced rate of syllable production for most words and sentences, and the measure of lexical stress. Sensitivity and specificity indices for the PPAOS versus the other groups were highest for longer multisyllabic words and sentences. For the PPAOS group, correlations between acoustic measures and perceptual ratings of AOS were moderately high to high. Several temporal measures used in this study may aid differential diagnosis and help quantify features of PPAOS that are distinct from those associated with PPA in which AOS is not present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Textural kinetics: a novel dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI feature for breast lesion classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Agner, Shannon C; Soman, Salil; Libfeld, Edward; McDonald, Margie; Thomas, Kathleen; Englander, Sarah; Rosen, Mark A; Chin, Deanna; Nosher, John; Madabhushi, Anant

2011-06-01

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast has emerged as an adjunct imaging tool to conventional X-ray mammography due to its high detection sensitivity. Despite the increasing use of breast DCE-MRI, specificity in distinguishing malignant from benign breast lesions is low, and interobserver variability in lesion classification is high. The novel contribution of this paper is in the definition of a new DCE-MRI descriptor that we call textural kinetics, which attempts to capture spatiotemporal changes in breast lesion texture in order to distinguish malignant from benign lesions. We qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrated on 41 breast DCE-MRI studies that textural kinetic features outperform signal intensity kinetics and lesion morphology features in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. A probabilistic boosting tree (PBT) classifier in conjunction with textural kinetic descriptors yielded an accuracy of 90%, sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 82%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92. Graph embedding, used for qualitative visualization of a low-dimensional representation of the data, showed the best separation between benign and malignant lesions when using textural kinetic features. The PBT classifier results and trends were also corroborated via a support vector machine classifier which showed that textural kinetic features outperformed the morphological, static texture, and signal intensity kinetics descriptors. When textural kinetic attributes were combined with morphologic descriptors, the resulting PBT classifier yielded 89% accuracy, 99% sensitivity, 76% specificity, and an AUC of 0.91.

Analysis of blowout fractures using cine mode MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawahara, Masaaki; Shiihara, Kumiko; Kimura, Hisashi; Fukai, Sakuko; Tabuchi, Akio; Kojo, Tuyoshi

1995-01-01

By observing conventional CT and MRI images, it is difficult to distinguish extension failure from adhesion, bone fracture or damage to the extraocular muscle, any one of which may be the direct cause of the eye movement disturbance accompanying blowout fracture. We therefore carried out dynamic analysis of eye movement disturbance using a cine mode MRI. We put seven fixation points in the gantry of the MRI and filmed eye movement disturbances by the gradient echo method, using a surface coil and holding the vision on each fixation point. We also video recorded the CRT monitor of the MRI to obtain dynamic MRI images. The subjects comprised 5 cases (7-23 years old). In 4 cases, we started orthoptic treatment, saccadic eye movement training, convergence training and fusional amplitude training after surgery, with only orthoptic treatment in the 5 th case. In all cases, fusion area improvement was recognized during training. In 2 cases examined by cine mode MRI before and after surgery, we observed improved eye movement after training, the effectiveness of which was thereby proven. Also, using cine mode MRI we were able to determine the character of incarcerated tissue and the cause of eye movement disturbance. We conclude that it blowout fracture, cine mode MRI may be useful in selecting treatment and observing its effectiveness. (author)

Diffusion-weighted MRI of the prostate at 3.0 T: Comparison of endorectal coil (ERC) MRI and phased-array coil (PAC) MRI—The impact of SNR on ADC measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazaheri, Yousef; Vargas, H. Alberto; Nyman, Gregory; Shukla-Dave, Amita; Akin, Oguz; Hricak, Hedvig

2013-01-01

Purpose: To compare ADC values measured from diffusion-weighted MR (DW-MR) images of the prostate obtained with both endorectal and phased-array coils (ERC + PAC) to those from DW-MRI images obtained with an eight-channel torso phased-array coil (PAC) at 3.0 T. Methods: The institutional review board issued a waiver of informed consent for this HIPAA-compliant study. Twenty-five patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer underwent standard 3-T MRI using 2 different coil arrangements (ERC + PAC and PAC only) in the same session. DW-MRI at five b-values (0, 600, 1000, 1200, and 1500 s/mm 2 ) were acquired using both coil arrangements. On b = 0 images, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were measured as the ratio of the mean signal from PZ and TZ ROIs to the standard deviation from the mean signal in an artifact-free ROI in the rectum. Matching regions-of-interest (ROIs) were identified in the peripheral zone and transition zone on ERC-MRI and PAC-MRI. For each ROI, mean ADC values for all zero and non-zero b-value combinations were computed. Results: Mean SNR with ERC-MRI at PZ (66.33 ± 27.07) and TZ (32.69 ± 12.52) was 9.27 and 5.52 times higher than with PAC-MRI ((7.32 ± 2.30) and (6.13 ± 1.56), respectively) (P < 0.0001 for both). ADCs from DW-MR images obtained with all b-values in the PZ and TZ were significantly lower with PAC-MRI than with ERC-MRI (P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion: Lower SNR of DW-MR images of the prostate obtained with a PAC can significantly decrease ADC values at higher b-values compared to similar measurements obtained using the ERC. To address these requirements, clinical MR systems should have image processing capabilities which incorporate the noise distribution

Towards Motion-Insensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Dynamic Field Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mads

motion during scanning and update the MRI scanner in real-time such that the imaging volume follows the head motion (prospective motion correction). In this thesis, prospective motion correction is presented where head motion is determined from signals measured with an electroencephalography (EEG) cap......Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is frequently used for both clinical diagnosis and brain research. This is due to the great versatility of the technique and the excellent ability to distinguish different types of soft tissue. The image quality is, however, heavily degraded when...

On the comparison between MRI and US imaging for human heel pad thickness measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matteoli, Sara; Corbin, Nadège Corbin; Wilhjelm, Jens E.

2011-01-01

The human heel pad thickness, defined as the shortest distance between the calcaneus and heel skin, is one of the intrinsic factor which must be taken into account when investigating the biomechanics of the heel pad. US and MRI are the preferable imaging modalities used to measure the heel pad...... thickness as they are both ionizing-free radiations. The aim of this paper is to measure the bone to skin distance of nine heel pad phantoms from MRI and US images, and to compare the results with a true value (TV) in order to find the errors. Paired sample t-test was used to compare the measurements......1530 (P-value=0.402). Results confirm the necessity to investigate on the real speed of sound for the heel pad tissues, in order to have realistic measurements when dealing with human heel pads. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________...

MRI volumetric measurement of hippocampal formation based on statistic parametric mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua Jianming; Jiang Biao; Zhou Jiong; Zhang Weimin

2010-01-01

Objective: To study MRI volumetric measurement of hippocampal formation using statistic parametric mapping (SPM) software and to discuss the value of the method applied to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: The SPM software was used to divide the three-dimensional MRI brain image into gray matter, white matter and CSF separately. The bilateral hippocampal formations in both AD group and normal control group were delineated and the volumes were measured. The SPM method was compared with conventional method based on region of interest (ROI), which was the gold standard of volume measurement. The time used in measuring the volume by these two methods were respectively recorded and compared by two independent samples't test. Moreover, 7 physicians measured the left hippocampal formation of one same control with both of the two methods. The frequency distribution and dispersion of data acquired with the two methods were evaluated using standard deviation coefficient. Results (1) The volume of the bilateral hippocampal formations with SPM method was (1.88 ± 0.07) cm 3 and (1.93 ± 0.08) cm 3 respectively in the AD group, while was (2.99 ± 0.07) cm 3 and (3.02 ± 0.06) cm 3 in the control group. The volume of bilateral hippocampal formations measured by ROI method was (1.87 ± 0.06) cm 3 and (1.91 ± 0.09) cm 3 in the AD group, while was (2.97 ± 0.08) cm 3 and (3.00 ± 0.05) cm 3 in the control group. There was no significant difference between SPM method and conventional ROI method in the AD group and the control group (t=1.500, 1.617, 1.095, 1.889, P>0.05). However, the time used for delineation and volume measurement was significantly different. The time used in SPM measurement was (38.1 ± 2.0) min, while that in ROI measurement was (55.4 ± 2.4) min (t=-25.918, P 3 respectively. The frequency distribution of hippocampal formation volume measured by SPM method and ROI method was different. The CV SPM was 7% and the CV ROI was 19%. Conclusions: The borders of

Problems in distinguishing spinal tuberculosis from neoplasia on MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, R.K.; Agarwal, P.; Rastogi, H.; Kumar, S.; Phadke, R.V.; Krishnani, N.

1996-01-01

We reviewed MRI studies of 60 patients presenting with extradural compressive myeloradiculopathy secondary to vertebral disease to assess the imaging features which may help in differentiating tuberculous from neoplastic disease. Spin-echo T1-, proton density- and T2-weighted images were available for all patients and fast low-angle shot images with a low flip angle for 21 patients. Contrast-enhanced images were available for 28 patients. There were 41 patients with tuberculosis and 19 patients with neoplastic disease (metastases 11, lymphoma 6, plasmacytoma 1, and giant cell tumour 1). Discovertebral disease with or without involvement of the posterior arch was a feature not only of tuberculous spondylitis (30 patients) but also of metastases (6). The remaining 11 patients with tuberculosis had ''atypical'' involvement (vertebral body with or without posterior arch in 8 and posterior arch alone in 3) described as typical of neoplasms. This ''typical'' involvement was seen in metastases (5), lymphoma (6) and the 2 primary bone tumours. The presence of an abscess helped in differentiating tuberculosis from neoplasia in 22 of the 41 patients with tuberculosis and was absent in all with neoplasms. The presence of bone fragments in 16 patients (8 with and 8 without an abscess) was found to be specific for tuberculosis. In the absence of an abscess or bone fragments, image-guided biopsy is essential to establish the diagnosis. (orig.). With 9 figs., 2 tabs

Validity of a new abdominal bioelectrical impedance device to measure abdominal and visceral fat: comparison with MRI

OpenAIRE

Browning, Lucy M; Mugridge, Owen; Chatfield, Mark; Dixon, Adrian; Aitken, Sri; Joubert, Ilse; Prentice, Andrew M.; Jebb, Susan A

2010-01-01

Abdominal fat, and in particular, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is the critical fat depot associated with metabolic aberrations. At present VAT can only be accurately measured by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study was designed to compare a new abdominal bioelectrical impedance device against total abdominal adipose tissue (TAAT) and VAT area measurements made from an abdominal MRI scan, and to assess it’s reliability and accuracy.

Measurement of lung airways in three dimensions using hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, Eric T; Fain, Sean B; Dai Jionghan; Holmes, James H

2011-01-01

Large airway measurement is clinically important in cases of airway disease and trauma. The gold standard is computed tomography (CT), which allows for airway measurement. However, the ionizing radiation dose associated with CT is a major limitation in longitudinal studies and trauma. To avoid ionizing radiation from CT, we present a method for measuring the large airway diameter in humans using hyperpolarized helium-3 (HPHe) MRI in conjunction with a dynamic 3D radial acquisition. An algorithm is introduced which utilizes the significant airway contrast for semi-automated segmentation and skeletonization which is used to derive the airway lumen diameter. The HPHe MRI method was validated with quantitative CT in an excised and desiccated porcine lung (linear regression R 2 = 0.974 and slope = 0.966 over 32 airway segments). The airway lumen diameters were then compared in 24 human subjects (22 asthmatics and 2 normals; linear regression R 2 value of 0.799 and slope = 0.768 over 309 airway segments). The feasibility for airway path analysis to areas of ventilation defect is also demonstrated.

MRI markers for mild cognitive impairment: comparisons between white matter integrity and gray matter volume measurements.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Zhang

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate the value of assessing white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI for classification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI and prediction of cognitive impairments in comparison to brain atrophy measurements using structural MRI. Fifty-one patients with MCI and 66 cognitive normal controls (CN underwent DTI and T1-weighted structural MRI. DTI measures included fractional anisotropy (FA and radial diffusivity (DR from 20 predetermined regions-of-interest (ROIs in the commissural, limbic and association tracts, which are thought to be involved in Alzheimer's disease; measures of regional gray matter (GM volume included 21 ROIs in medial temporal lobe, parietal cortex, and subcortical regions. Significant group differences between MCI and CN were detected by each MRI modality: In particular, reduced FA was found in splenium, left isthmus cingulum and fornix; increased DR was found in splenium, left isthmus cingulum and bilateral uncinate fasciculi; reduced GM volume was found in bilateral hippocampi, left entorhinal cortex, right amygdala and bilateral thalamus; and thinner cortex was found in the left entorhinal cortex. Group classifications based on FA or DR was significant and better than classifications based on GM volume. Using either DR or FA together with GM volume improved classification accuracy. Furthermore, all three measures, FA, DR and GM volume were similarly accurate in predicting cognitive performance in MCI patients. Taken together, the results imply that DTI measures are as accurate as measures of GM volume in detecting brain alterations that are associated with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, a combination of DTI and structural MRI measurements improves classification accuracy.

MRI Characterizes the Progressive Course of AD and Predicts Conversion to Alzheimer’s Dementia 24 Months Before Probable Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Salvatore

2018-05-01

Full Text Available There is no disease-modifying treatment currently available for AD, one of the more impacting neurodegenerative diseases affecting more than 47.5 million people worldwide. The definition of new approaches for the design of proper clinical trials is highly demanded in order to achieve non-confounding results and assess more effective treatment. In this study, a cohort of 200 subjects was obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Subjects were followed-up for 24 months, and classified as AD (50, progressive-MCI to AD (50, stable-MCI (50, and cognitively normal (50. Structural T1-weighted MRI brain studies and neuropsychological measures of these subjects were used to train and optimize an artificial-intelligence classifier to distinguish mild-AD patients who need treatment (AD + pMCI from subjects who do not need treatment (sMCI + CN. The classifier was able to distinguish between the two groups 24 months before AD definite diagnosis using a combination of MRI brain studies and specific neuropsychological measures, with 85% accuracy, 83% sensitivity, and 87% specificity. The combined-approach model outperformed the classification using MRI data alone (72% classification accuracy, 69% sensitivity, and 75% specificity. The patterns of morphological abnormalities localized in the temporal pole and medial-temporal cortex might be considered as biomarkers of clinical progression and evolution. These regions can be already observed 24 months before AD definite diagnosis. The best neuropsychological predictors mainly included measures of functional abilities, memory and learning, working memory, language, visuoconstructional reasoning, and complex attention, with a particular focus on some of the sub-scores of the FAQ and AVLT tests.

Diffusion-weighted MRI and fibroscan vs. histopathology for assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic HCV patients: (Pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Hosni Kamel Abdelmaksoud

2015-06-01

Conclusions: Diffusion MRI can distinguish non-fibrotic liver (F0 from advanced fibrosis (F3 and F4 but cannot be used to distinguish between the intermediate stages of fibrosis-fibroscan can differentiate between (F0, F1, F2 and (F3, F4.

Fetal lung volume measurement by MRI with high-speed imaging systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osada, Hisao; Kaku, Kenshi [Chiba Univ. (Japan). Hospital

2002-08-01

Although ultrasonography is widely used for fetal morphologic observation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has gained popularity as a new prenatal diagnostic method with recent introduction of high-speed imaging systems. Infants with lung hypoplasia affecting respiratory function require intensive management starting immediately after birth. Therefore, accurate prenatal differential diagnosis and severity evaluation are extremely important for these fetuses. The aim of this study is to measure fetal lung volume using a computer-based, three-dimensional MRI imaging system and to evaluate the possibility of clinical applications of this procedure. A total of 96 fetuses were evaluated, all were morphologically abnormal, and MRI was done for advanced assessment from 24 to 39 weeks gestation. Three-directional views of fetal chest were imaged by Signa Horizon, 1.5 Tesla, version 5.6 (General Electronics) with the following conditions; coil: TORSO coil, sequence: SSFSE (single shot fast spin echo), slice thickness: 5 mm, and imaging speed: 2 seconds/slice. To calculate the lung volume and create three-dimensional image, the lung area in each slice was traced out, then multiplied using computer image processing. Simultaneously, the volumes of all slices were summed to give the volume of each lung. Linear regression analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used for statistical analyses. In all cases, clear images were obtained, and were adequate for three-dimensional evaluation of the fetal lung. Thirty-five fetuses had poor outcomes, such as intrauterine fetal death, neonatal death, and intensive respiratory care. Regression lines of lung volume versus gestational week were calculated for these fetuses with poor outcome and 61 other fetuses with good outcome. ANCOVA, with gestational week as a covariant, revealed a significant intergroup difference in the lung volume (p<0.001). Similarly, regression lines of lung volume versus fetal body weight estimated by

Comparison of Global Cerebral Blood Flow Measured by Phase-Contrast Mapping MRI with O-15-H2O Positron Emission Tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, Mark Bitsch; Lindberg, Ulrich; Aachmann-Andersen, Niels Jacob

2017-01-01

Purpose To compare mean global cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured by phase-contrast mapping magnetic resonance imaging (PCM MRI) and by 15O-H2O positron emission tomography (PET) in healthy subjects. PCM MRI is increasingly being used to measure mean global CBF, but has not been validated in vivo...... against an accepted reference technique. Materials and Methods Same-day measurements of CBF by 15O-H2O PET and subsequently by PCM MRI were performed on 22 healthy young male volunteers. Global CBF by PET was determined by applying a one-tissue compartment model with measurement of the arterial input...... function. Flow was measured in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries by a noncardiac triggered PCM MRI sequence at 3T. The measured flow was normalized to total brain weight determined from a volume-segmented 3D T1-weighted anatomical MR-scan. Results Mean CBF was 34.9 ± 3.4 mL/100 g/min measured...

Variability of carotid artery measurements on 3-Tesla MRI and its impact on sample size calculation for clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Syed, Mushabbar A; Oshinski, John N; Kitchen, Charles; Ali, Arshad; Charnigo, Richard J; Quyyumi, Arshed A

2009-08-01

Carotid MRI measurements are increasingly being employed in research studies for atherosclerosis imaging. The majority of carotid imaging studies use 1.5 T MRI. Our objective was to investigate intra-observer and inter-observer variability in carotid measurements using high resolution 3 T MRI. We performed 3 T carotid MRI on 10 patients (age 56 +/- 8 years, 7 male) with atherosclerosis risk factors and ultrasound intima-media thickness > or =0.6 mm. A total of 20 transverse images of both right and left carotid arteries were acquired using T2 weighted black-blood sequence. The lumen and outer wall of the common carotid and internal carotid arteries were manually traced; vessel wall area, vessel wall volume, and average wall thickness measurements were then assessed for intra-observer and inter-observer variability. Pearson and intraclass correlations were used in these assessments, along with Bland-Altman plots. For inter-observer variability, Pearson correlations ranged from 0.936 to 0.996 and intraclass correlations from 0.927 to 0.991. For intra-observer variability, Pearson correlations ranged from 0.934 to 0.954 and intraclass correlations from 0.831 to 0.948. Calculations showed that inter-observer variability and other sources of error would inflate sample size requirements for a clinical trial by no more than 7.9%, indicating that 3 T MRI is nearly optimal in this respect. In patients with subclinical atherosclerosis, 3 T carotid MRI measurements are highly reproducible and have important implications for clinical trial design.

On the characterization of single-event related brain activity from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measurements

KAUST Repository

Khoram, Nafiseh

2014-08-01

We propose an efficient numerical technique for calibrating the mathematical model that describes the singleevent related brain response when fMRI measurements are given. This method employs a regularized Newton technique in conjunction with a Kalman filtering procedure. We have applied this method to estimate the biophysiological parameters of the Balloon model that describes the hemodynamic brain responses. Illustrative results obtained with both synthetic and real fMRI measurements are presented. © 2014 IEEE.

Evaluation of motion measurement using cine MRI for image guided stereotactic body radiotherapy on a new phantom platform

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jing; Wang, Ziheng; Yin, Fang-Fang

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate accuracy of motion tracking of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy. A phantom platform was developed in this work to fulfill the goal. The motion phantom consisted of a platform, a solid thread, a motor and a control system that can simulate motion in various modes. To validate its reproducibility, the phantom platform was setup three times and imaged with fluoroscopy using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) for the same motion profile. After the validation test, the phantom platform was evaluated using cine MRI at 2.5 frames/second on a 1.5T GE scanner using five different artificial profiles and five patient profiles. The above profiles were again measured with EPID fluoroscopy and used as references. Discrepancies between measured profiles from cine MRI and EPID were quantified using root-mean-square (RMS) and standard deviation (SD). Pearson’s product moment correlational analysis was used to test correlation. The standard deviation for the reproducibility test was 0.28 mm. The discrepancies (RMS) between all profiles measured by cine MRI and EPID fluoroscopy ranged from 0.30 to 0.49 mm for artificial profiles and ranged from 0.75 to 0.91 mm for five patient profiles. The cine MRI sequence could precisely track phantom motion and the proposed motion phantom was feasible to evaluate cine MRI accuracy. PMID:29296304

Pulsatility of Lenticulostriate Arteries Assessed by 7 Tesla Flow MRI-Measurement, Reproducibility, and Applicability to Aging Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Schnerr, Roald S; Jansen, Jacobus F A; Uludag, Kamil; Hofman, Paul A M; Wildberger, Joachim E; van Oostenbrugge, Robert J; Backes, Walter H

2017-01-01

Characterization of flow properties in cerebral arteries with 1.5 and 3 Tesla MRI is usually limited to large cerebral arteries and difficult to evaluate in the small perforating arteries due to insufficient spatial resolution. In this study, we assessed the feasibility to measure blood flow waveforms in the small lenticulostriate arteries with 7 Tesla velocity-sensitive MRI. The middle cerebral artery was included as reference. Imaging was performed in five young and five old healthy volunteers. Flow was calculated by integrating time-varying velocity values over the vascular cross-section. MRI acquisitions were performed twice in each subject to determine reproducibility. From the flow waveforms, the pulsatility index and damping factor were deduced. Reproducibility values, in terms of the intraclass correlation coefficients, were found to be good to excellent. Measured pulsatility index of the lenticulostriate arteries significantly increased and damping factor significantly decreased with age. In conclusion, we demonstrate that blood flow through the lenticostriate arteries can be precisely measured using 7 Tesla MRI and reveal effects of arterial stiffness due to aging. These findings hold promise to provide relevant insights into the pathologies involving perforating cerebral arteries.

Associations of alcohol consumption with clinical and MRI measures in multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D'hooghe, Marie B.; De Keyser, Jacques

Evaluation of: Foster M, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B et al. Associations of alcohol consumption with clinical and MRI measures in multiple sclerosis. J. Neuroimmunol. 243(1-2), 61-68 (2012). While the harmful effects of alcohol abuse are well documented, experimental and clinical data support a

Automatic segmentation of human cortical layer-complexes and architectural areas using diffusion MRI and its validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Bastiani

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Recently, several magnetic resonance imaging contrast mechanisms have been shown to distinguish cortical substructure corresponding to selected cortical layers. Here, we investigate cortical layer and area differentiation by automatized unsupervised clustering of high resolution diffusion MRI data. Several groups of adjacent layers could be distinguished in human primary motor and premotor cortex. We then used the signature of diffusion MRI signals along cortical depth as a criterion to detect area boundaries and find borders at which the signature changes abruptly. We validate our clustering results by histological analysis of the same tissue. These results confirm earlier studies which show that diffusion MRI can probe layer-specific intracortical fiber organization and, moreover, suggests that it contains enough information to automatically classify architecturally distinct cortical areas. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the automatic clustering approach and its appeal for MR-based cortical histology.

Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frohwein, Lynn J.; Schäfers, Klaus P.; Hoerr, Verena; Faber, Cornelius

2015-01-01

Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows the measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal

Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frohwein, Lynn J., E-mail: frohwein@uni-muenster.de; Schäfers, Klaus P. [European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster 48149 (Germany); Hoerr, Verena; Faber, Cornelius [Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster 48149 (Germany)

2015-07-15

Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows the measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal

MRI features of tuberculosis of the knee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanghvi, Darshana A.; Iyer, Veena R.; Deshmukh, Tejaswini; Hoskote, Sumedh S. [Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Department of Radiology, Mumbai (India)

2009-03-15

The objective of this study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of tuberculosis (TB) of the knee joint. The MRI features in 15 patients with TB of the knee, as confirmed by histology of the biopsied joint synovium, were reviewed retrospectively. The images were assessed for intra-articular and peri-articular abnormalities. All patients had florid synovial proliferation. The proliferating synovium showed intermediate to low T2 signal intensity. In the patients who were administered intravenous contrast, the hypertrophic synovium was intensely enhancing. Marrow edema (n = 9), osteomyelitis (n = 4), cortical erosions (n = 5), myositis (n = 6), cellulitis (n = 2), abscesses (n = 3), and skin ulceration/sinus formation (n = 2) were seen in the adjacent bone and soft tissue. Synovial proliferation associated with tuberculous arthritis is typically hypointense on T2-weighted images. This appearance, in conjunction with other peri-articular MRI features described, can help in distinguishing TB arthritis from other proliferating synovial arthropathies. (orig.)

Comparison of ASL and DCE MRI for the non-invasive measurement of renal blood flow: quantification and reproducibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Cutajar, Marica; Thomas, David L; Hales, Patrick W; Banks, T; Clark, Christopher A; Gordon, Isky

2014-06-01

To investigate the reproducibility of arterial spin labelling (ASL) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitatively compare these techniques for the measurement of renal blood flow (RBF). Sixteen healthy volunteers were examined on two different occasions. ASL was performed using a multi-TI FAIR labelling scheme with a segmented 3D-GRASE imaging module. DCE MRI was performed using a 3D-FLASH pulse sequence. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess repeatability of each technique, and determine the degree of correspondence between the two methods. The overall mean cortical renal blood flow (RBF) of the ASL group was 263 ± 41 ml min(-1) [100 ml tissue](-1), and using DCE MRI was 287 ± 70 ml min(-1) [100 ml tissue](-1). The group coefficient of variation (CVg) was 18 % for ASL and 28 % for DCE-MRI. Repeatability studies showed that ASL was more reproducible than DCE with CVgs of 16 % and 25 % for ASL and DCE respectively. Bland-Altman analysis comparing the two techniques showed a good agreement. The repeated measures analysis shows that the ASL technique has better reproducibility than DCE-MRI. Difference analysis shows no significant difference between the RBF values of the two techniques. Reliable non-invasive monitoring of renal blood flow is currently clinically unavailable. Renal arterial spin labelling MRI is robust and repeatable. Renal dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is robust and repeatable. ASL blood flow values are similar to those obtained using DCE-MRI.

Juvenile spondylolysis: a comparative analysis of CT, SPECT and MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, R.S.D.; Grainger, A.J.; Hide, I.G.; Papastefanou, S.; Greenough, C.G.

2005-01-01

To evaluate whether MRI correlates with CT and SPECT imaging for the diagnosis of juvenile spondylolysis, and to determine whether MRI can be used as an exclusive image modality. Juveniles and young adults with a history of extension low back pain were evaluated by MRI, CT and SPECT imaging. All images were reviewed blindly. Correlative analyses included CT vs MRI for morphological grading and SPECT vs MRI for functional grading. Finally, an overall grading system compared MRI vs CT and SPECT combined. Statistical analysis was performed using the kappa statistic. Seventy-two patients (mean age 16 years) were recruited. Forty pars defects were identified in 22 patients (31%), of which 25 were chronic non-union, five acute complete defects and ten acute incomplete fractures. Kappa scores demonstrated a high level of agreement for all comparative analyses. MRI vs SPECT (kappa: 0.794), MRI vs CT (kappa: 0.829) and MRI vs CT/SPECT (kappa: 0.786). The main causes of discrepancy were between MRI and SPECT for the diagnosis of stress reaction in the absence of overt fracture, and distinguishing incomplete fractures from intact pars or complete defects. MRI can be used as an effective and reliable first-line image modality for diagnosis of juvenile spondylolysis. However, localised CT is recommended as a supplementary examination in selected cases as a baseline for assessment of healing and for evaluation of indeterminate cases. (orig.)

Juvenile spondylolysis: a comparative analysis of CT, SPECT and MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, R.S.D. [Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Grainger, A.J. [Leeds General Infirmary, Department of Radiology, Leeds (United Kingdom); Hide, I.G. [Freeman Hospital, Department of Radiology, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom); Papastefanou, S. [James Cook University Hospital, Department Radiology, Middlesbrough (United Kingdom); Greenough, C.G. [James Cook University Hospital, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Middlesbrough (United Kingdom)

2005-02-01

To evaluate whether MRI correlates with CT and SPECT imaging for the diagnosis of juvenile spondylolysis, and to determine whether MRI can be used as an exclusive image modality. Juveniles and young adults with a history of extension low back pain were evaluated by MRI, CT and SPECT imaging. All images were reviewed blindly. Correlative analyses included CT vs MRI for morphological grading and SPECT vs MRI for functional grading. Finally, an overall grading system compared MRI vs CT and SPECT combined. Statistical analysis was performed using the kappa statistic. Seventy-two patients (mean age 16 years) were recruited. Forty pars defects were identified in 22 patients (31%), of which 25 were chronic non-union, five acute complete defects and ten acute incomplete fractures. Kappa scores demonstrated a high level of agreement for all comparative analyses. MRI vs SPECT (kappa: 0.794), MRI vs CT (kappa: 0.829) and MRI vs CT/SPECT (kappa: 0.786). The main causes of discrepancy were between MRI and SPECT for the diagnosis of stress reaction in the absence of overt fracture, and distinguishing incomplete fractures from intact pars or complete defects. MRI can be used as an effective and reliable first-line image modality for diagnosis of juvenile spondylolysis. However, localised CT is recommended as a supplementary examination in selected cases as a baseline for assessment of healing and for evaluation of indeterminate cases. (orig.)

Item Memory, Context Memory and the Hippocampus: fMRI Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Rugg, Michael D.; Vilberg, Kaia L.; Mattson, Julia T.; Yu, Sarah S.; Johnson, Jeffrey D.; Suzuki, Maki

2012-01-01

Dual-process models of recognition memory distinguish between the retrieval of qualitative information about a prior event (recollection), and judgments of prior occurrence based on an acontextual sense of familiarity. fMRI studies investigating the neural correlates of memory encoding and retrieval conducted within the dual-process framework have…

fMRI in Parkinson’s Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siebner, Hartwig R.; Herz, Damian

2013-01-01

and reward-related behavior have shown that dopamine replacement can have detrimental effects on non-motor brain functions by altering physiological patterns of dopaminergic signaling. Neuroimaging can also be used to assess preclinical compensation of striatal dopaminergic denervation by studying......In this chapter we review recent advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Covariance patterns of regional resting-state activity in functional brain networks can be used to distinguish Parkinson patients from healthy controls and might play an important...... role as a biomarker in the future. Analyses of motor activity and connectivity have revealed compensatory mechanisms for impaired function of cortico-subcortical feedback loops and have shown how attentional mechanisms modulate the activity in motor loops. Other fMRI studies probing cognitive functions...

Regional alveolar partial pressure of oxygen measurement with parallel accelerated hyperpolarized gas MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadlecek, Stephen; Hamedani, Hooman; Xu, Yinan; Emami, Kiarash; Xin, Yi; Ishii, Masaru; Rizi, Rahim

2013-10-01

Alveolar oxygen tension (Pao2) is sensitive to the interplay between local ventilation, perfusion, and alveolar-capillary membrane permeability, and thus reflects physiologic heterogeneity of healthy and diseased lung function. Several hyperpolarized helium ((3)He) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based Pao2 mapping techniques have been reported, and considerable effort has gone toward reducing Pao2 measurement error. We present a new Pao2 imaging scheme, using parallel accelerated MRI, which significantly reduces measurement error. The proposed Pao2 mapping scheme was computer-simulated and was tested on both phantoms and five human subjects. Where possible, correspondence between actual local oxygen concentration and derived values was assessed for both bias (deviation from the true mean) and imaging artifact (deviation from the true spatial distribution). Phantom experiments demonstrated a significantly reduced coefficient of variation using the accelerated scheme. Simulation results support this observation and predict that correspondence between the true spatial distribution and the derived map is always superior using the accelerated scheme, although the improvement becomes less significant as the signal-to-noise ratio increases. Paired measurements in the human subjects, comparing accelerated and fully sampled schemes, show a reduced Pao2 distribution width for 41 of 46 slices. In contrast to proton MRI, acceleration of hyperpolarized imaging has no signal-to-noise penalty; its use in Pao2 measurement is therefore always beneficial. Comparison of multiple schemes shows that the benefit arises from a longer time-base during which oxygen-induced depolarization modifies the signal strength. Demonstration of the accelerated technique in human studies shows the feasibility of the method and suggests that measurement error is reduced here as well, particularly at low signal-to-noise levels. Copyright © 2013 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of respiratory motion measurement of 4D-MRI: A comparison between cine and sequential acquisition.

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Liu, Yilin; Yin, Fang-Fang; Rhee, DongJoo; Cai, Jing

2016-01-01

The authors have recently developed a cine-mode T2*/T1-weighted 4D-MRI technique and a sequential-mode T2-weighted 4D-MRI technique for imaging respiratory motion. This study aims at investigating which 4D-MRI image acquisition mode, cine or sequential, provides more accurate measurement of organ motion during respiration. A 4D digital extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) human phantom with a hypothesized tumor was used to simulate the image acquisition and the 4D-MRI reconstruction. The respiratory motion was controlled by the given breathing signal profiles. The tumor was manipulated to move continuously with the surrounding tissue. The motion trajectories were measured from both sequential- and cine-mode 4D-MRI images. The measured trajectories were compared with the average trajectory calculated from the input profiles, which was used as references. The error in 4D-MRI tumor motion trajectory (E) was determined. In addition, the corresponding respiratory motion amplitudes of all the selected 2D images for 4D reconstruction were recorded. Each of the amplitude was compared with the amplitude of its associated bin on the average breathing curve. The mean differences from the average breathing curve across all slice positions (D) were calculated. A total of 500 simulated respiratory profiles with a wide range of irregularity (Ir) were used to investigate the relationship between D and Ir. Furthermore, statistical analysis of E and D using XCAT controlled by 20 cancer patients' breathing profiles was conducted. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was conducted to compare two modes. D increased faster for cine-mode (D = 1.17 × Ir + 0.23) than sequential-mode (D = 0.47 × Ir + 0.23) as irregularity increased. For the XCAT study using 20 cancer patients' breathing profiles, the median E values were significantly different: 0.12 and 0.10 cm for cine- and sequential-modes, respectively, with a p-value of 0.02. The median D values were significantly different: 0.47 and 0.24 cm for cine

Distinguishing benign from malignant gallbladder wall thickening using FDG-PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oe, Ai; Kawabe, Joji; Torii, Kenji

2006-01-01

Because thickening of the gallbladder wall is observed not only in patients with gallbladder cancer but also in those with benign diseases such as chronic cholecystitis and gallbladder adenomyosis, it is difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening by conventional techniques of diagnostic imaging such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and abdominal ultrasonography (US). In the present study, we attempted to distinguish between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening by means of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-Positron emission tomography (PET). FDG-PET was performed in 12 patients with gallbladder wall thickening detected by CT or US, to determine whether it was benign or malignant. Emission scans were taken, beginning 45 minutes after intravenous administration of FDG, and standardized uptake value (SUV) was calculated as an indicator of glucose metabolism. Of the 12 patients, 4 showed positive uptake of FDG in the gallbladder wall. Of these 4 patients, 3 had gallbladder cancer. The remaining one, who had chronic cholecystitis, had false-positive findings. The other 8 patients had negative uptake of FDG in the gallbladder wall. Two of these 8 underwent surgical resection, which yielded a diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis. The other 6 patients exhibited no sign of gallbladder malignancy and have been followed without active treatment. FDG-PET appears able to distinguish between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening. (author)

Combining fMRI and behavioral measures to examine the process of human learning.

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Karuza, Elisabeth A; Emberson, Lauren L; Aslin, Richard N

2014-03-01

Prior to the advent of fMRI, the primary means of examining the mechanisms underlying learning were restricted to studying human behavior and non-human neural systems. However, recent advances in neuroimaging technology have enabled the concurrent study of human behavior and neural activity. We propose that the integration of behavioral response with brain activity provides a powerful method of investigating the process through which internal representations are formed or changed. Nevertheless, a review of the literature reveals that many fMRI studies of learning either (1) focus on outcome rather than process or (2) are built on the untested assumption that learning unfolds uniformly over time. We discuss here various challenges faced by the field and highlight studies that have begun to address them. In doing so, we aim to encourage more research that examines the process of learning by considering the interrelation of behavioral measures and fMRI recording during learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Timed function tests, motor function measure, and quantitative thigh muscle MRI in ambulant children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A cross-sectional analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Simone; Hafner, Patricia; Klein, Andrea; Rubino-Nacht, Daniela; Gocheva, Vanya; Schroeder, Jonas; Naduvilekoot Devasia, Arjith; Zuesli, Stephanie; Bernert, Guenther; Laugel, Vincent; Bloetzer, Clemens; Steinlin, Maja; Capone, Andrea; Gloor, Monika; Tobler, Patrick; Haas, Tanja; Bieri, Oliver; Zumbrunn, Thomas; Fischer, Dirk; Bonati, Ulrike

2018-01-01

The development of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy has put a focus on defining outcome measures most sensitive to capture treatment effects. This cross-sectional analysis investigates the relation between validated clinical assessments such as the 6-minute walk test, motor function measure and quantitative muscle MRI of thigh muscles in ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, aged 6.5 to 10.8 years (mean 8.2, SD 1.1). Quantitative muscle MRI included the mean fat fraction using a 2-point Dixon technique, and transverse relaxation time (T2) measurements. All clinical assessments were highly significantly inter-correlated with p muscle MRI values significantly correlated with all clinical assessments with the extensors showing the strongest correlation. In contrast to the clinical assessments, quantitative muscle MRI values were highly significantly correlated with age. In conclusion, the motor function measure and timed function tests measure disease severity in a highly comparable fashion and all tests correlated with quantitative muscle MRI values quantifying fatty muscle degeneration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlation of oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI with invasive micro probe measurements in healthy mice brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlacik, Jan; Reitz, Matthias; Bolar, Divya S; Adalsteinsson, Elfar; Schmidt, Nils O; Fiehler, Jens

2015-03-01

The non-invasive assessment of (patho-)physiological parameters such as, perfusion and oxygenation, is of great importance for the characterization of pathologies e.g., tumors, which may be helpful to better predict treatment response and potential outcome. To better understand the influence of physiological parameters on the investigated oxygenation and perfusion sensitive MRI methods, MRI measurements were correlated with subsequent invasive micro probe measurements during free breathing conditions of air, air+10% CO2 and 100% O2 in healthy mice brain. MRI parameters were the irreversible (R2), reversible (R2') and effective (R2*) transverse relaxation rates, venous blood oxygenation level assessed by quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent (qBOLD) method and cerebral blood flow (CBF) assessed by arterial spin labeling (ASL) using a 7 T small animal MRI scanner. One to two days after MRI, tissue perfusion and pO2 were measured by Laser-Doppler flowmetry and fluorescence quenching micro probes, respectively. The tissue pO2 values were converted to blood oxygen saturation by using the Hill equation. The animals were anesthetized by intra peritoneal injection of ketamine-xylazine-acepromazine (10-2-0.3 mg/ml · kg). Results for normal/hypercapnia/hyperoxia conditions were: R2[s(∧)-1] = 20.7/20.4/20.1, R2*[s(∧)-1] = 31.6/29.6/25.9, R2'[s-(∧)1] = 10.9/9.2/5.7, qBOLD venous blood oxygenation level = 0.43/0.51/0.56, CBF[ml · min(∧)-1 · 100 g(∧)-1] = 70.6/105.5/81.8, Laser-Doppler flowmetry[a.u.] = 89.2/120.2/90.6 and pO2[mmHg] = 6.3/32.3/46.7. All parameters were statistically significantly different with P effects of anesthesia and trauma due to micro probe insertion are strong confounding factors and need close attention for study planning and conduction of experiments. Investigation of the correlation of perfusion and oxygenation sensitive MRI methods with micro probe measurements in pathologic tissue such as tumors is now of compelling interest

Diagnosis and heterogeneity of MS in MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holst, B.; Fiehler, J.; Schippling, S.

2008-01-01

An efficient therapy of MS requires a quick and reliable diagnosis of the disease. MRI is the most leading paraclinical examination for MS diagnosis. Even though there is no pathognomic finding in MRI, there are MS characteristics with respect to morphology and localization. To exclude other neurological disorders and distinguish between different characteristics within MS, the use of contrast agent is advantageous. Postulated MRI criteria have been increasingly adjusted to the clinical routine and have become clearer, more sensitive, and more specific. Different imaging criteria will be introduced. In addition to the McDonald criteria of 2001 and 2005, new criteria will be presented in which the use of contrast agent is replaced by a second MRI and the dissemination in time and space is simplified. Different pathomechanisms which help to separate MS patients into subgroups are postulated. The diverse pathomechanisms also enable the development of new pharmaceuticals to manipulate the immunologic course in different stages. For varying therapy approaches, it is increasingly important to differentiate the heterogeneous appearance forms into subtypes. The two visible main components of the disorder in MRI are inflammation and neurodegeneration and are responsible for different clinical courses. Both are interdependent and independent of each other. We introduce a stratification which uses both components as a function of their different outcomes to compose subgroups. The previous challenge with respect to MRI was to support the diagnosis of MS via MRI criteria. A future problem will be the heterogeneity and classification of subgroups. This article gives an overview of both problems. (orig.)

Estimation of intersubject variability of cerebral blood flow measurements using MRI and positron emission tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Otto Mølby; Larsson, Henrik B W; Hansen, Adam E

2012-01-01

PURPOSE: To investigate the within and between subject variability of quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements in normal subjects using various MRI techniques and positron emission tomography (PET). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Repeated CBF measurements were performed in 17 healthy, young...

Quantitative Sasang Constitution Diagnosis Method for Distinguishing between Tae-eumin and Soeumin Types Based on Elasticity Measurements of the Skin of the Human Hand.

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Song, Han Wook; Lee, Sungjun; Park, Yon Kyu; Woo, Sam Yong

2009-09-01

The usefulness of constitutional diagnoses based on skin measurements has been established in oriental medicine. However, it is very difficult to standardize traditional diagnosis methods. According to Sasang constitutional medicine, humans can be distinguished based on properties of the skin, including its texture, roughness, hardness and elasticity. The elasticity of the skin was previously used to distinguish between people with Tae-eumin (TE) and Soeumin (SE) constitutions. The present study designed a system that uses a compression method to measure the elasticity of hand skin and evaluated its measurement repeatability. The proposed system was used to compare the skin elasticity between SE and TE subjects, which produced a measurement repeatability error of <3%. The proposed system is suitable for use as a quantitative constitution diagnosis method for distinguishing between TE and SE subjects with an acceptable level of uncertainty.

Distinguishing enhancing from nonenhancing renal masses with dual-source dual-energy CT: iodine quantification versus standard enhancement measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Ascenti, Giorgio; Mileto, Achille; Krauss, Bernhard; Gaeta, Michele; Blandino, Alfredo; Scribano, Emanuele; Settineri, Nicola; Mazziotti, Silvio

2013-08-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of iodine quantification and standard enhancement measurements in distinguishing enhancing from nonenhancing renal masses. The Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study conducted from data found in institutional patient databases and archives. Seventy-two renal masses were characterised as enhancing or nonenhancing using standard enhancement measurements (in HU) and iodine quantification (in mg/ml). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of standard enhancement measurements and iodine quantification were calculated from χ (2) tests of contingency with histopathology or imaging follow-up as the reference standard. Difference in accuracy was assessed by means of McNemar analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy for standard enhancement measurements and iodine quantification were 77.7 %, 100 %, 100 %, 81.8 %, 89 % and 100 %, 94.4 %, 94.7, 100 % and 97 %, respectively. The McNemar analysis showed that the accuracy of iodine quantification was significantly better (P < 0.001) than that of standard enhancement measurements. Compared with standard enhancement measurements, whole-tumour iodine quantification is more accurate in distinguishing enhancing from nonenhancing renal masses. • Enhancement of renal lesions is important when differentiating benign from malignant tumours. • Dual-energy CT offers measurement of iodine uptake rather than mere enhancement values. • Whole-tumour iodine quantification seems more accurate than standard CT enhancement measurements.

Comparison of human septal nuclei MRI measurements using automated segmentation and a new manual protocol based on histology

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Tracy; Zaborszky, Laszlo; Pirraglia, Elizabeth; Li, Jinyu; Wang, Xiuyuan Hugh; Li, Yi; Tsui, Wai; Talos, Delia; Devinsky, Orrin; Kuchna, Izabela; Nowicki, Krzysztof; French, Jacqueline; Kuzniecky, Rubin; Wegiel, Jerzy; Glodzik, Lidia; Rusinek, Henry; DeLeon, Mony J.; Thesen, Thomas

2014-01-01

Septal nuclei, located in basal forebrain, are strongly connected with hippocampi and important in learning and memory, but have received limited research attention in human MRI studies. While probabilistic maps for estimating septal volume on MRI are now available, they have not been independently validated against manual tracing of MRI, typically considered the gold standard for delineating brain structures. We developed a protocol for manual tracing of the human septal region on MRI based on examination of neuroanatomical specimens. We applied this tracing protocol to T1 MRI scans (n=86) from subjects with temporal epilepsy and healthy controls to measure septal volume. To assess the inter-rater reliability of the protocol, a second tracer used the same protocol on 20 scans that were randomly selected from the 72 healthy controls. In addition to measuring septal volume, maximum septal thickness between the ventricles was measured and recorded. The same scans (n=86) were also analysed using septal probabilistic maps and Dartel toolbox in SPM. Results show that our manual tracing algorithm is reliable, and that septal volume measurements obtained via manual and automated methods correlate significantly with each other (pautomated methods detected significantly enlarged septal nuclei in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy in accord with a proposed compensatory neuroplastic process related to the strong connections between septal nuclei and hippocampi. Septal thickness, which was simple to measure with excellent inter-rater reliability, correlated well with both manual and automated septal volume, suggesting it could serve as an easy-to-measure surrogate for septal volume in future studies. Our results call attention to the important though understudied human septal region, confirm its enlargement in temporal lobe epilepsy, and provide a reliable new manual delineation protocol that will facilitate continued study of this critical region. PMID:24736183

Joint EEG/fMRI state space model for the detection of directed interactions in human brains—a simulation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenz, Michael; Linke, Yannick; Timmer, Jens; Schelter, Björn; Musso, Mariachristina; Weiller, Cornelius; Tüscher, Oliver

2011-01-01

An often addressed challenge in neuroscience research is the assignment of different tasks to specific brain regions. In many cases several brain regions are activated during a single task. Therefore, one is also interested in the temporal evolution of brain activity to infer causal relations between activated brain regions. These causal relations may be described by a directed, task specific network which consists of activated brain regions as vertices and directed edges. The edges describe the causal relations. Inference of the task specific brain network from measurements like electroencephalography (EEG) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is challenging, due to the low spatial resolution of the former and the low temporal resolution of the latter. Here, we present a simulation study investigating a possible combined analysis of simultaneously measured EEG and fMRI data to address the challenge specified above. A nonlinear state space model is used to distinguish between the underlying brain states and the (simulated) EEG/fMRI measurements. We make use of a modified unscented Kalman filter and a corresponding unscented smoother for the estimation of the underlying neural activity. Model parameters are estimated using an expectation-maximization algorithm, which exploits the partial linearity of our model. Inference of the brain network structure is then achieved using directed partial correlation, a measure for Granger causality. The results indicate that the convolution effect of the fMRI forward model imposes a big challenge for the parameter estimation and reduces the influence of the fMRI in combined EEG–fMRI models. It remains to be investigated whether other models or similar combinations of other modalities such as, e.g., EEG and magnetoencephalography can increase the profit of the promising idea of combining various modalities

Comparison of arterial input functions measured from ultra-fast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and dynamic contrast enhanced computed tomography in prostate cancer patients

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiyang; Lu, Zhengfeng; Fan, Xiaobing; Medved, Milica; Jiang, Xia; Sammet, Steffen; Yousuf, Ambereen; Pineda, Federico; Oto, Aytekin; Karczmar, Gregory S.

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of arterial input functions (AIFs) measured from dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI following a low dose of contrast media injection. The AIFs measured from DCE computed tomography (CT) were used as ‘gold standard’. A total of twenty patients received CT and MRI scans on the same day. Patients received 120 ml Iohexol in DCE-CT and a low dose of (0.015 mM kg-1) of gadobenate dimeglumine in DCE-MRI. The AIFs were measured in the iliac artery and normalized to the CT and MRI contrast agent doses. To correct for different temporal resolution and sampling periods of CT and MRI, an empirical mathematical model (EMM) was used to fit the AIFs first. Then numerical AIFs (AIFCT and AIFMRI) were calculated based on fitting parameters. The AIFMRI was convolved with a ‘contrast agent injection’ function (AIFMRICON ) to correct for the difference between MRI and CT contrast agent injection times (~1.5 s versus 30 s). The results show that the EMMs accurately fitted AIFs measured from CT and MRI. There was no significant difference (p  >  0.05) between the maximum peak amplitude of AIFs from CT (22.1  ±  4.1 mM/dose) and MRI after convolution (22.3  ±  5.2 mM/dose). The shapes of the AIFCT and AIFMRICON were very similar. Our results demonstrated that AIFs can be accurately measured by MRI following low dose contrast agent injection.

The usefulness of MRI for detection of the thymus gland in myasthenia gravis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hokezu, Youichi; Kaseda, Syun; Arimura, Kimiyoshi; Osame, Mitsuhiro; Baba, Kuniaki (Kagoshima Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine); Ohkubo, Koichi; Hagiwara, Hiroshi

1989-08-01

Seven patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were examined to find thymus or thymoma employing chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT), pneumomediastinography (PMG), computed tomography after pneumomediastinography (PMG-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). X-ray CT examination could reveal thymus only in half out of 6 cases scanned. On the other hand, MRI confirmed thymus or thymoma in 6 out of 7 patients. PMG and PMG-CT confirmed thymus or thymoma clearly in all of the 4 cases studied. PMG and PMG-CT examinations revealed thymus or thymoma more clearly than MRI. MRI is, however, an examination causing no pain to the patients and also more superior to X-ray CT in distinguishing between a thymus and mediastinal fat or vascular structure. In addition, MRI could reveal even capsules in thymoma which were never revealed by X-ray CT. We concluded that MRI could be an alternative method to CT and PMG in detection of thymus or thymoma in MG. (author).

The usefulness of MRI for detection of the thymus gland in myasthenia gravis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hokezu, Youichi; Kaseda, Syun; Arimura, Kimiyoshi; Osame, Mitsuhiro; Baba, Kuniaki; Ohkubo, Koichi; Hagiwara, Hiroshi.

1989-01-01

Seven patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were examined to find thymus or thymoma employing chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT), pneumomediastinography (PMG), computed tomography after pneumomediastinography (PMG-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). X-ray CT examination could reveal thymus only in half out of 6 cases scanned. On the other hand, MRI confirmed thymus or thymoma in 6 out of 7 patients. PMG and PMG-CT confirmed thymus or thymoma clearly in all of the 4 cases studied. PMG and PMG-CT examinations revealed thymus or thymoma more clearly than MRI. MRI is, however, an examination causing no pain to the patients and also more superior to X-ray CT in distinguishing between a thymus and mediastinal fat or vascular structure. In addition, MRI could reveal even capsules in thymoma which were never revealed by X-ray CT. We concluded that MRI could be an alternative method to CT and PMG in detection of thymus or thymoma in MG. (author)

Measurements of RF Heating during 3.0T MRI of a Pig Implanted with Deep Brain Stimulator

Science.gov (United States)

Gorny, Krzysztof R; Presti, Michael F; Goerss, Stephan J; Hwang, Sun C; Jang, Dong-Pyo; Kim, Inyong; Shu, Yunhong; Favazza, Christopher P; Lee, Kendall H; Bernstein, Matt A

2012-01-01

Purpose To present preliminary, in vivo temperature measurements during MRI of a pig implanted with a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. Materials and Methods DBS system (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN) was implanted in the brain of an anesthetized pig. 3.0T MRI was performed with a T/R head coil using the low-SAR GRE EPI and IR-prepped GRE sequences (SAR: 0.42 W/kg and 0.39 W/kg, respectively), and the high-SAR 4-echo RF spin echo (SAR: 2.9 W/kg). Fluoroptic thermometry was used to directly measure RF-related heating at the DBS electrodes, and at the implantable pulse generator (IPG). For reference the measurements were repeated in the same pig at 1.5T and, at both field strengths, in a phantom. Results At 3.0T, the maximal temperature elevations at DBS electrodes were 0.46 °C and 2.3 °C, for the low- and high-SAR sequences, respectively. No heating was observed on the implanted IPG during any of the measurements. Measurements of in-vivo heating differed from those obtained in the phantom. Conclusion The 3.0T MRI using GRE EPI and IR-prepped GRE sequences resulted in local temperature elevations at DBS electrodes of no more than 0.46°C. Although no extrapolation should be made to human exams and much further study will be needed, these preliminary data are encouraging for the future use 3.0T MRI in patients with DBS. PMID:23228310

Measurements of RF heating during 3.0-T MRI of a pig implanted with deep brain stimulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorny, Krzysztof R; Presti, Michael F; Goerss, Stephan J; Hwang, Sun C; Jang, Dong-Pyo; Kim, Inyong; Min, Hoon-Ki; Shu, Yunhong; Favazza, Christopher P; Lee, Kendall H; Bernstein, Matt A

2013-06-01

To present preliminary, in vivo temperature measurements during MRI of a pig implanted with a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. DBS system (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN) was implanted in the brain of an anesthetized pig. 3.0-T MRI was performed with a T/R head coil using the low-SAR GRE EPI and IR-prepped GRE sequences (SAR: 0.42 and 0.39 W/kg, respectively), and the high-SAR 4-echo RF spin echo (SAR: 2.9 W/kg). Fluoroptic thermometry was used to directly measure RF-related heating at the DBS electrodes, and at the implantable pulse generator (IPG). For reference the measurements were repeated in the same pig at 1.5 T and, at both field strengths, in a phantom. At 3.0T, the maximal temperature elevations at DBS electrodes were 0.46 °C and 2.3 °C, for the low- and high-SAR sequences, respectively. No heating was observed on the implanted IPG during any of the measurements. Measurements of in vivo heating differed from those obtained in the phantom. The 3.0-T MRI using GRE EPI and IR-prepped GRE sequences resulted in local temperature elevations at DBS electrodes of no more than 0.46 °C. Although no extrapolation should be made to human exams and much further study will be needed, these preliminary data are encouraging for the future use 3.0-T MRI in patients with DBS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MRI of the cardiomyopathies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Cesare, Ernesto

2001-01-01

We examined the potentialities of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of the main cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic, dilated, restrictive and arrhythmogenic right ventricular. The hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is generally adequately investigated by echocardiography, that well defines the myocardial thickening and the obstruction of the left ventricular output. However, by echocardiography we still have difficulties in the evaluation of the apex of the left ventricle and the right ventricle involvement. MRI provides a complete evaluation of the heart with a clear evidence also of the echocardiographic dark zones by means of a clear evidence of the apex of the right ventricle. The dilated form is also well investigated by MRI that provides a clear evaluation of the volumes, mass and ejection fraction by means of the 3D analysis including conditions of the ventricular remodelling. Moreover, this technique helps in the differential diagnosis of acute myocarditis. In the acute phase of myocarditis (first 2 weeks), in fact, the myocardium produces high signal intensity on the T2 weighted sequences due to the presence of oedema. The third form of cardiomyopathy is the restrictive one, characterised by reduced diastolic filling and diastolic volume, normality of the systolic function and parietal thickness, interstitial fibrosis and enlargement of both atria. The mean potentiality of MRI is related to the differential diagnosis with constrictive pericarditis. Only in the former, the pericardium appears irregularly thickened with areas exceeding 4 mm of pericardial thickness. Finally, the right ventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy represents the main indication to MRI evaluation. With this imaging modality we are can obtain a clear morpho-functional evaluation of the right ventricle and distinguish the intramyocardial adipose substitution characterised by areas of high signal in the myocardium

Distinguishing method for contamination/radio-activation of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukazawa, Takuji; Kato, Keiichiro; Koda, Satoshi.

1994-01-01

The present invention concerns a method of distinguishing the contamination/radio-activation of radioactive wastes used in processing wastes generated upon dismantling of exhausted nuclear reactors. Especially, contaminated/radio-activation is distinguished for wastes having openings such as pipes and valves, by utilizing scattering of γ-rays or γ-ray to β-ray ratio. That is, ratio of scattered γ-rays and direct γ-rays or ratio of β-rays and γ-rays from radioactive wastes are measured and compared by a radiation detector, to distinguish whether the radioactive wastes contaminated materials or radio-activated materials. For example, when an object to be measured having an opening is contaminated at the inner side, the radiation detector facing to the opening mainly detects high direct γ-rays emitted from the object to be measured while a radiation detector not facing the opening mainly detects high scattered γ-rays relatively. On the other hand, when the object is a radio-activated material, any of the detectors detect scattered γ-rays, so that they can be distinguished by these ratios. (I.S.)

''Dural tail'' adjacent to acoustic neuroma on MRI: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunardi, P.; Mastronardi, L.; Nardacci, B.; Acqui, M.; Fortuna, A.

1993-01-01

A 'dural tail' on Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRI has been often observed adjacent to meningiomas and considered to be useful in distinguishing meningioma of the cerebellopontine angle from acoustic neuroma. However, demonstration of a dural tail adjacent to an acoustic neuroma indicates that this sign is not specific. (orig.)

Measurement of the square measure of the pharynx and the positional diagnosis of airway obstruction during obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by dynamic MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozuki, Taizo; Ohkubo, Yasuo; Abe, Kimihiko

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to apply dynamic MRI for the positional diagnosis of airway obstruction during snoring and sleep apnea and to compare the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and the square measure of the pharynx obtained before and after laser-assisted uvula-palate-pharyngoplasty (LAUP). From December 1997 to October 1998, dynamic MRI and overnight monitoring were performed at the hospital of Tokyo Medical University on 42 patients who complained of snoring and symptoms related to sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). Of the 42 patients, four exhibited collapse at the position of the soft palate (soft palate type) as diagnosed by dynamic MRI, and four exhibited collapse at the position of the soft palate as well as the tongue (complex type). LAUP was performed on these eight patients with obstructive SAS (OSAS). After LAUP, the AHI of these eight patients with OSAS decreased significantly (p<0.05). The square measure of the pharynx of these eight patients was increased (p<0.01). The AHI of all four patients with soft-palate obstruction decreased, and the square measure of the pharynx of three of these four patients increased. The AHI of three of four patients with the complex type decreased, while the square measure of the pharynx of two of these four patients increased. (author)

Measurement of the square measure of the pharynx and the positional diagnosis of airway obstruction during obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by dynamic MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozuki, Taizo; Ohkubo, Yasuo; Abe, Kimihiko [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

2000-11-01

The purpose of this study was to apply dynamic MRI for the positional diagnosis of airway obstruction during snoring and sleep apnea and to compare the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and the square measure of the pharynx obtained before and after laser-assisted uvula-palate-pharyngoplasty (LAUP). From December 1997 to October 1998, dynamic MRI and overnight monitoring were performed at the hospital of Tokyo Medical University on 42 patients who complained of snoring and symptoms related to sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). Of the 42 patients, four exhibited collapse at the position of the soft palate (soft palate type) as diagnosed by dynamic MRI, and four exhibited collapse at the position of the soft palate as well as the tongue (complex type). LAUP was performed on these eight patients with obstructive SAS (OSAS). After LAUP, the AHI of these eight patients with OSAS decreased significantly (p<0.05). The square measure of the pharynx of these eight patients was increased (p<0.01). The AHI of all four patients with soft-palate obstruction decreased, and the square measure of the pharynx of three of these four patients increased. The AHI of three of four patients with the complex type decreased, while the square measure of the pharynx of two of these four patients increased. (author)

Reproducibility, and age, body-weight and gender dependency of candidate skeletal muscle MRI outcome measures in healthy volunteers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrow, Jasper M.; Reilly, Mary M.; Hanna, Michael G.; Sinclair, Christopher D.J.; Yousry, Tarek A.; Thornton, John S.; Fischmann, Arne

2014-01-01

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can potentially meet the pressing need for objective, sensitive, reproducible outcome measures in neuromuscular disease trials. We tested, in healthy volunteers, the consistency, reliability and sensitivity to normal inter-subject variation of MRI methods targeted to lower limb muscle pathology to inform the design of practical but comprehensive MRI outcome measure protocols for use in imminent patient studies. Forty-seven healthy volunteers, age 21-81 years, were subject at 3T to three-point Dixon fat-fraction measurement, T 1 -relaxometry, T 2 -relaxometry and magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) imaging at mid-thigh and mid-calf level bilaterally. Fifteen subjects underwent repeat imaging at 2 weeks. Mean between-muscle fat fraction and T 2 differences were small, but significant (p 2 correlated positively, and MTR negatively with subject age in both the thigh and calf, with similar significant correlations with weight at thigh level only (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Scan-rescan and inter-observer intra-class correlation coefficients ranged between 0.62-0.84 and 0.79-0.99 respectively. Quantitative lower-limb muscle MRI using readily implementable methods was sensitive enough to demonstrate inter-muscle differences (small in health), and correlations with subject age and weight. In combination with high reliability, this strongly supports the suitability of these methods to provide longitudinal outcome measures in neuromuscular disease treatment trials. (orig.)

MRI diagnosis of embryonal tumors in the spinal canal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Jilin; Zhang Xinchuan; Zhang Huaning; Liu Lianxiang; Wu Yujin

1997-01-01

To evaluate MRI diagnostic value of the embryonal tumors in the spinal canal. Materials and methods: The MRI appearances of 15 cases of histologically confirmed embryonal tumors in the spinal canal were analyzed. (1) Lipoma (3 cases) had characteristic MRI appearance, demonstrating high signal intensity on T 1 WI, and moderately high signal on T 2 WI. High signal intensity of the lipoma was turned into low signal intensity by fat suppression technique. (2) Dermoids (2 cases) and epidermoid (7 cases) exhibiting low or iso-low signal on T 1 WI and high or iso-high signal on T 2 WI. All had an iso-intense capsule on T 1 WI. However, the two tumors could not be distinguished from each other. (3) Teratoma (3 cases) appeared as a mass of inhomo-generous signals in the spinal canal including soft tissue, fatty tissue and calcification within the same tumor. The diagnosis of embryonal tumors in the spinal canal mainly depend on their MRI appearances, specific tumor location and patient's age

Radiation induced currents in MRI RF coils: application to linac/MRI integration

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, B.; Fallone, B. G.; Rathee, S.

2010-02-01

The integration of medical linear accelerators (linac) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems is advancing the current state of image-guided radiotherapy. The MRI in these integrated units will provide real-time, accurate tumor locations for radiotherapy treatment, thus decreasing geometric margins around tumors and reducing normal tissue damage. In the real-time operation of these integrated systems, the radiofrequency (RF) coils of MRI will be irradiated with radiation pulses from the linac. The effect of pulsed radiation on MRI radio frequency (RF) coils is not known and must be studied. The instantaneous radiation induced current (RIC) in two different MRI RF coils were measured and presented. The frequency spectra of the induced currents were calculated. Some basic characterization of the RIC was also done: isolation of the RF coil component responsible for RIC, dependence of RIC on dose rate, and effect of wax buildup placed on coil on RIC. Both the time and frequency characteristics of the RIC were seen to vary with the MRI RF coil used. The copper windings of the RF coils were isolated as the main source of RIC. A linear dependence on dose rate was seen. The RIC was decreased with wax buildup, suggesting an electronic disequilibrium as the cause of RIC. This study shows a measurable RIC present in MRI RF coils. This unwanted current could be possibly detrimental to the signal to noise ratio in MRI and produce image artifacts.

Comparison of ASL and DCE MRI for the non-invasive measurement of renal blood flow: quantification and reproducibility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cutajar, Marica; Hales, Patrick W.; Clark, Christopher A.; Gordon, Isky [UCL Institute of Child Health, Imaging and Biophysics Unit, London (United Kingdom); Thomas, David L. [UCL Institute of Neurology, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, London (United Kingdom); Banks, T. [Great Ormond Street Hospital, Department of Radiology, London (United Kingdom)

2014-06-15

To investigate the reproducibility of arterial spin labelling (ASL) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitatively compare these techniques for the measurement of renal blood flow (RBF). Sixteen healthy volunteers were examined on two different occasions. ASL was performed using a multi-TI FAIR labelling scheme with a segmented 3D-GRASE imaging module. DCE MRI was performed using a 3D-FLASH pulse sequence. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess repeatability of each technique, and determine the degree of correspondence between the two methods. The overall mean cortical renal blood flow (RBF) of the ASL group was 263 ± 41 ml min{sup -1} [100 ml tissue]{sup -1}, and using DCE MRI was 287 ± 70 ml min{sup -1} [100 ml tissue]{sup -1}. The group coefficient of variation (CV{sub g}) was 18 % for ASL and 28 % for DCE-MRI. Repeatability studies showed that ASL was more reproducible than DCE with CV{sub g}s of 16 % and 25 % for ASL and DCE respectively. Bland-Altman analysis comparing the two techniques showed a good agreement. The repeated measures analysis shows that the ASL technique has better reproducibility than DCE-MRI. Difference analysis shows no significant difference between the RBF values of the two techniques. (orig.)

Quantitative measurement of cerebral oxygen extraction fraction using MRI in patients with MELAS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Yu

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To quantify the cerebral OEF at different phases of stroke-like episodes in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS by using MRI. METHODS: We recruited 32 patients with MELAS confirmed by gene analysis. Conventional MRI scanning, as well as functional MRI including arterial spin labeling and oxygen extraction fraction imaging, was undertaken to obtain the pathological and metabolic information of the brains at different stages of stroke-like episodes in patients. A total of 16 MRI examinations at the acute and subacute phase and 19 examinations at the interictal phase were performed. In addition, 24 healthy volunteers were recruited for control subjects. Six regions of interest were placed in the anterior, middle, and posterior parts of the bilateral hemispheres to measure the OEF of the brain or the lesions. RESULTS: OEF was reduced significantly in brains of patients at both the acute and subacute phase (0.266 ± 0.026 and at the interictal phase (0.295 ± 0.009, compared with normal controls (0.316 ± 0.025. In the brains at the acute and subacute phase of the episode, 13 ROIs were prescribed on the stroke-like lesions, which showed decreased OEF compared with the contralateral spared brain regions. Increased blood flow was revealed in the stroke-like lesions at the acute and subacute phase, which was confined to the lesions. CONCLUSION: MRI can quantitatively show changes in OEF at different phases of stroke-like episodes. The utilization of oxygen in the brain seems to be reduced more severely after the onset of episodes in MELAS, especially for those brain tissues involved in the episodes.

Peripouch Fat Area Measured on MRI Image and Its Association With Adverse Pouch Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xian Hua; Chouhan, Hanumant; Liu, Gang Lei; Lan, Nan; Remer, Erick; Stocchi, Luca; Ashburn, Jean; Hull, Tracy L; Shen, Bo

2018-03-19

There are no published studies on the impact of peripouch fat on pouch outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Patients with pelvic MRI-DIXON scans from our prospectively maintained Pouch Database between 2002 and 2016 were evaluated. Peripouch fat area was measured on MRI-DIXON-F images at the middle height level of the pouch (area M) and the highest level of the pouch (area H). Of all 1863 patients in the database, 197 eligible patients were included in this study. The median of area M was 52.4 cm2, so the 197 patients were classified into 2 groups: group 1 (Area-M Area-M ≥52.4 cm2). Compared with group 1, group 2 was found to have thicker perianal fat, more Caucasian and more males. Group 2 also had a higher Area-H, more weight, height, and body mass index, along with greater age at IBD diagnosis, age at pouch construction and pouch age, and a higher frequency of total pouch complication (86.7% versus 66.7%, P = 0.001), chronic pouch complication (68.4% versus 51.5%, P = 0.016), and chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (16.3% versus 7.1%, P = 0.043). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that Area-M was an independent risk factor for chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (odds ratio [OR]: 1.025; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007-1.042, P = 0.005). The 22 patients with 2 or more pelvic MRI-DIXON scans were further classified into 2 groups by the change from the initial to latest MRI-DIXON scans. Patients with Area-M increase ≥10% and Area-M/height increase ≥10% were found to have shorter pouch survivals than those with increase <10%. A new method was established for measuring peripouch fat using pelvic MRI-DIXON-F image. Our study suggests that accumulation of peripouch fat may be associated with poor outcomes in selected IBD patients suspected of inflammatory or mechanical disorders of the pouch. Whether this association is causal warrants further investigation.

Cerebral hemodynamic changes measured by gradient-echo or spin-echo bolus tracking and its correlation to changes in ICA blood flow measured by phase-mapping MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marstrand, J.R.; Rostrup, Egill; Garde, Ellen

2001-01-01

Changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) induced by Acetazolamide (ACZ) were measured using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) with both spin echo (SE) EPI and gradient echo (GE) EPI, and related to changes in internal carotid artery (ICA) flow measured by phase-mapping. Also examined...... increase in CBF and CBV in response to ACZ, while SE-EPI measured a significant increase in CBV and MTT. CBV and MTT change measured by SE-EPI was sensitive to previous bolus injections. There was a significant linear relation between change in CBF measured by GE-EPI and change in ICA flow. In conclusion......, GE-EPI under the present condition was superior to SE-EPI in monitoring cerebral vascular changes...

Morphometric connectivity analysis to distinguish normal, mild cognitive impaired, and Alzheimer subjects based on brain MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erleben, Lene Lillemark; Sørensen, Lauge; Mysling, Peter

2013-01-01

This work investigates a novel way of looking at the regions in the brain and their relationship as possible markers to classify normal control (NC), mild cognitive impaired (MCI), and Alzheimer Disease (AD) subjects. MRI scans from a subset of 101 subjects from the ADNI study at baseline was used...

Can high frequency ultrasound and MRI diagnose malignant atheromatous plaque in vitro?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Shigeo; Nieminen, M.S.; Paananen, T.; Kahri, A.

1995-01-01

It remains a vital clinical issue how to diagnose malignant atheromatous plaques consisting of ulcerative plaque and hemorrhagic plaque, which are potential risks for thrombosis and the arterial spasm. This study proposes further investigations to develop methods in order to detect this type of lesions by echocardiography. In this study, we tested high frequency (7.5 MHz) US and 1.0 T MRI (Tl weighted SE, STIR; short time inversion recovery sequence, and Tl weighted fat suppression technique) for their precision in the diagnosis of atheromatous plaque as malignant or benign in postmortem human aorta. Ten hemorrhagic plaques were imaged as heterogeneous echo-pattern in the shoulder of plaques covered with high-echo capsule with US; however, these findings were also obtained from 2 of 16 non-hemorrhagic plaques. With TlSE, hemorrhagic plaques were revealed as mixed areas of reduced intensity and high intensity which were differentiated from fatty deposition with Tl weighted fat suppression technique. Ulcerative plaques were revealed as concave shaped plaques and diagnosed correctly with both methods. US was superior to MRI from the viewpoints of examination time and measuring wall thickness. US indicated intimal plus medial thickness of hemorrhagic plaque and non-hemorrhagic plaque at 4.3+1.1 mm and 3.0+1.0 mm (p<0.05) respectively. MRI was vulnerable to artifacts and its image was poorer in quality due to its lower resolution: however, probably because of its superior ability to distinguish fatty deposition from hemorrhage, MRI ultimately enabled more accurate diagnosis than US, as long as its image was fairly clear. The overall accuracies were 80% with US and 85.7% with MRI as confirmed by histological tests. From these results, the careful analysis of the two images obtained from US and MRI enables clinical diagnosis of malignant atheromatous plaques. (author)

Analysis of the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient values in distinguishing central nervous system toxoplasmosis from lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, Paul C.; Donovan Post, M. Judith; Bruce-Gregorios, Jocelyn; Oschatz, Elizabeth; Stadler, Alfred; Thurnher, Majda M.

2006-01-01

Toxoplasmosis and lymphoma are common lesions of the central nervous system in patients with AIDS. It is often difficult to distinguish between these lesions both clinically and radiographically. Previous research has demonstrated restricted diffusion within cerebral lymphomas and bacterial abscesses. However, little work has been done to evaluate the diffusion characteristics of toxoplasmosis lesions. This study was designed to explore further the utility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and values in making the distinction between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of 36 patients, including 22 with toxoplasmosis (all of whom had AIDS) and 14 with lymphoma (8 of whom had AIDS), at two institutions were reviewed retrospectively. The characteristics of the lesions on DWI were evaluated, and the ADC ratios of the lesions were calculated and compared. There was significant overlap of the ADC ratios of toxoplasma and lymphoma, most notably in the intermediate (1.0-1.6) range. There was variability in ADC ratios even among different lesions in the same patient. In only a minority of the lymphoma patients were the ADC ratios low enough to suggest the correct diagnosis. Our study showed that toxoplasmosis exhibits a wide spectrum of diffusion characteristics with ADC ratios which have significant overlap with those of lymphoma. Therefore, in the majority of patients, ADC ratios are not definitive in making the distinction between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma. (orig.)

Analysis of the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient values in distinguishing central nervous system toxoplasmosis from lymphoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroeder, Paul C.; Donovan Post, M. Judith; Bruce-Gregorios, Jocelyn [University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL (United States); Oschatz, Elizabeth; Stadler, Alfred; Thurnher, Majda M. [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Radiology Neuroradiology Section, Vienna (Austria)

2006-10-15

Toxoplasmosis and lymphoma are common lesions of the central nervous system in patients with AIDS. It is often difficult to distinguish between these lesions both clinically and radiographically. Previous research has demonstrated restricted diffusion within cerebral lymphomas and bacterial abscesses. However, little work has been done to evaluate the diffusion characteristics of toxoplasmosis lesions. This study was designed to explore further the utility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and values in making the distinction between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of 36 patients, including 22 with toxoplasmosis (all of whom had AIDS) and 14 with lymphoma (8 of whom had AIDS), at two institutions were reviewed retrospectively. The characteristics of the lesions on DWI were evaluated, and the ADC ratios of the lesions were calculated and compared. There was significant overlap of the ADC ratios of toxoplasma and lymphoma, most notably in the intermediate (1.0-1.6) range. There was variability in ADC ratios even among different lesions in the same patient. In only a minority of the lymphoma patients were the ADC ratios low enough to suggest the correct diagnosis. Our study showed that toxoplasmosis exhibits a wide spectrum of diffusion characteristics with ADC ratios which have significant overlap with those of lymphoma. Therefore, in the majority of patients, ADC ratios are not definitive in making the distinction between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma. (orig.)

Cerebral Blood Flow Measurement Using fMRI and PET: A Cross-Validation Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean J. Chen

2008-01-01

Full Text Available An important aspect of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI is the study of brain hemodynamics, and MR arterial spin labeling (ASL perfusion imaging has gained wide acceptance as a robust and noninvasive technique. However, the cerebral blood flow (CBF measurements obtained with ASL fMRI have not been fully validated, particularly during global CBF modulations. We present a comparison of cerebral blood flow changes (ΔCBF measured using a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR ASL perfusion method to those obtained using H2O15 PET, which is the current gold standard for in vivo imaging of CBF. To study regional and global CBF changes, a group of 10 healthy volunteers were imaged under identical experimental conditions during presentation of 5 levels of visual stimulation and one level of hypercapnia. The CBF changes were compared using 3 types of region-of-interest (ROI masks. FAIR measurements of CBF changes were found to be slightly lower than those measured with PET (average ΔCBF of 21.5±8.2% for FAIR versus 28.2±12.8% for PET at maximum stimulation intensity. Nonetheless, there was a strong correlation between measurements of the two modalities. Finally, a t-test comparison of the slopes of the linear fits of PET versus ASL ΔCBF for all 3 ROI types indicated no significant difference from unity (P>.05.

MRI to predict prostate growth and development in children, adolescents and young adults

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Jing; Liu, Huijia; Wen, Didi; Huang, Xufang; Ren, Fang; Huan, Yi [Fourth Military Medical University, Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Xi' an City (China); Wang, He [Fourth Military Medical University, Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Xi' an City (China)

2014-08-06

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of MRI in predicting prostate growth and development. A total of 1,500 healthy male volunteers who underwent MRI of the pelvis were included in this prospective study. Subjects were divided into five groups according to age (group A, 2-5 years; group B, 6-10 years; group C, 11-15 years; group D, 16-20 years; group E, 21-25 years). Total prostate volume (TPV) as well as prostate central zone (CZ) and peripheral zone (PZ) were measured and evaluated on MRI. Data of the different groups were compared using variance analysis, Scheffe's method, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and Pearson's correlation. Statistical significance was inferred at P < 0.05. In groups A and B, the prostates were barely visible. In group C, although TPV was measured, it was hard to distinguish CZ and PZ. In group D, 136 CZ and PZ were clearly visible. In group E, 377 CZ and PZ were clearly visible on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). The median TPVs of groups A, B, C, D, and E were 0.00 cm{sup 3}, 0.05 cm{sup 3}, 2.83 cm{sup 3}, 8.32 cm{sup 3,} and 11.56 cm{sup 3}, respectively, and the median prostate development scores were 0.08, 0.69, 1.56, 2.38, and 2.74, respectively. Both TPVs and zonal anatomy scores varied significantly among the five groups (P = 0.000). TPV and zonal anatomy score increased with increasing age. MRI provides a reliable quantitative reference for prostate growth and development. (orig.)

MRI measurements of intracranial pressure in the upright posture: The effect of the hydrostatic pressure gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Alperin, Noam; Lee, Sang H; Bagci, Ahmet M

2015-10-01

To add the hydrostatic component of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived intracranial pressure (ICP) measurements in the upright posture for derivation of pressure value in a central cranial location often used in invasive ICP measurements. Additional analyses were performed using data previously collected from 10 healthy subjects scanned in supine and sitting positions with a 0.5T vertical gap MRI scanner (GE Medical). Pulsatile blood and CSF flows to and from the brain were quantified using cine phase-contrast. Intracranial compliance and pressure were calculated using a previously described method. The vertical distance between the location of the CSF flow measurement and a central cranial location was measured manually in the mid-sagittal T1 -weighted image obtained in the upright posture. The hydrostatic pressure gradient of a CSF column with similar height was then added to the MR-ICP value. After adjustment for the hydrostatic component, the mean ICP value was reduced by 7.6 mmHg. Mean ICP referenced to the central cranial level was -3.4 ± 1.7 mmHg compared to the unadjusted value of +4.3 ± 1.8 mmHg. In the upright posture, the hydrostatic pressure component needs to be added to the MRI-derived ICP values for compatibility with invasive ICP at a central cranial location. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adrenal pseudomasses due to varices: angiographic-CT-MRI-pathologic correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brady, T.M.; Gross, B.H.; Glazer, G.M.; Williams, D.M.

1985-01-01

Periadrenal and adrenal portosystemic collaterals are a recently reported cause of adrenal pseudotumor on computed tomography (CT). Nine patients with this left adrenal pseudotumor illustrate its typical position and appearance on CT, angiography, CT-angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The anatomic basis for variceal adrenal pseudotumors is the left inferior phrenic vein, which passes immediately anterior to the left adrenal gland and which serves as a collateral pathway from splenic to left renal vein in portal hypertension. Thus, unlike previously described adrenal pseudotumors, these venous collaterals are not anatomically distinguishable from the adrenal gland on CT. Bolus dynamic CT is usually diagnostic, but in equivocal cases, MRI may prove useful

Adrenal pseudomasses due to varices: angiographic-CT-MRI-pathologic correlations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brady, T.M.; Gross, B.H.; Glazer, G.M. Williams, D.M.

1985-08-01

Periadrenal and adrenal portosystemic collaterals are a recently reported cause of adrenal pseudotumor on computed tomography (CT). Nine patients with this left adrenal pseudotumor illustrate its typical position and appearance on CT, angiography, CT-angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The anatomic basis for variceal adrenal pseudotumors is the left inferior phrenic vein, which passes immediately anterior to the left adrenal gland and which serves as a collateral pathway from splenic to left renal vein in portal hypertension. Thus, unlike previously described adrenal pseudotumors, these venous collaterals are not anatomically distinguishable from the adrenal gland on CT. Bolus dynamic CT is usually diagnostic, but in equivocal cases, MRI may prove useful.

Joint approach based on clinical and imaging features to distinguish non-neoplastic from neoplastic pituitary stalk lesions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Ye Lee

Full Text Available Distinguishing non-neoplastic pituitary stalk lesions (non-NPSLs from neoplastic pituitary stalk lesions (NPSLs is a major concern in guiding treatment for a thickened pituitary stalk. Our study aimed to aid provide preoperative diagnostic assistance by combining clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI findings to distinguish non-NPSLs from NPSLs.We recruited 158 patients with thickened pituitary stalk lesions visible on MRI. Laboratory findings included hypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus (DI, and hyperprolactinemia. MR images were assessed for anterior-posterior thickness (mm, diffuse pituitary stalk thickening, cystic changes, a high T1 signal, and glandular or extrasellar involvement. A diagnostic model was developed using a recursive partitioning logistic regression analysis. The model was validated in an independent dataset comprising 63 patients, and its diagnostic performance was compared with that of the original radiological reports.A univariate analysis found significant associations of DI (P = 0.006, absence of extrasellar involvement (P = 0.002, and lower stalk thickness (P = 0.031 with non-NPSLs. A diagnostic model was created using the following parameters (in order of priority: 1 lack of extrasellar involvement, 2 stalk thickness < 5.3 mm, and 3 presence of DI. The diagnostic performance (area under the curve; AUC of this model in the independent set was 0.813, representing a significant improvement over the original radiological reports (AUC: 0.713, P = 0.029.The joint diagnostic approach based on clinical and imaging-based factors robustly distinguished non-NPSLs from NPSLs. This approach could guide treatment strategies and prevent unnecessary surgery in patients with non-NPSL.

Differing Time of Onset of Concurrent TMS-fMRI during Associative Memory Encoding: A Measure of Dynamic Connectivity

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Colin Hawco

2017-08-01

Full Text Available There has been a distinct shift in neuroimaging from localization of function into a more network based approach focused on connectivity. While fMRI has proven very fruitful for this, the hemodynamic signal is inherently slow which limits the temporal resolution of fMRI-only connectivity measures. The brain, however, works on a time scale of milliseconds. This study utilized concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS-fMRI in a novel way to obtain measures of dynamic connectivity by measuring changes in fMRI signal amplitude in regions distal to the site of stimulation following differing TMS onset times. Seventeen healthy subjects completed an associative memory encoding task known to involve the DLPFC, viewing pairs of objects which could be semantically related or unrelated. Three pulses of 10 Hz repetitive TMS were applied over the left DLPFC starting either at 200, 600, or 1000 ms after stimulus onset. Associations for related pairs were better remembered than unrelated pairs in a post-scan cued recall test. Differences in neural activity were assessed across different TMS onsets, separately for related and unrelated pairs. Time specific TMS effects were observed in several regions, including those associated with higher-level processing (lateral frontal, anterior cingulate, visual areas (occipital, and regions involved in semantic processing (e.g., left mid-temporal and medial frontal. Activity in the frontal cortex was decreased at 200 ms post-stimulus for unrelated pairs, and 1000 ms post-stimulus for related pairs. This suggests differences in the timing across conditions in which the DLFPC interacts with other PFC regions, consistent with the notion that the DLPFC is facilitating extended semantic processing for related items. This study demonstrates that time-varying TMS onset inside the MRI can be used to reliably measure fast dynamic connectivity with a temporal resolution in the hundreds of milliseconds.

Reproducibility, and age, body-weight and gender dependency of candidate skeletal muscle MRI outcome measures in healthy volunteers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrow, Jasper M.; Reilly, Mary M.; Hanna, Michael G. [UCL Institute of Neurology, Medical Research Council Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, London (United Kingdom); Sinclair, Christopher D.J.; Yousry, Tarek A.; Thornton, John S. [UCL Institute of Neurology, Medical Research Council Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, London (United Kingdom); UCL Institute of Neurology, Neuroradiological Academic Unit, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, London (United Kingdom); Fischmann, Arne [University of Basel Hospital, Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Basel (Switzerland)

2014-07-15

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can potentially meet the pressing need for objective, sensitive, reproducible outcome measures in neuromuscular disease trials. We tested, in healthy volunteers, the consistency, reliability and sensitivity to normal inter-subject variation of MRI methods targeted to lower limb muscle pathology to inform the design of practical but comprehensive MRI outcome measure protocols for use in imminent patient studies. Forty-seven healthy volunteers, age 21-81 years, were subject at 3T to three-point Dixon fat-fraction measurement, T{sub 1}-relaxometry, T{sub 2}-relaxometry and magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) imaging at mid-thigh and mid-calf level bilaterally. Fifteen subjects underwent repeat imaging at 2 weeks. Mean between-muscle fat fraction and T{sub 2} differences were small, but significant (p < 0.001). Fat fraction and T{sub 2} correlated positively, and MTR negatively with subject age in both the thigh and calf, with similar significant correlations with weight at thigh level only (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Scan-rescan and inter-observer intra-class correlation coefficients ranged between 0.62-0.84 and 0.79-0.99 respectively. Quantitative lower-limb muscle MRI using readily implementable methods was sensitive enough to demonstrate inter-muscle differences (small in health), and correlations with subject age and weight. In combination with high reliability, this strongly supports the suitability of these methods to provide longitudinal outcome measures in neuromuscular disease treatment trials. (orig.)

Combined 18F-Fluciclovine PET/MRI Shows Potential for Detection and Characterization of High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Elschot, Mattijs; Selnæs, Kirsten M; Sandsmark, Elise; Krüger-Stokke, Brage; Størkersen, Øystein; Giskeødegård, Guro F; Tessem, May-Britt; Moestue, Siver A; Bertilsson, Helena; Bathen, Tone F

2018-05-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether quantitative imaging features derived from combined 18 F-fluciclovine PET/multiparametric MRI show potential for detection and characterization of primary prostate cancer. Methods: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer underwent simultaneous 18 F-fluciclovine PET/MRI before radical prostatectomy. Volumes of interest (VOIs) for prostate tumors, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) nodules, prostatitis, and healthy tissue were delineated on T2-weighted images, using histology as a reference. Tumor VOIs were marked as high-grade (≥Gleason grade group 3) or not. MRI and PET features were extracted on the voxel and VOI levels. Partial least-squared discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with double leave-one-patient-out cross-validation was performed to distinguish tumors from benign tissue (BPH, prostatitis, or healthy tissue) and high-grade tumors from other tissue (low-grade tumors or benign tissue). The performance levels of PET, MRI, and combined PET/MRI features were compared using the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Voxel and VOI features were extracted from 40 tumor VOIs (26 high-grade), 36 BPH VOIs, 6 prostatitis VOIs, and 37 healthy-tissue VOIs. PET/MRI performed better than MRI and PET alone for distinguishing tumors from benign tissue (AUCs of 87%, 81%, and 83%, respectively, at the voxel level and 96%, 93%, and 93%, respectively, at the VOI level) and high-grade tumors from other tissue (AUCs of 85%, 79%, and 81%, respectively, at the voxel level and 93%, 93%, and 91%, respectively, at the VOI level). T2-weighted MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, and PET features were the most important for classification. Conclusion: Combined 18 F-fluciclovine PET/multiparametric MRI shows potential for improving detection and characterization of high-risk prostate cancer, in comparison to MRI and PET alone. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular

Cerebrospinal fluid volumetric MRI mapping as a simple measurement for evaluating brain atrophy

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Vis, J.B. de; Zwanenburg, J.J.; Kleij, L.A. van der; Spijkerman, J.M.; Hendrikse, J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Biessels, G.J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht (Netherlands); Petersen, E.T. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Hvidovre Hospital, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre (Denmark)

2016-05-15

To assess whether volumetric cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) MRI can be used as a surrogate for brain atrophy assessment and to evaluate how the T{sub 2} of the CSF relates to brain atrophy. Twenty-eight subjects [mean age 64 (sd 2) years] were included; T{sub 1}-weighted and CSF MRI were performed. The first echo data of the CSF MRI sequence was used to obtain intracranial volume, CSF partial volume was measured voxel-wise to obtain CSF volume (V{sub CSF}) and the T{sub 2} of CSF (T{sub 2,CSF}) was calculated. The correlation between V{sub CSF} / T{sub 2,CSF} and brain atrophy scores [global cortical atrophy (GCA) and medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA)] was evaluated. Relative total, peripheral subarachnoidal, and ventricular V{sub CSF} increased significantly with increased scores on the GCA and MTA (R = 0.83, 0.78 and 0.78 and R = 0.72, 0.62 and 0.86). Total, peripheral subarachnoidal, and ventricular T{sub 2} of the CSF increased significantly with higher scores on the GCA and MTA (R = 0.72, 0.70 and 0.49 and R = 0.60, 0.57 and 0.41). A fast, fully automated CSF MRI volumetric sequence is an alternative for qualitative atrophy scales. The T{sub 2} of the CSF is related to brain atrophy and could thus be a marker of neurodegenerative disease. (orig.)

MRI volume measurement of basal ganglia volumes in patients with Tourette's syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Jie; Li Kuncheng; Cao Yanxiang; Zhang Miao; Sui Xin; Zhang Xiaohua

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate MRI measurement of basal ganglia volumes in patients with Tourette's syndrome. Methods: Ten patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and 10 healthy volunteers were studied. Volumes of bilateral caudate, putamen and pallidum were measured, and the results were analyzed using paired t test. The basal ganglia volume was normalized according to individual brain volume. The basal ganglia volumes of TS patients were compared with normal control group using independent-sample t test. Results: In 10 healthy volunteers, volumes of the left caudate, putamen, pallidum were significantly larger compared with those of the right side (P 0.05) in TS patients. After normalized processing, the volumes of the left caudate (7.06 ± 0.48) cm 3 , putamen (8.81±1.01) cm 3 , pallidum (2.64± 0.38) cm 3 were smaller than those of control group [caudate (11.05±1.86) cm 3 , putamen (9.97± 1.11) cm 3 , pallidum (3.04±0.37) cm 3 ] (t=-6.577, -2.457, -2.376, P 3 in TS patients was significantly smaller compared with the control group (9.81±1.83) cm 3 (t=-4.258, P 0.05). Conclusion: The basal ganglia volumes were significantly decreased in patients with TS. MRI volumetric measurement was an important tool for evaluating pathologic changes of TS. (authors)

The Influence of Preprocessing Steps on Graph Theory Measures Derived from Resting State fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Gargouri, Fatma; Kallel, Fathi; Delphine, Sebastien; Ben Hamida, Ahmed; Lehéricy, Stéphane; Valabregue, Romain

2018-01-01

Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is an imaging technique that allows the spontaneous activity of the brain to be measured. Measures of functional connectivity highly depend on the quality of the BOLD signal data processing. In this study, our aim was to study the influence of preprocessing steps and their order of application on small-world topology and their efficiency in resting state fMRI data analysis using graph theory. We applied the most standard preprocessing steps: slice-timing, realign, smoothing, filtering, and the tCompCor method. In particular, we were interested in how preprocessing can retain the small-world economic properties and how to maximize the local and global efficiency of a network while minimizing the cost. Tests that we conducted in 54 healthy subjects showed that the choice and ordering of preprocessing steps impacted the graph measures. We found that the csr (where we applied realignment, smoothing, and tCompCor as a final step) and the scr (where we applied realignment, tCompCor and smoothing as a final step) strategies had the highest mean values of global efficiency (eg) . Furthermore, we found that the fscr strategy (where we applied realignment, tCompCor, smoothing, and filtering as a final step), had the highest mean local efficiency (el) values. These results confirm that the graph theory measures of functional connectivity depend on the ordering of the processing steps, with the best results being obtained using smoothing and tCompCor as the final steps for global efficiency with additional filtering for local efficiency.

The Influence of Preprocessing Steps on Graph Theory Measures Derived from Resting State fMRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatma Gargouri

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI is an imaging technique that allows the spontaneous activity of the brain to be measured. Measures of functional connectivity highly depend on the quality of the BOLD signal data processing. In this study, our aim was to study the influence of preprocessing steps and their order of application on small-world topology and their efficiency in resting state fMRI data analysis using graph theory. We applied the most standard preprocessing steps: slice-timing, realign, smoothing, filtering, and the tCompCor method. In particular, we were interested in how preprocessing can retain the small-world economic properties and how to maximize the local and global efficiency of a network while minimizing the cost. Tests that we conducted in 54 healthy subjects showed that the choice and ordering of preprocessing steps impacted the graph measures. We found that the csr (where we applied realignment, smoothing, and tCompCor as a final step and the scr (where we applied realignment, tCompCor and smoothing as a final step strategies had the highest mean values of global efficiency (eg. Furthermore, we found that the fscr strategy (where we applied realignment, tCompCor, smoothing, and filtering as a final step, had the highest mean local efficiency (el values. These results confirm that the graph theory measures of functional connectivity depend on the ordering of the processing steps, with the best results being obtained using smoothing and tCompCor as the final steps for global efficiency with additional filtering for local efficiency.

The Influence of Preprocessing Steps on Graph Theory Measures Derived from Resting State fMRI

Science.gov (United States)

Gargouri, Fatma; Kallel, Fathi; Delphine, Sebastien; Ben Hamida, Ahmed; Lehéricy, Stéphane; Valabregue, Romain

2018-01-01

Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is an imaging technique that allows the spontaneous activity of the brain to be measured. Measures of functional connectivity highly depend on the quality of the BOLD signal data processing. In this study, our aim was to study the influence of preprocessing steps and their order of application on small-world topology and their efficiency in resting state fMRI data analysis using graph theory. We applied the most standard preprocessing steps: slice-timing, realign, smoothing, filtering, and the tCompCor method. In particular, we were interested in how preprocessing can retain the small-world economic properties and how to maximize the local and global efficiency of a network while minimizing the cost. Tests that we conducted in 54 healthy subjects showed that the choice and ordering of preprocessing steps impacted the graph measures. We found that the csr (where we applied realignment, smoothing, and tCompCor as a final step) and the scr (where we applied realignment, tCompCor and smoothing as a final step) strategies had the highest mean values of global efficiency (eg). Furthermore, we found that the fscr strategy (where we applied realignment, tCompCor, smoothing, and filtering as a final step), had the highest mean local efficiency (el) values. These results confirm that the graph theory measures of functional connectivity depend on the ordering of the processing steps, with the best results being obtained using smoothing and tCompCor as the final steps for global efficiency with additional filtering for local efficiency. PMID:29497372

Studying neuroanatomy using MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerch, Jason P; van der Kouwe, André J W; Raznahan, Armin; Paus, Tomáš; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Miller, Karla L; Smith, Stephen M; Fischl, Bruce; Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N

2017-02-23

The study of neuroanatomy using imaging enables key insights into how our brains function, are shaped by genes and environment, and change with development, aging and disease. Developments in MRI acquisition, image processing and data modeling have been key to these advances. However, MRI provides an indirect measurement of the biological signals we aim to investigate. Thus, artifacts and key questions of correct interpretation can confound the readouts provided by anatomical MRI. In this review we provide an overview of the methods for measuring macro- and mesoscopic structure and for inferring microstructural properties; we also describe key artifacts and confounds that can lead to incorrect conclusions. Ultimately, we believe that, although methods need to improve and caution is required in interpretation, structural MRI continues to have great promise in furthering our understanding of how the brain works.

Position and width of normal adult optic chiasm as measured in coronal MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Myung Soon; Park, Jin Sook

1994-01-01

To evaluate the position and transverse dimension of the adult optic chiasm in normal Korean adult. The authors analysed 3D coronal volume images (TR/TE=30/13, flip angle=30 .deg. ) of 136 normal adult subjects without known visual abnormality. All MRI examinations were performed using a 0.5T system. MRI was reviewed retrospectively to determine the position (horizontal and tilted) of the potic chiosm and the transverse dimension of the optic chiasm was measured. Seventy- five (55%) of the 136 normal subjects had horizontal position, and sixty-one (45%) had tilted position. Thirty- eight (62%) of 61 with tilted position showed higher position on the right side, and twenty-three (38%) showed higher position on the side. The average transverse dimension(mean SD) was 15.2 ± 0.7mm in men and 14.6 ± 1.0mm in women. The difference of transverse dimension between men and women was statistically significant. Tilted position of the adult optic chiasm on coronal MRI was seen in approximately half of normal adults. The average of transverse dimension of normal optic chiasm was 15mm

MRI of peripheral nerve lesions of the lower limbs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacour-Petit, M.C.; Ducreux, D. [Dept. of Neuroradiology, Hopital Bicetre, Kremlin-Bicetre (France); Lozeron, P. [Dept. of Neurology, Hopital Bicetre, Kremlin-Bicetre (France)

2003-03-01

Our aim is to illustrate the contribution of MRI to diagnosis of lesions of the lower-limb nerve trunks. We report six patients who had clinical and electrophysiological examination for a peroneal or tibial nerve palsy. MRI of the knee showed in three cases a nonenhancing cystic lesion of the peroneal nerve suggesting an intraneural ganglion cyst, confirmed by histological study in one case. One patient with known neurofibromatosis had an enhancing nodular lesion of the peroneal nerve compatible with a neurofibroma. Two patients had diffuse hypertrophy with high signal on T2-weighted images, without contrast enhancement of the sciatic nerve or its branches. These lesions were compatible with localised hypertrophic neuropathy. In one case, biopsy of the superficial branch of the peroneal nerve showed insignificant axonal degeneration. MRI can provide information about the size and site of the abnormal segment of a nerve before treatment and can be used to distinguish different patterns of focal lesion. (orig.)

Machine learning algorithm accurately detects fMRI signature of vulnerability to major depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, João R; Moll, Jorge; Green, Sophie; Deakin, John F W; Thomaz, Carlos E; Zahn, Roland

2015-08-30

Standard functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses cannot assess the potential of a neuroimaging signature as a biomarker to predict individual vulnerability to major depression (MD). Here, we use machine learning for the first time to address this question. Using a recently identified neural signature of guilt-selective functional disconnection, the classification algorithm was able to distinguish remitted MD from control participants with 78.3% accuracy. This demonstrates the high potential of our fMRI signature as a biomarker of MD vulnerability. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of MRI in the diagnosis of dementia of the Alzheimer type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanyu, Haruo; Nakano, Seigo; Abe, Shin-e; Arai, Hisayuki; Iwamoto, Toshihiko; Takasaki, Masaru

1994-01-01

MRI of 31 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) (mean age 74.7 years) were studied to detect characteristic findings, and compared with those of 24 normal elderly controls (mean age 74.1 years). Atrophy was quantitated by planimetric and linear measurements, and periventricular and deep white matter signal abnormalities were assessed by subjective ratings. Although we observed significant differences between the DAT patients and controls, there was overlap in each of the measurements. Of these, the ratio of the temporal horn area and the pattern of linear measurements (the width of the temporal horn body - the medial temporal lobe width - the interuncal distance) best distinguished the DAT patients from controls. Twenty-five patients (81%) had a ratio of the temporal horn area larger than the value of the mean +2SD of the controls. AV-shaped pattern, in which the medial temporal lobe width was smaller than the other two values, was demonstrated in 84% of the patients and only 8% of the controls. Although signal abnormalities were not useful for diagnostic purpose, periventricular hyperintensities were more commonly seen in the DAT patients than in the controls, and correlated with cognitive function. MRI studies suggest that the assessment of medial temporal lobe atrophy is useful in the diagnosis of DAT, and periventricular hyperintensity may be related in some way to the disease process. (author)

Use of MRI in the diagnosis of dementia of the Alzheimer type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanyu, Haruo; Nakano, Seigo; Abe, Shin-e; Arai, Hisayuki; Iwamoto, Toshihiko; Takasaki, Masaru [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

1994-05-01

MRI of 31 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) (mean age 74.7 years) were studied to detect characteristic findings, and compared with those of 24 normal elderly controls (mean age 74.1 years). Atrophy was quantitated by planimetric and linear measurements, and periventricular and deep white matter signal abnormalities were assessed by subjective ratings. Although we observed significant differences between the DAT patients and controls, there was overlap in each of the measurements. Of these, the ratio of the temporal horn area and the pattern of linear measurements (the width of the temporal horn body - the medial temporal lobe width - the interuncal distance) best distinguished the DAT patients from controls. Twenty-five patients (81%) had a ratio of the temporal horn area larger than the value of the mean +2SD of the controls. AV-shaped pattern, in which the medial temporal lobe width was smaller than the other two values, was demonstrated in 84% of the patients and only 8% of the controls. Although signal abnormalities were not useful for diagnostic purpose, periventricular hyperintensities were more commonly seen in the DAT patients than in the controls, and correlated with cognitive function. MRI studies suggest that the assessment of medial temporal lobe atrophy is useful in the diagnosis of DAT, and periventricular hyperintensity may be related in some way to the disease process. (author).

Usefulness of ACR MRI phantom for quality assurance of MRI instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Whee; Ahn, Kook Jin; Lee, Seung Koo; Na, Dong Gyu; Oh, Chang Hyun; Chang, Yong Min; Lim, Tae Hwan

2006-01-01

To examine whether the ACR phantom could be used in quality standards for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instruments in Korea. We conducted the phantom test using the ACR MRI phantom in 20 MRI instruments currently used in Korea. According to ACR criteria, we acquired the phantom images which were then assessed by the following seven tests: geometric accuracy, high spatial resolution, slice thickness accuracy, slice position accuracy, image intensity uniformity, percent signal ghosting, and low contrast object detectability. The phantom images were interpreted by three experienced radiologists according to ACR criteria. Then, we examined the failure rate of each test and evaluated the inter-observer variation in the measurements and test failure. The failure rate of each test could be broken into the following components: geometric accuracy (11-21%), high contrast spatial resolution (10-15%), slice thickness accuracy(6-22%), slice position accuracy (5-17%), image intensity uniformity (6%), percent signal ghosting (16%), and low contrast object detectability (8-10%). In this series, all the failure rates were less than 30%. In addition, no inter-observer variation was seen in the measurements and test failure. ACR MRI phantom promises to be established as the standard phantom for MRI instruments in Korea because of its objectivity in assessing the phantom images

A novel approach to calibrate the Hemodynamic Model using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measurements

KAUST Repository

Khoram, Nafiseh

2016-01-21

Background The calibration of the hemodynamic model that describes changes in blood flow and blood oxygenation during brain activation is a crucial step for successfully monitoring and possibly predicting brain activity. This in turn has the potential to provide diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases in early stages. New Method We propose an efficient numerical procedure for calibrating the hemodynamic model using some fMRI measurements. The proposed solution methodology is a regularized iterative method equipped with a Kalman filtering-type procedure. The Newton component of the proposed method addresses the nonlinear aspect of the problem. The regularization feature is used to ensure the stability of the algorithm. The Kalman filter procedure is incorporated here to address the noise in the data. Results Numerical results obtained with synthetic data as well as with real fMRI measurements are presented to illustrate the accuracy, robustness to the noise, and the cost-effectiveness of the proposed method. Comparison with Existing Method(s) We present numerical results that clearly demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the Cubature Kalman Filter (CKF), one of the most prominent existing numerical methods. Conclusion We have designed an iterative numerical technique, called the TNM-CKF algorithm, for calibrating the mathematical model that describes the single-event related brain response when fMRI measurements are given. The method appears to be highly accurate and effective in reconstructing the BOLD signal even when the measurements are tainted with high noise level (as high as 30%).

MRI features of peripheral traumatic neuromas

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Ahlawat, Shivani [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Musculoskeletal Radiology Section, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Belzberg, Allan J. [The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Baltimore, MD (United States); Montgomery, Elizabeth A. [The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Pathology, Oncology and Orthopedic Surgery, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fayad, Laura M. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Musculoskeletal Imaging Section Chief, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD (United States); The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2016-04-15

To describe the MRI appearance of traumatic neuromas on non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI sequences. This IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study retrospectively reviewed 13 subjects with 20 neuromas. Two observers reviewed pre-operative MRIs for imaging features of neuroma (size, margin, capsule, signal intensity, heterogeneity, enhancement, neurogenic features and denervation) and the nerve segment distal to the traumatic neuroma. Descriptive statistics were reported. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the relationship between size of neuroma and parent nerve. Of 20 neuromas, 13 were neuromas-in-continuity and seven were end-bulb neuromas. Neuromas had a mean size of 1.5 cm (range 0.6-4.8 cm), 100 % (20/20) had indistinct margins and 0 % (0/20) had a capsule. Eighty-eight percent (7/8) showed enhancement. All 100 % (20/20) had tail sign; 35 % (7/20) demonstrated discontinuity from the parent nerve. None showed a target sign. There was moderate positive correlation (r = 0.68, p = 0.001) with larger neuromas arising from larger parent nerves. MRI evaluation of the nerve segment distal to the neuroma showed increased size (mean size 0.5 cm ± 0.4 cm) compared to the parent nerve (mean size 0.3 cm ± 0.2 cm). Since MRI features of neuromas include enhancement, intravenous contrast medium cannot be used to distinguish neuromas from peripheral nerve sheath tumours. The clinical history of trauma with the lack of a target sign are likely the most useful clues. (orig.)

A study of the exposure of subjects to RF radiation during MRI examinations. Measurement of the SAR of head parts and the evaluation of the measured values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Masayuki; Koga, Sukehiko; Sugie, Masami; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Anno, Hirofumi; Katada, Kazuhiro.

1996-01-01

Recently, as the fast spin echo technique has become prevailing among all the techniques in this line, there has been an increasing interest in the exposure of subjects to radiofrequency (RF) radiation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. On the other hand, there have been no reports about the safety of the MRI examination in Japan. For this reason, in this study, the authors aimed to evaluate the extent of the exposure of subjects to RF radiation during MRI examinations, and measured the specific absorption rate (SAR) of spherical phantoms, which assumed to be adult heads, by using the procedures set forth in two safety guidelines respectively: the 1988 Guideline of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the 1995 Standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). As a result of the measurement, it was found that the highest value of the SAR was 1.361 W/kg, which stayed far below the upper limits set forth by the respective safety guidelines referred to in the above. However, the measured values of the SAR varied depending on the respective measuring procedures. As both the measuring procedures are equivalent theoretically, the authors consider the variance to be very important. (author)

Pharmacologic MRI (phMRI) as a tool to differentiate Parkinson's disease-related from age-related changes in basal ganglia function.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Anders H; Hardy, Peter A; Forman, Eric; Gerhardt, Greg A; Gash, Don M; Grondin, Richard C; Zhang, Zhiming

2015-02-01

The prevalence of both parkinsonian signs and Parkinson's disease (PD) per se increases with age. Although the pathophysiology of PD has been studied extensively, less is known about the functional changes taking place in the basal ganglia circuitry with age. To specifically address this issue, 3 groups of rhesus macaques were studied: normal middle-aged animals (used as controls), middle-aged animals with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced parkinsonism, and aged animals (>20 years old) with declines in motor function. All animals underwent the same behavioral and pharmacologic magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) procedures to measure changes in basal ganglia function in response to dopaminergic drug challenges consisting of apomorphine administration followed by either a D1 (SCH23390) or a D2 (raclopride) receptor antagonist. Significant functional changes were predominantly seen in the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) in aged animals and in the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen) in MPTP-lesioned animals. Despite significant differences seen in the putamen and GPe between MPTP-lesioned versus aged animals, a similar response profile to dopaminergic stimulations was found between these 2 groups in the internal segment of the GP. In contrast, the pharmacologic responses seen in the control animals were much milder compared with the other 2 groups in all the examined areas. Our phMRI findings in MPTP-lesioned parkinsonian and aged animals suggest that changes in basal ganglia function in the elderly may differ from those seen in parkinsonian patients and that phMRI could be used to distinguish PD from other age-associated functional alterations in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvements in the diagnosis of chrondromalacia patellae (CMP) by MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, H.; Dinkelaker, F.; Wolf, K.J.

1991-01-01

The aim of this study was to improve the MRI diagnosis of CMP, with special reference to the early stages and accurate staging. For this purpose, the retropatellar cartilage was examined by MRI while compression was carried out, using 21 patients and five normal controls. Changes in cartilage thickness and signal intensity were evaluated quantitatively during FLASH and FISP sequences. CMP stage I could be distinguished from normal cartilage by reduction in cartilage thickness and signal increase from the oedematous cartilage during compression. In CMP stages II/III, abnormal protein deposition of collagen type I could be demonstrated by its compressibility. In stages III and IV, the method does not add any significant additional information. (orig./GDG) [de

Gadolinium-DOTA enhanced MRI of painful osseous crises in children with sickle cell anemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnerot, V.; Sebag, G.; Montalembert, M. de; Wioland, M.; Glorion, C.; Girot, R.; Lallemand, D.

1994-01-01

In order to evaluate the role of gadolinium-DOTA enhanced MRI in the management of painful osseous crises in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), nine children with SCA underwent MRI, bone scans and ultrasonographic studies during 11 osseous crises. Imaging findings were compared with the final diagnosis: three acute osteomyelitis (AO) and 16 acute infarcts (AI). MRI could not differentiate AO from AI. The appearance of severe AI was very misleading and was similar to the usual appearance of AO, including soft tissue changes, periosteal reaction and patterns of enhancement. Gadolinium-DOTA enhanced MRI was useful for determining the anatomic site and extent of AO or AI and for distinguishing between necrotic material, fluid collection and vascularized inflammatory tissue. It can also help to guide the aspiration of intraosseous, subperiosteal and soft tissue fluid collections. (orig.)

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhle, C. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Brossmann, J. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Melchert, U.H. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Schroeder, C. [Radiologische Abt., Universitaets-Kinderklinik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet, Kiel (Germany); Boer, R. de [Philips Medical Systems, Best (Netherlands); Spielmann, R.P. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Heller, M. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany)

1995-12-31

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhle, C.; Brossmann, J.; Melchert, U.H.; Schroeder, C.; Boer, R. de; Spielmann, R.P.; Heller, M.

1995-01-01

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Functional analysis of third ventriculostomy patency with phase-contrast MRI velocity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lev, S.; Bhadelia, R.A.; Estin, D.; Heilman, C.B.; Wolpert, S.M.

1997-01-01

Our purpose was to explore the utility of cine phase-contrast MRI velocity measurements in determining the functional status of third ventriculostomies, and to correlate the quantitative velocity data with clinical follow-up. We examined six patients with third ventriculostomies and 12 normal subjects by phase-contrast MRI. The maximum craniocaudal to maximum caudocranial velocity range was measured at regions of interest near the third ventricular floor, and in cerebrospinal fluid anterior to the upper pons and spinal cord on midline sagittal images. Ratios of the velocities of both the third ventricle and prepontine space to the space anterior to the spinal cord were obtained. The velocities near the third ventricular floor and in the pontine cistern were significantly higher in patients than in normal subjects, but the velocity anterior to the spinal cord was similar between the groups. The velocity ratios, used to normalize individual differences, were also higher in patients than in controls. Two patients had lower velocity ratios than their fellows at the third ventricular floor and in the pontine cistern; one required a shunt 11 months later, while in the other, who had a third ventricular/thalamic tumor, the lower values probably reflect distortion of the third ventricular floor. We conclude that phase-contrast MR velocity measurements, specifically the velocity ratio between the high pontine cistern and the space anterior to the spinal cord, can help determine the functional status of third ventriculostomies. (orig.)

Measurements of brain microstructure and connectivity with diffusion MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Po Lin

2011-12-01

Full Text Available By probing direction-dependent diffusivity of water molecules, diffusion MRI has shown its capability to reflect the microstructural tissue status and to estimate the neural orientation and pathways in the living brain. This approach has supplied novel insights into in-vivo human brain connections. By detecting the connection patterns, anatomical architecture and structural integrity between cortical regions or subcortical nuclei in the living human brain can be easily identified. It thus opens a new window on brain connectivity studies and disease processes. During the past years, there is a growing interest in exploring the connectivity patterns of the human brain. Specifically, the utilities of noninvasive neuroimaging data and graph theoretical analysis have provided important insights into the anatomical connections and topological pattern of human brain structural networks in vivo. Here, we review the progress of this important technique and the recent methodological and application studies utilizing graph theoretical approaches on brain structural networks with structural MRI and diffusion MRI.

Simultaneous pressure-volume measurements using optical sensors and MRI for left ventricle function assessment during animal experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Abi-Abdallah Rodriguez, Dima; Durand, Emmanuel; de Rochefort, Ludovic; Boudjemline, Younes; Mousseaux, Elie

2015-01-01

Simultaneous pressure and volume measurements enable the extraction of valuable parameters for left ventricle function assessment. Cardiac MR has proven to be the most accurate method for volume estimation. Nonetheless, measuring pressure simultaneously during MRI acquisitions remains a challenge given the magnetic nature of the widely used pressure transducers. In this study we show the feasibility of simultaneous in vivo pressure-volume acquisitions with MRI using optical pressure sensors. Pressure-volume loops were calculated while inducing three inotropic states in a sheep and functional indices were extracted, using single beat loops, to characterize systolic and diastolic performance. Functional indices evolved as expected in response to positive inotropic stimuli. The end-systolic elastance, representing the contractility index, the diastolic myocardium compliance, and the cardiac work efficiency all increased when inducing inotropic state enhancement. The association of MRI and optical pressure sensors within the left ventricle successfully enabled pressure-volume loop analysis after having respective data simultaneously recorded during the experimentation without the need to move the animal between each inotropic state. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variability of Measurement of Patellofemoral Indices with Knee Flexion and Quadriceps Contraction: An MRI-Based Anatomical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Laugharne, Edward; Bali, Navi; Purushothamdas, Sanjay; Almallah, Faris; Kundra, Rik

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of varying knee flexion and quadriceps activity on patellofemoral indices measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods MRI of the knee was performed in 20 patients for indications other than patellar or patellofemoral pathology. Axial and sagittal sequences were performed in full extension of the knee with the quadriceps relaxed, full extension of the knee with the quadriceps contracted, 30° flexion of the knee with the quadriceps relaxed, and 30° flexion with the quadriceps contracted. Bisect offset, patella tilt angle, Insall-Salvati ratio and Caton-Deschamps index were measured. Results With the knee flexed to 30° and quadriceps relaxed, the mean values of patellar tilt angle, bisect offset, Insall-Salvati ratio and Caton-Deschamps index were all within normal limits. With the knee extended and quadriceps contracted, the mean patellar tilt angle (normal value, patellofemoral indices. MRI taken with the knee in 30° of flexion allows more reliable assessment of the patellofemoral joint and minimises the confounding effect of quadriceps contraction. PMID:27894177

Brain capillary transit time heterogeneity in healthy volunteers measured by dynamic contrast-enhanced T₁-weighted perfusion MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsson, Henrik B.W.; Vestergaard, Mark B.; Lindberg, Ulrich

2017-01-01

Purpose: Capillary transit time heterogeneity, measured as CTH, may set the upper limit for extraction of substances in brain tissue, e.g., oxygen. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced T1 weighted MRI (DCE-MRI) at 3 Tesla (T), in estimating CTH...

MRI findings in the patients with the presumptive clinical diagnosis of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cakirer, Sinan [Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, Istanbul Sisli Etfal Hospital, 81120 Istanbul (Turkey)

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to present our experience in MRI diagnosis of 23 patients with the clinical findings suggesting Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS). Cranial MRI studies of the patients with a clinical history of at least one episode of unilateral or bilateral orbital and periorbital pain, and associated paresis of one or more of third to sixth cranial nerves, were performed on a 1.5-T MRI scanner. Whereas 5 patients had the diagnosis of THS, paracavernous meningiomas in 4 patients, pituitary macroadenomas with cavernous sinus infiltration in 3 patients, Meckel's cave neurinoma in 1 patient, and suprasellar epidermoid in 1 patient were surgically proven MRI findings. Other pathological MRI findings were leptomeningeal metastases in 3 patients, granulomatous pachymeningitis sequelae in 2 patients, and aneurysm with compression on cavernous sinus in 1 patient. Three patients had normal MRI findings. The incidence of radiologically proven diagnosis of THS among the patients with the clinical findings suggesting THS seemed to be low in our study. In conclusion, MRI is the most valuable imaging technique to distinguish THS from other THS-like entities, and permits a precise assessment, management, and therapeutic planning of the underlying pathological conditions. (orig.)

Variability of non-Gaussian diffusion MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) measurements in the breast.

Science.gov (United States)

Iima, Mami; Kataoka, Masako; Kanao, Shotaro; Kawai, Makiko; Onishi, Natsuko; Koyasu, Sho; Murata, Katsutoshi; Ohashi, Akane; Sakaguchi, Rena; Togashi, Kaori

2018-01-01

We prospectively examined the variability of non-Gaussian diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) measurements with different numbers of b-values and excitations in normal breast tissue and breast lesions. Thirteen volunteers and fourteen patients with breast lesions (seven malignant, eight benign; one patient had bilateral lesions) were recruited in this prospective study (approved by the Internal Review Board). Diffusion-weighted MRI was performed with 16 b-values (0-2500 s/mm2 with one number of excitations [NEX]) and five b-values (0-2500 s/mm2, 3 NEX), using a 3T breast MRI. Intravoxel incoherent motion (flowing blood volume fraction [fIVIM] and pseudodiffusion coefficient [D*]) and non-Gaussian diffusion (theoretical apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] at b value of 0 sec/mm2 [ADC0] and kurtosis [K]) parameters were estimated from IVIM and Kurtosis models using 16 b-values, and synthetic apparent diffusion coefficient (sADC) values were obtained from two key b-values. The variabilities between and within subjects and between different diffusion acquisition methods were estimated. There were no statistical differences in ADC0, K, or sADC values between the different b-values or NEX. A good agreement of diffusion parameters was observed between 16 b-values (one NEX), five b-values (one NEX), and five b-values (three NEX) in normal breast tissue or breast lesions. Insufficient agreement was observed for IVIM parameters. There were no statistical differences in the non-Gaussian diffusion MRI estimated values obtained from a different number of b-values or excitations in normal breast tissue or breast lesions. These data suggest that a limited MRI protocol using a few b-values might be relevant in a clinical setting for the estimation of non-Gaussian diffusion MRI parameters in normal breast tissue and breast lesions.

The association between Placental T2* measured by MRI in dichorionic twin pregnancies and intertwin birth weight differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Anne Nødgaard Weidemann; Sinding, Marianne Munk; Peters, David Alberg

ABSTRACT FINAL ID: P22.06 TITLE: The association between Placental T2* measured by MRI in dichorionic twin pregnancies and intertwin birth weight differences AUTHORS (FIRST NAME, LAST NAME): Anne Sørensen1, 2, Marianne Sinding1, David Peters3, Jens B. Frøkjær4, 2, Astrid Petersen6, Niels Uldbjerg5...... with an increased risk of adverse neonatal outcome, and new methods to predict the intertwin birth weight difference are highly clinical relevant. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) variable placentalT2* reflects placental oxygenation and thereby placental function. Therefore, we aimed to investigate...... the association between the intertwin placental T2* difference and the intertwin birth weight difference Methods: A total of 21 dichorionic twin pregnancies (gestational age 20.1 – 34.1 weeks) were included in this study and placental T2* was measured using a gradient recalled echo MRI sequence with readout at 16...

Right temporal cortical hypertrophy in resilience to trauma: an MRI study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Sevenius Nilsen

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: In studies employing physiological measures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, it is often hard to distinguish what constitutes risk-resilience factors to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD following trauma exposure and what the effects of trauma exposure and PTSD are. Objective: We aimed to investigate whether there were observable morphological differences in cortical and sub-cortical regions of the brain, 7–8 years after a single potentially traumatic event. Methods: Twenty-four participants, who all directly experienced the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and 25 controls, underwent structural MRI using a 3T scanner. We generated cortical thickness maps and parcellated sub-cortical volumes for analysis. Results: We observed greater cortical thickness for the trauma-exposed participants relative to controls, in a right lateralized temporal lobe region including anterior fusiform gyrus, and superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyrus. Conclusions: We observed greater thickness in the right temporal lobe which might indicate that the region could be implicated in resilience to the long-term effects of a traumatic event. We hypothesize this is due to altered emotional semantic memory processing. However, several methodological and confounding issues warrant caution in interpretation of the results.

Right temporal cortical hypertrophy in resilience to trauma: an MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, André Sevenius; Hilland, Eva; Kogstad, Norunn; Heir, Trond; Hauff, Edvard; Lien, Lars; Endestad, Tor

2016-01-01

In studies employing physiological measures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is often hard to distinguish what constitutes risk-resilience factors to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma exposure and what the effects of trauma exposure and PTSD are. We aimed to investigate whether there were observable morphological differences in cortical and sub-cortical regions of the brain, 7-8 years after a single potentially traumatic event. Twenty-four participants, who all directly experienced the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and 25 controls, underwent structural MRI using a 3T scanner. We generated cortical thickness maps and parcellated sub-cortical volumes for analysis. We observed greater cortical thickness for the trauma-exposed participants relative to controls, in a right lateralized temporal lobe region including anterior fusiform gyrus, and superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyrus. We observed greater thickness in the right temporal lobe which might indicate that the region could be implicated in resilience to the long-term effects of a traumatic event. We hypothesize this is due to altered emotional semantic memory processing. However, several methodological and confounding issues warrant caution in interpretation of the results.

Quantitative MRI for hepatic fat fraction and T2* measurement in pediatric patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Jie; Fishbein, Mark H; Rigsby, Cynthia K; Zhang, Gang; Schoeneman, Samantha E; Donaldson, James S

2014-11-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children. The gold standard for diagnosis is liver biopsy. MRI is a non-invasive imaging method to provide quantitative measurement of hepatic fat content. The methodology is particularly appealing for the pediatric population because of its rapidity and radiation-free imaging techniques. To develop a multi-point Dixon MRI method with multi-interference models (multi-fat-peak modeling and bi-exponential T2* correction) for accurate hepatic fat fraction (FF) and T2* measurements in pediatric patients with NAFLD. A phantom study was first performed to validate the accuracy of the MRI fat fraction measurement by comparing it with the chemical fat composition of the ex-vivo pork liver-fat homogenate. The most accurate model determined from the phantom study was used for fat fraction and T2* measurements in 52 children and young adults referred from the pediatric hepatology clinic with suspected or identified NAFLD. Separate T2* values of water (T2*W) and fat (T2*F) components derived from the bi-exponential fitting were evaluated and plotted as a function of fat fraction. In ten patients undergoing liver biopsy, we compared histological analysis of liver fat fraction with MRI fat fraction. In the phantom study the 6-point Dixon with 5-fat-peak, bi-exponential T2* modeling demonstrated the best precision and accuracy in fat fraction measurements compared with other methods. This model was further calibrated with chemical fat fraction and applied in patients, where similar patterns were observed as in the phantom study that conventional 2-point and 3-point Dixon methods underestimated fat fraction compared to the calibrated 6-point 5-fat-peak bi-exponential model (P fat fraction, T2*W (27.9 ± 3.5 ms) decreased, whereas T2*F (20.3 ± 5.5 ms) increased; and T2*W and T2*F became increasingly more similar when fat fraction was higher than 15-20%. Histological fat

Quantitative MRI for hepatic fat fraction and T2* measurement in pediatric patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Jie; Rigsby, Cynthia K.; Donaldson, James S. [Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospital of Chicago, Department of Medical Imaging, Chicago, IL (United States); Northwestern University, Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States); Fishbein, Mark H. [Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospital of Chicago, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Chicago, IL (United States); Zhang, Gang [Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospital of Chicago, Biostatistics Research Core, Chicago, IL (United States); Schoeneman, Samantha E. [Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospital of Chicago, Department of Medical Imaging, Chicago, IL (United States)

2014-11-15

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children. The gold standard for diagnosis is liver biopsy. MRI is a non-invasive imaging method to provide quantitative measurement of hepatic fat content. The methodology is particularly appealing for the pediatric population because of its rapidity and radiation-free imaging techniques. To develop a multi-point Dixon MRI method with multi-interference models (multi-fat-peak modeling and bi-exponential T2* correction) for accurate hepatic fat fraction (FF) and T2* measurements in pediatric patients with NAFLD. A phantom study was first performed to validate the accuracy of the MRI fat fraction measurement by comparing it with the chemical fat composition of the ex-vivo pork liver-fat homogenate. The most accurate model determined from the phantom study was used for fat fraction and T2* measurements in 52 children and young adults referred from the pediatric hepatology clinic with suspected or identified NAFLD. Separate T2* values of water (T2*{sub W}) and fat (T2*{sub F}) components derived from the bi-exponential fitting were evaluated and plotted as a function of fat fraction. In ten patients undergoing liver biopsy, we compared histological analysis of liver fat fraction with MRI fat fraction. In the phantom study the 6-point Dixon with 5-fat-peak, bi-exponential T2* modeling demonstrated the best precision and accuracy in fat fraction measurements compared with other methods. This model was further calibrated with chemical fat fraction and applied in patients, where similar patterns were observed as in the phantom study that conventional 2-point and 3-point Dixon methods underestimated fat fraction compared to the calibrated 6-point 5-fat-peak bi-exponential model (P < 0.0001). With increasing fat fraction, T2*{sub W} (27.9 ± 3.5 ms) decreased, whereas T2*{sub F} (20.3 ± 5.5 ms) increased; and T2*{sub W} and T2*{sub F} became increasingly more similar when fat

Cerebral hemodynamic changes measured by gradient-echo or spin-echo bolus tracking and its correlation to changes in ICA blood flow measured by phase-mapping MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marstrand, J.R.; Rostrup, Egill; Garde, Ellen

2001-01-01

Changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) induced by Acetazolamide (ACZ) were measured using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) with both spin echo (SE) EPI and gradient echo (GE) EPI, and related to changes in internal carotid artery (ICA) flow measured by phase-mapping. Also examined...... was the effect of repeated bolus injections. CBF, cerebral blood volume (CBV), and mean transit time (MTT) were calculated by singular value decomposition (SVD) and by deconvolution using an exponential function as kernel. The results showed no dependency on calculation method. GE-EPI measured a significant...... increase in CBF and CBV in response to ACZ, while SE-EPI measured a significant increase in CBV and MTT. CBV and MTT change measured by SE-EPI was sensitive to previous bolus injections. There was a significant linear relation between change in CBF measured by GE-EPI and change in ICA flow. In conclusion...

Measurement, simulation and uncertainty assessment of implant heating during MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neufeld, E; Kuehn, S; Kuster, N; Szekely, G

2009-01-01

The heating of tissues around implants during MRI can pose severe health risks, and careful evaluation is required for leads to be labeled as MR conditionally safe. A recent interlaboratory comparison study has shown that different groups can produce widely varying results (sometimes with more than a factor of 5 difference) when performing measurements according to current guidelines. To determine the related difficulties and to derive optimized procedures, two different generic lead structures have been investigated in this study by using state-of-the-art temperature and dosimetric probes, as well as simulations for which detailed uncertainty budgets have been determined. The agreement between simulations and measurements is well within the combined uncertainty. The study revealed that the uncertainty can be kept below 17% if appropriate instrumentation and procedures are applied. Optimized experimental assessment techniques can be derived from the findings presented herein.

Measurement, simulation and uncertainty assessment of implant heating during MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neufeld, E; Kuehn, S; Kuster, N [Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT' IS), Zeughausstr. 43, 8004 Zurich (Switzerland); Szekely, G [Computer Vision Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Sternwartstr 7, ETH Zentrum, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland)], E-mail: neufeld@itis.ethz.ch

2009-07-07

The heating of tissues around implants during MRI can pose severe health risks, and careful evaluation is required for leads to be labeled as MR conditionally safe. A recent interlaboratory comparison study has shown that different groups can produce widely varying results (sometimes with more than a factor of 5 difference) when performing measurements according to current guidelines. To determine the related difficulties and to derive optimized procedures, two different generic lead structures have been investigated in this study by using state-of-the-art temperature and dosimetric probes, as well as simulations for which detailed uncertainty budgets have been determined. The agreement between simulations and measurements is well within the combined uncertainty. The study revealed that the uncertainty can be kept below 17% if appropriate instrumentation and procedures are applied. Optimized experimental assessment techniques can be derived from the findings presented herein.

Early-stage differentiation between presenile Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia using arterial spin labeling MRI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.M.E. Steketee (Rebecca); E.E. Bron (Esther); R. Meijboom (Rozanna); G.C. Houston (Gavin); S. Klein (Stefan); H.J.M.M. Mutsaerts (Henri J. M.); C. Méndez Orellana (Carolina); F.J. De Jong (Frank J.); J.C. van Swieten (John); A. van der Lugt (Aad); M. Smits (Marion)

2016-01-01

textabstractObjective: To investigate arterial spin labeling (ASL)-MRI for the early diagnosis of and differentiation between the two most common types of presenile dementia: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and for distinguishing age-related from pathological perfusion

Early-stage differentiation between presenile Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia using arterial spin labeling MRI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.M.E. Steketee (Rebecca); E.E. Bron (Esther); Meijboom, R. (Rozanna); Houston, G.C. (Gavin C.); Klein, S. (Stefan); H.J.M.M. Mutsaerts (Henri J. M.); Orellana, C.P.M. (Carolina P. Mendez); F.J. de Jong (Fransina); J.C. van Swieten (John); A. van der Lugt (Aad); M. Smits (Marion)

2015-01-01

textabstractObjective: To investigate arterial spin labeling (ASL)-MRI for the early diagnosis of and differentiation between the two most common types of presenile dementia: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and for distinguishing age-related from pathological perfusion

Measurement of CSF volume with 3D-FASE MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanayama, Shoichi; Calderon, A.; Makita, Jun-ichi; Ohara, Yukou; Tsunoda, Akira; Sato, Kiyoshi.

1997-01-01

A noninvasive and fast cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume measurement method has been developed using 3D-FASE MRI and a semi-automatic segmentation process. Images with a high CSF/(gray and white matter) ratio (about 10-20) were obtained with a heavily T 2 weighted 3D-FASE sequence. The CSF region was segmented with a region growing method and the volume was calculated from the number of segmented voxels with a signal intensity weighted summation. Total measurement time was about 30 minutes for each study. The errors of the measured volumes were within 10% for the phantom experiments. Intracranial CSF volumes of normal volunteers ranged between about 100 and 200 cc and the ventricle/intracranial CSF ratio was about 10%. 3D display of the segmented intracranial and ventricle CSF regions was also carried out and proved to be useful to understand the anatomy. Increased intracranial and/or ventricle CSF volumes were obtained for a hydrocephalic patient and one patient with probable cerebral atrophy. The results suggest that the developed method could be used for the diagnosis of patients with neurological diseases. (author)

Values of kinetic features measured by computer-aided for breast MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lina; Zhao Zuowei; Song Qingwei; Wang Shaowu; Miao Yanwei

2012-01-01

Objective: To investigate the value of kinetic features measured by computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) for breast MRI. Methods: One hundred and sixty four lesions diagnosed pathologically by operation or biopsy comprised the analysis set. Automated lesion kinetic information from CADStream programs for breast MRI was identified. Three CAD variables were compared for benign and malignant lesions: initial phase peak enhancement (greatest percentage of signal intensity increase on first contrast enhanced sequence), delayed phase enhancement categorized by a single type of kinetics comprising the largest percentage of enhancement (washout, plateau, or persistent), and delayed phase enhancement categorized by single most suspicious type of kinetics (any washout > any plateau > any persistent). Morphological characteristics of breast lesions were described according to breast imaging and reporting data system (BI-RADS). Initial phase peak enhancement mean values between benign and malignant breast lesions were compared by using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, delayed phase enhancement categorized by a single type of kinetics comprising the largest percentage of enhancement or by single most suspicious type of kinetics between benign and malignant breast lesions were compared by using Chi-square test. Results: There were 72 benign and 92 malignant breast lesions. A total of 123 (75.0%) mass lesions were identified,and the other 41 (25.0%) lesions showed no mass. Thirty lesions were BI-RADS-MRI 2, 68 lesions were BI-RADS-MRI 3, 43 lesions were BI-RADS-MRI 4, 23 lesions were BI-RADS-MRI 5. Initial phase peak enhancement mean values of benign and malignant lesions were 237% (69% to 629%) and 336% (86% to 793%), respectively. There was no significant difference between benign and malignant lesions in initial peak enhancement mean value (Z=-1.626, P=0.104). Delayed phase enhancement categorized by single most suspicious type of kinetics (any washout > any plateau > any persistent) for

Carboxylated magnetic nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents: Relaxation measurements at different field strengths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jedlovszky-Hajdu, Angela, E-mail: angela.hajdu@net.sote.hu [Laboratory of Nanochemistry, Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad Sq 4, H-1089 Budapest (Hungary); Tombacz, Etelka, E-mail: tombacz@chem.u-szeged.hu [Department of Physical Chemistry and Material Science, University of Szeged, Aradi Vt. Sq 1, Szeged 6720 (Hungary); Banyai, Istvan, E-mail: banyai.istvan@science.unideb.hu [Department of Colloid and Environmental Chemistry, University of Debrecen (Hungary); Babos, Magor, E-mail: babosmagor@yahoo.com [Euromedic Diagnostics Szeged Ltd., Semmelweis St 6, Szeged 6720 (Hungary); Palko, Andras, E-mail: palko@radio.szote.u-szeged.hu [Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Szeged (Hungary)

2012-09-15

At the moment the biomedical applications of magnetic fluids are the subject of intensive scientific interest. In the present work, magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized and stabilized in aqueous medium with different carboxylic compounds (citric acid (CA), polyacrylic acid (PAA), and sodium oleate (NaOA)), in order to prepare well stabilized magnetic fluids (MFs). The magnetic nanoparticles can be used in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as contrast agents. Magnetic resonance relaxation measurements of the above MFs were performed at different field strengths (i.e., 0.47, 1.5 and 9.4 T) to reveal the field strength dependence of their magnetic responses, and to compare them with that of ferucarbotran, a well-known superparamagnetic contrast agent. The measurements showed characteristic differences between the tested magnetic fluids stabilized by carboxylic compounds and ferucarbotran. It is worthy of note that our magnetic fluids have the highest r2 relaxivities at the field strength of 1.5 T, where the most of the MRI works in worldwide. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Magnetic resonance relaxation measurements were done at different field strengths. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Results show characteristic differences between the tested carboxylated MFs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer r1 and r2 relaxivities depend on the thickness of the protecting layer. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MFs have high r2/r1 ratios at each magnetic field.

Relative strengths of the calf muscles based on MRI volume measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeng, Clifford L; Thawait, Gaurav K; Kwon, John Y; Machado, Antonio; Boyle, James W; Campbell, John; Carrino, John A

2012-05-01

In 1985, Silver et al. published a cadaver study which determined the relative order of strength of the muscles in the calf. Muscle strength, which is proportional to volume, was obtained by dissecting out the individual muscles, weighing them, and then multiplying by the specific gravity. No similar studies have been performed using {\\it in vivo} measurements of muscle volume. Ten normal subjects underwent 3-Tesla MRI's of both lower extremities using non-fat-saturated T2 SPACE sequences. The volume for each muscle was determined by tracing the muscle contour on sequential axial images and then interpolating the volume using imaging software. The results from this study differ from Silver's original article. The lateral head of the gastrocnemius was found to be stronger than the tibialis anterior muscle. The FHL and EDL muscles were both stronger than the peroneus longus. There was no significant difference in strength between the peroneus longus and brevis muscles. This revised order of muscle strengths in the calf based on in vivo MRI findings may assist surgeons in determining the optimal tendons to transfer in order to address muscle weakness and deformity.

MRI findings on de Quervain's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Tsuyoshi; Kitano, Keiji; Shimada, Kozo; Tokumaru, Hiroshi; Komi, Katsumi.

1996-01-01

De Quervain's disease is a stenosing tenosynovitis affecting the first extensor compartment of the wrist. Conservative treatment including steroid injection is primarily indicated and satisfactory result can be obtained in most cases. However, it often fails in cases where fibrocartilagenous septum exists within the first compartment. Surgical release of the compartment and resection of the septum is recommended for these instances. The incidence of the septum in the compartment is reported to be about 30 to 40 per cent in normal population, though over 90 per cent in operative cases. In this study, MRI was employed to evaluate the anatomical variation in the first extensor compartment of the wrist in de Quervain's disease. There were 13 hands in 5 men and 10 women. Their average age was 49.5 years old (19 to 76 y.o.). Axial T1 weighted MR images around the radial styloid process were obtained. Eight hands which resisted conservative treatment were operated on and first compartment was directly inspected. The other 5 were well treated with one or two steroid injection. In all operative cases, MRI revealed that the EPB tendon exists apart from the APL tendon surrounded with thick high intensity area. That finding correspond to the operative findings. That were fibrocartilagenous septum dividing the first compartment and dense synovium around the EPB tendon. On the other hands, in 5 hands which responded to steroid injection, EPB was identified only in 2 on MRI and could not be distinguished from APL in the other 3. Consequently, MRI provides useful information to make a strategy for treating de Quervain's disease. In cases whose MRI show that EPB and APL are accommodated in one common canal non-surgical treatment should be continued while in the cases of separate EPB tunnel with surrounding proliferating synovium early operation might be considered. (author)

A novel approach to calibrate the Hemodynamic Model using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measurements

KAUST Repository

Khoram, Nafiseh; Zayane, Chadia; Djellouli, Rabia; Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2016-01-01

We have designed an iterative numerical technique, called the TNM-CKF algorithm, for calibrating the mathematical model that describes the single-event related brain response when fMRI measurements are given. The method appears to be highly accurate and effective in reconstructing the BOLD signal even when the measurements are tainted with high noise level (as high as 30%).

Multichannel compressive sensing MRI using noiselet encoding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamlesh Pawar

Full Text Available The incoherence between measurement and sparsifying transform matrices and the restricted isometry property (RIP of measurement matrix are two of the key factors in determining the performance of compressive sensing (CS. In CS-MRI, the randomly under-sampled Fourier matrix is used as the measurement matrix and the wavelet transform is usually used as sparsifying transform matrix. However, the incoherence between the randomly under-sampled Fourier matrix and the wavelet matrix is not optimal, which can deteriorate the performance of CS-MRI. Using the mathematical result that noiselets are maximally incoherent with wavelets, this paper introduces the noiselet unitary bases as the measurement matrix to improve the incoherence and RIP in CS-MRI. Based on an empirical RIP analysis that compares the multichannel noiselet and multichannel Fourier measurement matrices in CS-MRI, we propose a multichannel compressive sensing (MCS framework to take the advantage of multichannel data acquisition used in MRI scanners. Simulations are presented in the MCS framework to compare the performance of noiselet encoding reconstructions and Fourier encoding reconstructions at different acceleration factors. The comparisons indicate that multichannel noiselet measurement matrix has better RIP than that of its Fourier counterpart, and that noiselet encoded MCS-MRI outperforms Fourier encoded MCS-MRI in preserving image resolution and can achieve higher acceleration factors. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed noiselet encoding scheme, a pulse sequences with tailored spatially selective RF excitation pulses was designed and implemented on a 3T scanner to acquire the data in the noiselet domain from a phantom and a human brain. The results indicate that noislet encoding preserves image resolution better than Fouirer encoding.

Reproducible automated breast density measure with no ionizing radiation using fat-water decomposition MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jie; Stopeck, Alison T; Gao, Yi; Marron, Marilyn T; Wertheim, Betsy C; Altbach, Maria I; Galons, Jean-Philippe; Roe, Denise J; Wang, Fang; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Thomson, Cynthia A; Thompson, Patricia A; Huang, Chuan

2018-04-06

Increased breast density is a significant independent risk factor for breast cancer, and recent studies show that this risk is modifiable. Hence, breast density measures sensitive to small changes are desired. Utilizing fat-water decomposition MRI, we propose an automated, reproducible breast density measurement, which is nonionizing and directly comparable to mammographic density (MD). Retrospective study. The study included two sample sets of breast cancer patients enrolled in a clinical trial, for concordance analysis with MD (40 patients) and reproducibility analysis (10 patients). The majority of MRI scans (59 scans) were performed with a 1.5T GE Signa scanner using radial IDEAL-GRASE sequence, while the remaining (seven scans) were performed with a 3T Siemens Skyra using 3D Cartesian 6-echo GRE sequence with a similar fat-water separation technique. After automated breast segmentation, breast density was calculated using FraGW, a new measure developed to reliably reflect the amount of fibroglandular tissue and total water content in the entire breast. Based on its concordance with MD, FraGW was calibrated to MR-based breast density (MRD) to be comparable to MD. A previous breast density measurement, Fra80-the ratio of breast voxels with density changes and treatment response. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Quantitative Sasang Constitution Diagnosis Method for Distinguishing between Tae-eumin and Soeumin Types Based on Elasticity Measurements of the Skin of the Human Hand

OpenAIRE

Song, Han Wook; Lee, SungJun; Park, Yon Kyu; Woo, Sam Yong

2009-01-01

The usefulness of constitutional diagnoses based on skin measurements has been established in oriental medicine. However, it is very difficult to standardize traditional diagnosis methods. According to Sasang constitutional medicine, humans can be distinguished based on properties of the skin, including its texture, roughness, hardness and elasticity. The elasticity of the skin was previously used to distinguish between people with Tae-eumin (TE) and Soeumin (SE) constitutions. The present st...

CT and MRI imaging of the brain in MELAS syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauli, Wojciech; Zarzycki, Artur; Krzyształowski, Adam; Walecka, Anna

2013-07-01

MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, stroke-like episodes) is a rare, multisystem disorder which belongs to a group of mitochondrial metabolic diseases. As other diseases in this group, it is inherited in the maternal line. In this report, we discussed a case of a 10-year-old girl with clinical and radiological picture of MELAS syndrome. We would like to describe characteristic radiological features of MELAS syndrome in CT, MRI and MR spectroscopy of the brain and differential diagnosis. The rarity of this disorder and the complexity of its clinical presentation make MELAS patients among the most difficult to diagnose. Brain imaging studies require a wide differential diagnosis, primarily to distinguish between MELAS and ischemic stroke. Particularly helpful are the MRI and MR spectroscopy techniques.

CT and MRI imaging of the brain in MELAS syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauli, Wojciech; Zarzycki, Artur; Krzyształowski, Adam; Walecka, Anna

2013-01-01

MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, stroke-like episodes) is a rare, multisystem disorder which belongs to a group of mitochondrial metabolic diseases. As other diseases in this group, it is inherited in the maternal line. In this report, we discussed a case of a 10-year-old girl with clinical and radiological picture of MELAS syndrome. We would like to describe characteristic radiological features of MELAS syndrome in CT, MRI and MR spectroscopy of the brain and differential diagnosis. The rarity of this disorder and the complexity of its clinical presentation make MELAS patients among the most difficult to diagnose. Brain imaging studies require a wide differential diagnosis, primarily to distinguish between MELAS and ischemic stroke. Particularly helpful are the MRI and MR spectroscopy techniques

CT and MRI diagnosis of traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Shike; Zhang Yalin; Xu Derong; Zou Gaowei; Chen Dan; He Sujun; Zhou Lichao

2009-01-01

Objective: To analyze CT and MRI features of traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage and investigate the diagnostic value. Methods: 21 cases with traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage diagnosed by clinic, CT and MRI in our hospital were collected in this study Plain CT scan were immediately performed in 21 cases after injury, plain MR scan were performed in 1 to 3 days. 12 cases of them underwent diffusion weighted imagine (DWI). The CT and MRI findings were retrospectively summarized. Results: 8 cases were found with simple traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage. Complexity of basal ganglia hemorrhage occurred in 13 cases, 6 cases combined with subdural hemorrhage, 3 cases with epidural hematoma, 2 cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage, 6 cases with brain contusion and laceration in other locations, 4 cases with skull fracture. 26 lesions of basal ganglia hematoma were showed in 21 cases, 14 lesions of pallidum hemorrhage in 11 cases confirmed by MR could not be distinguished from calcification at the fast CT scan. 5 more lesions of brain contusion and laceration and 4 more lesions of brain white matter laceration were found by MR. Conclusion: CT in combination with MRI can diagnose traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage and its complications early, comprehensively and accurately, which plays an important role in the clinical therapy selection and prognosis evaluation. (authors)

Osteochondritis (osteochondrosis) dissecans: A review and new MRI classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohndorf, K.

1998-01-01

Osteochondritis (osteochondrosis) dissecans (OCD) is a common condition in children, adolescents, and young adults. Describing OCD together with osteochondral fractures and epiphyseal ossification disturbances and considering these three conditions as one entity has caused much confusion. Age distribution and localization combined with the radiologic and surgical presentation distinguishes these conditions. Osteochondritis dissecans represents an osseous lesion with secondary involvement of the overlying cartilage. Beginning as avascular osteonecrosis, OCD forms a transitional zone that harbors the potential of restoration with complete healing or progression to an osseous defect. Mechanical and traumatic factors are etiologically dominant in OCD, but a predisposition seems to be a contributing factor in some patients. Osteochondritis dissecans is generally diagnosed by conventional radiology. Its therapy is determined by the stage of the lesion and MRI will become the method of choice for staging. Intact cartilage, contrast enhancement of the lesion, and absent ''cystic'' defects are findings of MRI stage I and justify conservative therapy, obviating arthroscopy. Cartilage defect with or without incomplete separation of the fragment, fluid around an undetached fragment, and a dislodged fragment are MRI findings observed in stage II and require arthroscopy with possible intervention. Thus, MRI can noninvasively separate non-surgical from possibly surgical lesions and should replace diagnostic arthroscopy. (orig.)

A Novel Marker Based Method to Teeth Alignment in MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Luukinen, Jean-Marc; Aalto, Daniel; Malinen, Jarmo; Niikuni, Naoko; Saunavaara, Jani; Jääsaari, Päivi; Ojalammi, Antti; Parkkola, Riitta; Soukka, Tero; Happonen, Risto-Pekka

2018-04-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can precisely capture the anatomy of the vocal tract. However, the crowns of teeth are not visible in standard MRI scans. In this study, a marker-based teeth alignment method is presented and evaluated. Ten patients undergoing orthognathic surgery were enrolled. Supraglottal airways were imaged preoperatively using structural MRI. MRI visible markers were developed, and they were attached to maxillary teeth and corresponding locations on the dental casts. Repeated measurements of intermarker distances in MRI and in a replica model was compared using linear regression analysis. Dental cast MRI and corresponding caliper measurements did not differ significantly. In contrast, the marker locations in vivo differed somewhat from the dental cast measurements likely due to marker placement inaccuracies. The markers were clearly visible in MRI and allowed for dental models to be aligned to head and neck MRI scans.

MRI-Based Nonrigid Motion Correction in Simultaneous PET/MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Se Young; Reese, Timothy G.; Ouyang, Jinsong; Guerin, Bastien; Catana, Ciprian; Zhu, Xuping; Alpert, Nathaniel M.; El Fakhri, Georges

2014-01-01

Respiratory and cardiac motion is the most serious limitation to whole-body PET, resulting in spatial resolution close to 1 cm. Furthermore, motion-induced inconsistencies in the attenuation measurements often lead to significant artifacts in the reconstructed images. Gating can remove motion artifacts at the cost of increased noise. This paper presents an approach to respiratory motion correction using simultaneous PET/MRI to demonstrate initial results in phantoms, rabbits, and nonhuman primates and discusses the prospects for clinical application. Methods Studies with a deformable phantom, a free-breathing primate, and rabbits implanted with radioactive beads were performed with simultaneous PET/MRI. Motion fields were estimated from concurrently acquired tagged MR images using 2 B-spline nonrigid image registration methods and incorporated into a PET list-mode ordered-subsets expectation maximization algorithm. Using the measured motion fields to transform both the emission data and the attenuation data, we could use all the coincidence data to reconstruct any phase of the respiratory cycle. We compared the resulting SNR and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detection signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the motion-corrected reconstruction with the results obtained from standard gating and uncorrected studies. Results Motion correction virtually eliminated motion blur without reducing SNR, yielding images with SNR comparable to those obtained by gating with 5–8 times longer acquisitions in all studies. The CHO study in dynamic phantoms demonstrated a significant improvement (166%–276%) in lesion detection SNR with MRI-based motion correction as compared with gating (P < 0.001). This improvement was 43%–92% for large motion compared with lesion detection without motion correction (P < 0.001). CHO SNR in the rabbit studies confirmed these results. Conclusion Tagged MRI motion correction in simultaneous PET/MRI significantly improves lesion detection

Cardiac MRI in pulmonary artery hypertension: correlations between morphological and functional parameters and invasive measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alunni, Jean-Philippe; Otal, Philippe; Rousseau, Herve; Chabbert, Valerie [CHU Rangueil, Department of Radiology, Toulouse (France); Degano, Bruno; Tetu, Laurent; Didier, Alain [CHU Larrey, Department of Pneumology, Toulouse (France); Arnaud, Catherine [CHU Rangueil, Department of Methods in Clinical Research, Toulouse (France); Blot-Souletie, Nathalie [CHU Rangueil, Department of Cardiology, Toulouse (France)

2010-05-15

To compare cardiac MRI with right heart catheterisation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and to evaluate its ability to assess PH severity. Forty patients were included. MRI included cine and phase-contrast sequences, study of ventricular function, cardiac cavity areas and ratios, position of the interventricular septum (IVS) in systole and diastole, and flow measurements. We defined four groups according to the severity of PH and three groups according to IVS position: A, normal position; B, abnormal in diastole; C, abnormal in diastole and systole. IVS position was correlated with pulmonary artery pressures and PVR (pulmonary vascular resistance). Median pulmonary artery pressures and resistance were significantly higher in patients with an abnormal septal position compared with those with a normal position. Correlations were good between the right ventricular ejection fraction and PVR, right ventricular end-systolic volume and PAP, percentage of right ventricular area change and PVR, and diastolic and systolic ventricular area ratio and PVR. These parameters were significantly associated with PH severity. Cardiac MRI can help to assess the severity of PH. (orig.)

Identifying HIV associated neurocognitive disorder using large-scale Granger causality analysis on resting-state functional MRI

Science.gov (United States)

DSouza, Adora M.; Abidin, Anas Z.; Leistritz, Lutz; Wismüller, Axel

2017-02-01

We investigate the applicability of large-scale Granger Causality (lsGC) for extracting a measure of multivariate information flow between pairs of regional brain activities from resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) and test the effectiveness of these measures for predicting a disease state. Such pairwise multivariate measures of interaction provide high-dimensional representations of connectivity profiles for each subject and are used in a machine learning task to distinguish between healthy controls and individuals presenting with symptoms of HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). Cognitive impairment in several domains can occur as a result of HIV infection of the central nervous system. The current paradigm for assessing such impairment is through neuropsychological testing. With fMRI data analysis, we aim at non-invasively capturing differences in brain connectivity patterns between healthy subjects and subjects presenting with symptoms of HAND. To classify the extracted interaction patterns among brain regions, we use a prototype-based learning algorithm called Generalized Matrix Learning Vector Quantization (GMLVQ). Our approach to characterize connectivity using lsGC followed by GMLVQ for subsequent classification yields good prediction results with an accuracy of 87% and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of up to 0.90. We obtain a statistically significant improvement (p<0.01) over a conventional Granger causality approach (accuracy = 0.76, AUC = 0.74). High accuracy and AUC values using our multivariate method to connectivity analysis suggests that our approach is able to better capture changes in interaction patterns between different brain regions when compared to conventional Granger causality analysis known from the literature.

Free induction decay MR signal measurements toward ultra-low field MRI with an optically pumped atomic magnetometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Oida, Takenori; Kobayashi, Tetsuo

2013-01-01

Ultra-low field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF-MRI) has attracted attention because of its low running costs and minimum patient exposure. An optically pumped atomic magnetometer (OPAM) is a magnetic sensor with high sensitivity in the low frequency range, which does not require a cryogenic cooling system. In an effort to develop a ULF-MRI, we attempted to measure the free induction decay MR signals with an OPAM. We successfully detected the MR signals by combining an OPAM and a flux transformer, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed system.

Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Carhart-Harris, Robin L; Roseman, Leor; Bolstridge, Mark; Demetriou, Lysia; Pannekoek, J Nienke; Wall, Matthew B; Tanner, Mark; Kaelen, Mendel; McGonigle, John; Murphy, Kevin; Leech, Robert; Curran, H Valerie; Nutt, David J

2017-10-13

Psilocybin with psychological support is showing promise as a treatment model in psychiatry but its therapeutic mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) were measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after treatment with psilocybin (serotonin agonist) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Quality pre and post treatment fMRI data were collected from 16 of 19 patients. Decreased depressive symptoms were observed in all 19 patients at 1-week post-treatment and 47% met criteria for response at 5 weeks. Whole-brain analyses revealed post-treatment decreases in CBF in the temporal cortex, including the amygdala. Decreased amygdala CBF correlated with reduced depressive symptoms. Focusing on a priori selected circuitry for RSFC analyses, increased RSFC was observed within the default-mode network (DMN) post-treatment. Increased ventromedial prefrontal cortex-bilateral inferior lateral parietal cortex RSFC was predictive of treatment response at 5-weeks, as was decreased parahippocampal-prefrontal cortex RSFC. These data fill an important knowledge gap regarding the post-treatment brain effects of psilocybin, and are the first in depressed patients. The post-treatment brain changes are different to previously observed acute effects of psilocybin and other 'psychedelics' yet were related to clinical outcomes. A 'reset' therapeutic mechanism is proposed.

A novel distinguishing system for the diagnosis of malignant pancreatic cystic neoplasm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Xiaoyong, E-mail: shanlixinc@163.com [Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Lu, Di, E-mail: lcyxld@126.com [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Xu, Xiao, E-mail: zdyyxx@163.com [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Wang, Jianguo, E-mail: 21118059@zju.edu.cn [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Wu, Jian, E-mail: drwujian@hotmail.com [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Yan, Sheng, E-mail: shengyan@zju.edu.cn [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Zheng, Shu-sen, E-mail: zyzss@zju.edu.cn [Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China)

2013-11-01

Purpose: To explore a simple and reliable non-invasive distinguishing system for the pre-operative evaluation of malignancy in pancreatic cystic neoplasm (PCN). Methods: This study first enrolled an observation cohort of 102 consecutive PCN patients. Demographic information, results of laboratory examinations, and computed tomography (CT) presentations were recorded and analyzed to achieve a distinguishing model/system for malignancy. A group of 21 patients was then included to validate the model/system prospectively. Results: Based on the 11 malignancy-related features identified by univariate analysis, a distinguishing model for malignancy in PCN was established by multivariate analysis: PCN malignant score = 2.967 × elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) (≥6.16 mmol/L) ± 4.496 × asymmetrically thickened wall (or mural nodules ≥ 4 mm) ± 1.679 × septum thickening (≥2 mm) − 5.134. With the optimal cut-off value selected as −2.8 in reference to the Youden index, the proposed system for malignant PCN was established: septum thickening (>2 mm), asymmetrically thickened wall (or mural nodules > 4 mm), or elevated FBG (>6.16 mmol/L, accompanying commonly known malignant signs), the presence of at least one of these 3 features indicated malignancy in PCN. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of this system were 81.4%, 95.8% and 76.9%, respectively. MRI was performed on 32 patients, making correct prediction of malignancy explicitly in only 68.8% (22/32). The subsequent prospective validation study showed that the proposed distinguishing system had a predictive accuracy of 85.7% (18/21). Moreover, a higher model score, or aggregation of the features in the proposed system, indicated a higher grade of malignancy (carcinoma) in PCN. Conclusion: Elevated FBG (>6.16 mmol/L), asymmetrically thickened wall (or mural nodules > 4 mm) and septum thickening (>2 mm) are of great value in differentiating the malignancy in PCN. The developed distinguishing system is

Effects of resting state condition on reliability, trait specificity, and network connectivity of brain function measured with arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhengjun; Vidorreta, Marta; Katchmar, Natalie; Alsop, David C; Wolf, Daniel H; Detre, John A

2018-06-01

Resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) provides imaging biomarkers of task-independent brain function that can be associated with clinical variables or modulated by interventions such as behavioral training or pharmacological manipulations. These biomarkers include time-averaged regional brain function as manifested by regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured using arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MRI and correlated temporal fluctuations of function across brain networks with either ASL or blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) fMRI. Resting-state studies are typically carried out using just one of several prescribed state conditions such as eyes closed (EC), eyes open (EO), or visual fixation on a cross-hair (FIX), which may affect the reliability and specificity of rs-fMRI. In this study, we collected test-retest ASL MRI data during 4 resting-state task conditions: EC, EO, FIX and PVT (low-frequency psychomotor vigilance task), and examined the effects of these task conditions on reliability and reproducibility as well as trait specificity of regional brain function. We also acquired resting-state BOLD fMRI under FIX and compared the network connectivity reliabilities between the four ASL conditions and the BOLD FIX condition. For resting-state ASL data, EC provided the highest CBF reliability, reproducibility, trait specificity, and network connectivity reliability, followed by EO, while FIX was lowest on all of these measures. PVT demonstrated lower CBF reliability, reproducibility and trait specificity than EO and EC. Overall network connectivity reliability was comparable between ASL and BOLD. Our findings confirm ASL CBF as a reliable, stable, and consistent measure of resting-state regional brain function and support the use of EC or EO over FIX and PVT as the resting-state condition. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bone Mineral 31P and Matrix-Bound Water Densities Measured by Solid-State 1H and 31P MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Seifert, Alan C.; Li, Cheng; Rajapakse, Chamith S.; Bashoor- Zadeh, Mahdieh; Bhagat, Yusuf A.; Wright, Alexander C.; Zemel, Babette S.; Zavaliangos, Antonios; Wehrli, Felix W.

2014-01-01

Bone is a composite material consisting of mineral and hydrated collagen fractions. MRI of bone is challenging due to extremely short transverse relaxation times, but solid-state imaging sequences exist that can acquire the short-lived signal from bone tissue. Previous work to quantify bone density via MRI used powerful experimental scanners. This work seeks to establish the feasibility of MRI-based measurement on clinical scanners of bone mineral and collagen-bound water densities, the latter as a surrogate of matrix density, and to examine the associations of these parameters with porosity and donors’ age. Mineral and matrix-bound water images of reference phantoms and cortical bone from 16 human donors, ages 27-97 years, were acquired by zero-echo-time 31P and 1H MRI on whole body 7T and 3T scanners, respectively. Images were corrected for relaxation and RF inhomogeneity to obtain density maps. Cortical porosity was measured by micro-CT, and apparent mineral density by pQCT. MRI-derived densities were compared to x-ray-based measurements by least-squares regression. Mean bone mineral 31P density was 6.74±1.22 mol/L (corresponding to 1129±204 mg/cc mineral), and mean bound water 1H density was 31.3±4.2 mol/L (corresponding to 28.3±3.7 %v/v). Both 31P and bound water (BW) densities were correlated negatively with porosity (31P: R2 = 0.32, p bone mineralization ratio (expressed here as the ratio of 31P density to bound water density), which is proportional to true bone mineralization, was found to be uncorrelated with porosity, age, or pQCT density. This work establishes the feasibility of image-based quantification of bone mineral and bound water densities using clinical hardware. PMID:24846186

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonzi, Roberto [Marie Curie Research Wing, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2RN (United Kingdom)], E-mail: robertoalonzi@btinternet.com; Padhani, Anwar R. [Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2RN (United Kingdom); Synarc Inc. 575 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (United States)], E-mail: anwar.padhani@paulstrickland-scannercentre.org.uk; Allen, Clare [Department of Imaging, University College Hospital, London, 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom)], E-mail: clare.allen@uclh.nhs.uk

2007-09-15

Angiogenesis is an integral part of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is associated with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and is key to the growth and for metastasis of prostate cancer. Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) using small molecular weight gadolinium chelates enables non-invasive imaging characterization of tissue vascularity. Depending on the technique used, data reflecting tissue perfusion, microvessel permeability surface area product, and extracellular leakage space can be obtained. Two dynamic MRI techniques (T{sub 2}*-weighted or susceptibility based and T{sub 1}-weighted or relaxivity enhanced methods) for prostate gland evaluations are discussed in this review with reference to biological basis of observations, data acquisition and analysis methods, technical limitations and validation. Established clinical roles of T{sub 1}-weighted imaging evaluations will be discussed including lesion detection and localisation, for tumour staging and for the detection of suspected tumour recurrence. Limitations include inadequate lesion characterisation particularly differentiating prostatitis from cancer, and in distinguishing between BPH and central gland tumours.

Analysis of task-evoked systemic interference in fNIRS measurements: insights from fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdoğan, Sinem B; Yücel, Meryem A; Akın, Ata

2014-02-15

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising method for monitoring cerebral hemodynamics with a wide range of clinical applications. fNIRS signals are contaminated with systemic physiological interferences from both the brain and superficial tissues, resulting in a poor estimation of the task related neuronal activation. In this study, we use the anatomical resolution of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to extract scalp and brain vascular signals separately and construct an optically weighted spatial average of the fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal for characterizing the scalp signal contribution to fNIRS measurements. We introduce an extended superficial signal regression (ESSR) method for canceling physiology-based systemic interference where the effects of cerebral and superficial systemic interference are treated separately. We apply and validate our method on the optically weighted BOLD signals, which are obtained by projecting the fMRI image onto optical measurement space by use of the optical forward problem. The performance of ESSR method in removing physiological artifacts is compared to i) a global signal regression (GSR) method and ii) a superficial signal regression (SSR) method. The retrieved signals from each method are compared with the neural signals that represent the 'ground truth' brain activation cleaned from cerebral systemic fluctuations. We report significant improvements in the recovery of task induced neural activation with the ESSR method when compared to the other two methods as reflected in the Pearson R(2) coefficient and mean square error (MSE) metrics (two tailed paired t-tests, pnoise (CNR) improvement (60%). Our findings suggest that, during a cognitive task i) superficial scalp signal contribution to fNIRS signals varies significantly among different regions on the forehead and ii) using an average scalp measurement together with a local measure of superficial hemodynamics better accounts

Measuring Memory Reactivation With Functional MRI: Implications for Psychological Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Benjamin J; Wagner, Anthony D

2013-01-01

Environmental cues often remind us of earlier experiences by triggering the reactivation of memories of events past. Recent evidence suggests that memory reactivation can be observed using functional MRI and that distributed pattern analyses can even provide evidence of reactivation on individual trials. The ability to measure memory reactivation offers unique and powerful leverage on theoretical issues of long-standing interest in cognitive psychology, providing a means to address questions that have proven difficult to answer with behavioral data alone. In this article, we consider three instances. First, reactivation measures can indicate whether memory-based inferences (i.e., generalization) arise through the encoding of integrated cross-event representations or through the flexible expression of separable event memories. Second, online measures of memory reactivation may inform theories of forgetting by providing information about when competing memories are reactivated during competitive retrieval situations. Finally, neural reactivation may provide a window onto the role of replay in memory consolidation. The ability to track memory reactivation, including at the individual trial level, provides unique leverage that is not afforded by behavioral measures and thus promises to shed light on such varied topics as generalization, integration, forgetting, and consolidation. © The Author(s) 2013.

MRI volume measurement of the brain in schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Someya, Yasuhiro; Abe, Tetsuo; Asai, Kunihiko; Okubo, Yoshirou; Toru, Michio.

1996-01-01

The T1-weighted images of whole-brain three-dimensional MRI (thickness, 3 mm; interval, 3 mm) were obtained from schizophrenic patients and 20 healthy volunteers. Detailed volumetric measurement of each part in the brain was carried out. As the result, the volume of both ventricles and third ventriculus cerebri in the schizophrenic group was significantly larger than that of the control group. No significant difference was observed in terms of the volume of the bilateral frontal lobe, bilateral body of caudate nucleus division and right temporal lobe. The volume of bilateral hippocampus and left temporal lobe of the schizophrenic group was significantly smaller than that of the control group. Negative correlation was observed between symptoms and the right temporal lobe volume (r=-0.41) in the schizophrenic group. In the schizophrenic group, morphological abnormality was admitted in the hippocampus, ventriculus cerebri and left temporal lobe. The morphological abnormality of the right temporal lobe seemed to involve the expression of negative symptoms. (S.Y.)

SU-E-J-192: Verification of 4D-MRI Internal Target Volume Using Cine MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lafata, K; Czito, B; Palta, M; Bashir, M; Yin, F; Cai, J [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of 4D-MRI in determining the Internal Target Volume (ITV) used in radiation oncology treatment planning of liver cancers. Cine MRI is used as the standard baseline in establishing the feasibility and accuracy of 4D-MRI tumor motion within the liver. Methods: IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective study. Analysis was performed on MR images from four patients receiving external beam radiation therapy for liver cancer at our institution. Eligible patients received both Cine and 4D-MRI scans before treatment. Cine images were acquired sagittally in real time at a slice bisecting the tumor, while 4D images were acquired volumetrically. Cine MR DICOM headers were manipulated such that each respiratory frame was assigned a unique slice location. This approach permitted the treatment planning system (Eclipse, Varian Medical Systems) to recognize a complete respiratory cycle as a “volume”, where the gross tumor was contoured temporally. Software was developed to calculate the union of all frame contours in the structure set, resulting in the corresponding plane of the ITV projecting through the middle of the tumor, defined as the Internal Target Area (ITA). This was repeated for 4D-MRI, at the corresponding slice location, allowing a direct comparison of ITAs obtained from each modality. Results: Four patients have been analyzed. ITAs contoured from 4D-MRI correlate with contours from Cine MRI. The mean error of 4D values relative to Cine values is 7.67 +/− 2.55 %. No single ITA contoured from 4D-MRI demonstrated more than 10.5 % error compared to its Cine MRI counterpart. Conclusion: Motion management is a significant aspect of treatment planning within dynamic environments such as the liver, where diaphragmatic and cardiac activity influence plan accuracy. This small pilot study suggests that 4D-MRI based ITA measurements agree with Cine MRI based measurements, an important step towards clinical implementation. NIH 1R21

SU-E-J-192: Verification of 4D-MRI Internal Target Volume Using Cine MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafata, K; Czito, B; Palta, M; Bashir, M; Yin, F; Cai, J

2014-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of 4D-MRI in determining the Internal Target Volume (ITV) used in radiation oncology treatment planning of liver cancers. Cine MRI is used as the standard baseline in establishing the feasibility and accuracy of 4D-MRI tumor motion within the liver. Methods: IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective study. Analysis was performed on MR images from four patients receiving external beam radiation therapy for liver cancer at our institution. Eligible patients received both Cine and 4D-MRI scans before treatment. Cine images were acquired sagittally in real time at a slice bisecting the tumor, while 4D images were acquired volumetrically. Cine MR DICOM headers were manipulated such that each respiratory frame was assigned a unique slice location. This approach permitted the treatment planning system (Eclipse, Varian Medical Systems) to recognize a complete respiratory cycle as a “volume”, where the gross tumor was contoured temporally. Software was developed to calculate the union of all frame contours in the structure set, resulting in the corresponding plane of the ITV projecting through the middle of the tumor, defined as the Internal Target Area (ITA). This was repeated for 4D-MRI, at the corresponding slice location, allowing a direct comparison of ITAs obtained from each modality. Results: Four patients have been analyzed. ITAs contoured from 4D-MRI correlate with contours from Cine MRI. The mean error of 4D values relative to Cine values is 7.67 +/− 2.55 %. No single ITA contoured from 4D-MRI demonstrated more than 10.5 % error compared to its Cine MRI counterpart. Conclusion: Motion management is a significant aspect of treatment planning within dynamic environments such as the liver, where diaphragmatic and cardiac activity influence plan accuracy. This small pilot study suggests that 4D-MRI based ITA measurements agree with Cine MRI based measurements, an important step towards clinical implementation. NIH 1R21

Improved wrist pannus volume measurement from contrast-enhanced MRI in rheumatoid arthritis using shuffle transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Xanthopoulos, Emily; Hutchinson, Charles E; Adams, Judith E; Bruce, Ian N; Nash, Anthony F P; Holmes, Andrew P; Taylor, Christopher J; Waterton, John C

2007-01-01

Contrast-enhanced MRI is of value in assessing rheumatoid pannus in the hand, but the images are not always easy to quantitate. To develop and evaluate an improved measurement of volume of enhancing pannus (VEP) in the hand in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MR images of the hand and wrist were obtained for 14 patients with RA at 0, 1 and 13 weeks. Volume of enhancing pannus was measured on images created by subtracting precontrast T1-weighted images from contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images using a shuffle transformation technique. Maximum intensity projection (MIP) and 3D volume rendering of the images were used as a guide to identify the pannus and any contrast-enhanced veins. Visualisation of pannus was much improved following the shuffle transform. Between 0 weeks and 1 week, the mean value of the within-subject coefficient of variation (CoV) was 0.13 and the estimated total CoV was 0.15. There was no evidence of significant increased variability within the 13-week interval for the complete sample of patients. Volume of enhancing pannus can be measured reproducibly in the rheumatoid hand using 3D contrast-enhanced MRI and shuffle transform.

Role of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameter (transfer constant: Ktrans in the characterization of breast lesions on MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jena Amarnath

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The semi-quantitative analysis of the time-intensity curves in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI has a limited specificity due to overlapping enhancement patterns after gadolinium administration. With the advances in technology and faster sequences, imaging of the entire breast can be done in a few seconds, which allows measuring the transit of contrast (transfer constant: K trans through the vascular bed at capillary level that reflects quantitative measure of porosity/permeability of tumor vessels. Aim: Our study aims to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameter K trans for enhancing breast lesions and correlate it with histopathology, and assess accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of this parameter in discriminating benign and malignant breast lesions. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty-one women with 216 histologically proved enhancing breast lesions underwent high temporal resolution DCE-MRI for the early dynamic analysis for calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters (K trans using standard two compartment model. The calculated values of K trans were correlated with histopathology to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Results: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis revealed a mean K trans value of 0.56, which reliably distinguished benign and malignant breast lesions with a sensitivity of 91.1% and specificity of 90.3% with an overall accuracy of 89.3%. The area under curve (AUC was 0.907. Conclusion: K trans is a reliable quantitative parameter for characterizing benign and malignant lesions in routine DCE-MRI of breasts.

Normal regional brain iron concentration in restless legs syndrome measured by MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne Knake

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Susanne Knake1, Johannes T Heverhagen2, Katja Menzler1, Boris Keil2, Wolfgang H Oertel1, Karin Stiasny-Kolster11Department of Neurology, Center of Nervous Diseases, 2Department of Radiology, Philipps University, Marburg, GermanyAbstract: Using a T2* gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI sequence, regional T2 signal intensity (SI values, a surrogate marker for T2 values, were determined in 12 regions of interest (substantia nigra, pallidum, caudate head, thalamus, occipital white matter, and frontal white matter bilaterally and in two reference regions (cerebrospinal fluid and bone in 12 patients suffering from moderate to severe idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS; mean age 58.5 ± 8.7 years for 12.1 ± 9.1 years and in 12 healthy control subjects (mean age 56.8 ± 10.6 years. Iron deposits shorten T2 relaxation times on T2-weighted MRI. We used regional T2* SI to estimate regional T2-values. A T2-change ratio was calculated for each region of interest relative to the reference regions. We did not find significant differences in any of the investigated brain regions. In addition, serum measures involved in iron metabolism did not correlate with T2 SI values. We could not replicate earlier findings describing reduced regional brain iron concentrations in patients with RLS. Our results do not support the view of substantially impaired regional brain iron in RLS.Keywords: restless legs syndrome, pathophysiology, iron, MRI, substantia nigra

Automated pulmonary lobar ventilation measurements using volume-matched thoracic CT and MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, F.; Svenningsen, S.; Bluemke, E.; Rajchl, M.; Yuan, J.; Fenster, A.; Parraga, G.

2015-03-01

Objectives: To develop and evaluate an automated registration and segmentation pipeline for regional lobar pulmonary structure-function measurements, using volume-matched thoracic CT and MRI in order to guide therapy. Methods: Ten subjects underwent pulmonary function tests and volume-matched 1H and 3He MRI and thoracic CT during a single 2-hr visit. CT was registered to 1H MRI using an affine method that incorporated block-matching and this was followed by a deformable step using free-form deformation. The resultant deformation field was used to deform the associated CT lobe mask that was generated using commercial software. 3He-1H image registration used the same two-step registration method and 3He ventilation was segmented using hierarchical k-means clustering. Whole lung and lobar 3He ventilation and ventilation defect percent (VDP) were generated by mapping ventilation defects to CT-defined whole lung and lobe volumes. Target CT-3He registration accuracy was evaluated using region- , surface distance- and volume-based metrics. Automated whole lung and lobar VDP was compared with semi-automated and manual results using paired t-tests. Results: The proposed pipeline yielded regional spatial agreement of 88.0+/-0.9% and surface distance error of 3.9+/-0.5 mm. Automated and manual whole lung and lobar ventilation and VDP were not significantly different and they were significantly correlated (r = 0.77, p pulmonary structural-functional maps with high accuracy and robustness, providing an important tool for image-guided pulmonary interventions.

Imaging transplanted stem cells in real time using an MRI dual-contrast method

Science.gov (United States)

Ngen, Ethel J.; Wang, Lee; Kato, Yoshinori; Krishnamachary, Balaji; Zhu, Wenlian; Gandhi, Nishant; Smith, Barbara; Armour, Michael; Wong, John; Gabrielson, Kathleen; Artemov, Dmitri

2015-01-01

Stem cell therapies are currently being investigated for the repair of brain injuries. Although exogenous stem cell labelling with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prior to transplantation provides a means to noninvasively monitor stem cell transplantation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), monitoring cell death is still a challenge. Here, we investigate the feasibility of using an MRI dual-contrast technique to detect cell delivery, cell migration and cell death after stem cell transplantation. Human mesenchymal stem cells were dual labelled with SPIONs and gadolinium-based chelates (GdDTPA). The viability, proliferation rate, and differentiation potential of the labelled cells were then evaluated. The feasibility of this MRI technique to distinguish between live and dead cells was next evaluated using MRI phantoms, and in vivo using both immune-competent and immune-deficient mice, following the induction of brain injury in the mice. All results were validated with bioluminescence imaging. In live cells, a negative (T2/T2*) MRI contrast predominates, and is used to track cell delivery and cell migration. Upon cell death, a diffused positive (T1) MRI contrast is generated in the vicinity of the dead cells, and serves as an imaging marker for cell death. Ultimately, this technique could be used to manage stem cell therapies. PMID:26330231

Pre- and postnatal ultrasound and MRI imaging of the obstructive uropathies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balev, B.; Bliznakova, D.; Popova, R.; Baleva, D.

2013-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Hydronephrosis is the most common congenital pathology that is detected on prenatal ultrasound. Prenatal established unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis is an increased risk for postnatal pathology, such as the severity of the disease is directly related to the degree of retention antenatal. The most used method to detect the hydronephrosis is the measurement of front - back size of the basin of the fetus. What you will learn: The need to actively seek for prenatal retention due to the high frequency of anomalies; To distinguish degrees of fetal hydronephrosis in different periods of prenatal development; Algorithm for behavior in case of hydronephrosis detection - frequency of the control ultrasound examination and consultation with pediatric nephrologist; Indications for use of a supplementary method - pre-and postnatal MRI and MR urography. Discussion: The degree of retention is mild, moderate and severe, depending on the size of the pelvis during different periods of pregnancy. Postnatal pathology is established at 11% in fetuses with mild hydronephrosis in 45% medium and 88% with severe hydronephrosis. The condition is subject to monitoring during pregnancy, in the first month after birth, and by the end of the first year. MRI is established as a specifying alternate method as pre- and postnatally in severe hydronephrosis and suspecting for concomitant pathology. We present our results of prenatal ultrasound and MRI as well as postnatal follow-up of children with hydronephrosis. Conclusion: The results of imaging studies directly influence on the appropriate therapeutic approach. MRI study of the urogenital system is an addition of ultrasound in prenatal periods and an alternative to contrast x-ray after the birth. The objective is to preserve the renal function and to prevent the urinary tract infections later in life by antibiotic prophylaxis

On the characterization of single-event related brain activity from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measurements

KAUST Repository

Khoram, Nafiseh; Zayane, Chadia; Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem; Djellouli, Rabia

2014-01-01

We propose an efficient numerical technique for calibrating the mathematical model that describes the singleevent related brain response when fMRI measurements are given. This method employs a regularized Newton technique in conjunction with a

MRI as outcome measure in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Grete; Dahlqvist, Julia R; Vissing, Christoffer R

2017-01-01

There is no effective treatment available for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 (FSHD1), but emerging therapies are under way that call for a better understanding of natural history in this condition. In this prospective, longitudinal study, we used quantitative MRI to assess yearly...... disease progression in patients with FSHD1. Ambulatory patients with confirmed diagnosis of FSHD1 (25/20 men/women, age 20-75 years, FSHD score: 0-12) were tested with 359-560-day interval between tests. Using the MRI Dixon technique, muscle fat replacement was evaluated in paraspinal, thigh, and calf...... muscles. Changes were compared with those in FSHD score, muscle strength (hand-held dynamometry), 6-minute-walk-distance, 14-step-stair-test, and 5-time-sit-to-stand-test. Composite absolute fat fraction of all assessed muscles increased by 0.036 (CI 0.026-0.046, P

Quantitative measurement of intervertebral disc signal using MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemelaeinen, R.; Videman, T.; Dhillon, S.S.; Battie, M.C.

2008-01-01

Aim: To investigate the spinal cord as an alternative intra-body reference to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in evaluating thoracic disc signal intensity. Materials and methods: T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of T6-T12 were obtained using 1.5 T machines for a population-based sample of 523 men aged 35-70 years. Quantitative data on the signal intensities were acquired using an image analysis program (SpEx (copy right) ). A random sample of 30 subjects and intraclass correlation coeffcients (ICC) were used to examine the repeatability of the spinal cord measurements. The validity of using the spinal cord as a reference was examined by correlating cord and CSF samples. Finally, thoracic disc signal was validated by correlating it with age without adjustment and adjusting for either cord or CSF. Pearson's r was used for correlational analyses. Results: The repeatability of the spinal cord signal measurements was extremely high (≥0.99). The correlations between the signals of spinal cord and CSF by level were all above 0.9. The spinal cord-adjusted disc signal and age correlated similarly with CSF-adjusted disc signal and age (r = -0.30 to -0.40 versus r = -0.26 to -0.36). Conclusion: Adjacent spinal cord is a good alternative reference to the current reference standard, CSF, for quantitative measurements of disc signal intensity. Clearly fewer levels were excluded when using spinal cord as compared to CSF due to missing reference samples

Quantitative measurement of intervertebral disc signal using MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niemelaeinen, R. [Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)], E-mail: riikka.niemelainen@ualberta.ca; Videman, T. [Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada); Dhillon, S.S. [Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada); Battie, M.C. [Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)

2008-03-15

Aim: To investigate the spinal cord as an alternative intra-body reference to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in evaluating thoracic disc signal intensity. Materials and methods: T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of T6-T12 were obtained using 1.5 T machines for a population-based sample of 523 men aged 35-70 years. Quantitative data on the signal intensities were acquired using an image analysis program (SpEx (copy right) ). A random sample of 30 subjects and intraclass correlation coeffcients (ICC) were used to examine the repeatability of the spinal cord measurements. The validity of using the spinal cord as a reference was examined by correlating cord and CSF samples. Finally, thoracic disc signal was validated by correlating it with age without adjustment and adjusting for either cord or CSF. Pearson's r was used for correlational analyses. Results: The repeatability of the spinal cord signal measurements was extremely high ({>=}0.99). The correlations between the signals of spinal cord and CSF by level were all above 0.9. The spinal cord-adjusted disc signal and age correlated similarly with CSF-adjusted disc signal and age (r = -0.30 to -0.40 versus r = -0.26 to -0.36). Conclusion: Adjacent spinal cord is a good alternative reference to the current reference standard, CSF, for quantitative measurements of disc signal intensity. Clearly fewer levels were excluded when using spinal cord as compared to CSF due to missing reference samples.

An open source, 3D printed preclinical MRI phantom for repeated measures of contrast agents and reference standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, B L; Ludwig, K D; Adamson, E B; Eliceiri, K W; Fain, S B

2018-03-01

In medical imaging, clinicians, researchers and technicians have begun to use 3D printing to create specialized phantoms to replace commercial ones due to their customizable and iterative nature. Presented here is the design of a 3D printed open source, reusable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantom, capable of flood-filling, with removable samples for measurements of contrast agent solutions and reference standards, and for use in evaluating acquisition techniques and image reconstruction performance. The phantom was designed using SolidWorks, a computer-aided design software package. The phantom consists of custom and off-the-shelf parts and incorporates an air hole and Luer Lock system to aid in flood filling, a marker for orientation of samples in the filled mode and bolt and tube holes for assembly. The cost of construction for all materials is under $90. All design files are open-source and available for download. To demonstrate utility, B 0 field mapping was performed using a series of gadolinium concentrations in both the unfilled and flood-filled mode. An excellent linear agreement (R 2 >0.998) was observed between measured relaxation rates (R 1 /R 2 ) and gadolinium concentration. The phantom provides a reliable setup to test data acquisition and reconstruction methods and verify physical alignment in alternative nuclei MRI techniques (e.g. carbon-13 and fluorine-19 MRI). A cost-effective, open-source MRI phantom design for repeated quantitative measurement of contrast agents and reference standards in preclinical research is presented. Specifically, the work is an example of how the emerging technology of 3D printing improves flexibility and access for custom phantom design.

Ischiofemoral space on MRI in an asymptomatic population: Normative width measurements and soft tissue signal variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maras Oezdemir, Zeynep; Goermeli, Cemile Ayse; Sagir Kahraman, Ayseguel; Aydingoez, Uestuen

2015-01-01

To make normative width measurements of the ischiofemoral (IF) space in an asymptomatic population and to record soft tissue MRI signal variations within the IF space in order to determine whether such variations are associated with IF space dimensions. Normative width measurements of the IF space were prospectively made in 418 hips on 1.5 T MR images of 209 asymptomatic volunteers. Quantitative and qualitative assessments of the IF soft tissues including the quadratus femoris (QF) muscle were also made. The mean IF space width was 2.56 ± 0.75 cm (right, 2.60 ± 0.75 cm; left, 2.53 ± 0.75 cm). Soft tissue MRI signal abnormalities were present within the IF space in 19 (9.1 %) of 209 volunteers. Soft tissue abnormalities within the IF space included oedema (3/209, 1.4 %) of the QF and/or surrounding soft tissue, and only fatty infiltration (16/209, 7.7 %) of the QF. Bilateral IF spaces are asymmetrical in asymptomatic persons. There is ≥10 % of width difference between right and left IF spaces in approximately half of asymptomatic individuals. Fatty infiltration and oedema can be present at the IF space in a small portion of the asymptomatic population, who also have narrower IF spaces than those without soft tissue MRI signal abnormalities. (orig.)

PET/MRI for neurologic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Catana, Ciprian; Drzezga, Alexander; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Rosen, Bruce R

2012-12-01

PET and MRI provide complementary information in the study of the human brain. Simultaneous PET/MRI data acquisition allows the spatial and temporal correlation of the measured signals, creating opportunities impossible to realize using stand-alone instruments. This paper reviews the methodologic improvements and potential neurologic and psychiatric applications of this novel technology. We first present methods for improving the performance and information content of each modality by using the information provided by the other technique. On the PET side, we discuss methods that use the simultaneously acquired MRI data to improve the PET data quantification. On the MRI side, we present how improved PET quantification can be used to validate several MRI techniques. Finally, we describe promising research, translational, and clinical applications that can benefit from these advanced tools.

Anomalies of ossification in the posterolateral femoral condyle: assessment by MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nawata, K.; Teshima, Ryota; Morio, Yasuo; Hagino, Hiroshi [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonaga (Japan)

1999-10-01

Background. Anomalies of ossification in the lower femoral epiphysis are often radiographically indistinguishable from juvenile osteochondritis dissecans. Objective. To clarify the MRI characteristics of the anomalies of ossification in the posterolateral femoral condyle that distinguish it from juvenile osteochondritis dissecans. Materials and methods. We retrospectively examined the medical records, plain radiographs (n = 4), MRI (n = 4) and follow-up MRI (n = 2) of four boys (age 8-11 years) with anomalies of ossification in the posterolateral femoral condyle. Results. Plain radiography showed symmetrical marginal irregularity of the posterolateral femoral condyles of both knees. These lesions were asymptomatic, and the areas of irregular radiographic appearances reduced in size or disappeared without treatment within a mean observation period of 3.5 months. MRI showed a clearly demarcated low-intensity islet with the same signal intensity as subchondral bone (which was considered to be an accessory ossification nucleus) in a high-signal area in which the signal intensity was equal to that of normal articular cartilage. The areas observed as radiolucent zones on plain radiography were visualised at the same signal intensity as articular cartilage, and were continuous with articular cartilage on MRI; thus they were regarded as uncalcified cartilage. These MR findings are different from MR images of osteochondritis dissecans. Conclusions. MRI is considered to be the most effective non-invasive diagnostic method for these two conditions. (orig.) With 3 figs., 1 tab., 10 refs.

Can positional MRI predict dynamic changes in the medial plantar arch?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannsen, Finn E; Hansen, Philip; Stallknecht, Sandra

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Positional MRI (pMRI) allows for three-dimensional visual assessment of navicular position. In this exploratory pilot study pMRI was validated against a stretch sensor device, which measures movement of the medial plantar arch. We hypothesized that a combined pMRI measure incorporating...... and c) standing position with addition of 10 % body weight during static loading of the foot. Stretch sensor measurements were also performed during barefoot walking. RESULTS: The total change in navicular position measured by pMRI was 10.3 mm (CI: 7.0 to 13.5 mm). No further displacement occurred when.......08). CONCLUSIONS: Total navicular bone displacements determined by pMRI showed concurrent validity with stretch sensor measurements but only so under static loading conditions. Although assessment of total navicular displacement by combining concomitant vertical and medial navicular bone movements would appear...

Test-retest measurements of dopamine D_1-type receptors using simultaneous PET/MRI imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaller, Simon; Patt, Marianne; Becker, Georg-Alexander; Luthardt, Julia; Meyer, Philipp M.; Werner, Peter; Barthel, Henryk; Bresch, Anke; Sabri, Osama; Rullmann, Michael; Girbardt, Johanna; Fritz, Thomas H.; Hesse, Swen

2017-01-01

The role of dopamine D_1-type receptor (D_1R)-expressing neurons in the regulation of motivated behavior and reward prediction has not yet been fully established. As a prerequisite for future research assessing D_1-mediated neuronal network regulation using simultaneous PET/MRI and D_1R-selective ["1"1C]SCH23390, this study investigated the stability of central D_1R measurements between two independent PET/MRI sessions under baseline conditions. Thirteen healthy volunteers (7 female, age 33 ± 13 yrs) underwent 90-min emission scans, each after 90-s bolus injection of 486 ± 16 MBq ["1"1C]SCH23390, on two separate days within 2-4 weeks using a PET/MRI system. Parametric images of D_1R distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding potential (BP_N_D) were generated by a multi-linear reference tissue model with two parameters and the cerebellar cortex as receptor-free reference region. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was performed with manual VOIs drawn on consecutive transverse MRI slices for brain regions with high and low D_1R density. The DVR varied from 2.5 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 in regions with high D_1R density (e.g. the head of the caudate) and from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.2 in regions with low D_1R density (e.g. the prefrontal cortex). The absolute variability of the DVR ranged from 2.4% ± 1.3% to 5.1% ± 5.3%, while Bland-Altman analyses revealed very low differences in mean DVR (e.g. 0.013 ± 0.17 for the nucleus accumbens). Intraclass correlation (one-way, random) indicated very high agreement (0.93 in average) for both DVR and BP_N_D values. Accordingly, the absolute variability of BP_N_D ranged from 7.0% ± 4.7% to 12.5% ± 10.6%; however, there were regions with very low D_1R content, such as the occipital cortex, with higher mean variability. The test-retest reliability of D_1R measurements in this study was very high. This was the case not only for D_1R-rich brain areas, but also for regions with low D_1R density. These results will provide a solid base

MRI findings on de Quervain`s disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murase, Tsuyoshi [Osaka National Hospital (Japan); Kitano, Keiji; Shimada, Kozo; Tokumaru, Hiroshi; Komi, Katsumi

1996-08-01

de Quervain`s disease is a stenosing tenosynovitis affecting the first extensor compartment of the wrist. Conservative treatment including steroid injection is primarily indicated and satisfactory result can be obtained in most cases. However, it often fails in cases where fibrocartilagenous septum exists within the first compartment. Surgical release of the compartment and resection of the septum is recommended for these instances. The incidence of the septum in the compartment is reported to be about 30 to 40 per cent in normal population, though over 90 per cent in operative cases. In this study, MRI was employed to evaluate the anatomical variation in the first extensor compartment of the wrist in de Quervain`s disease. There were 13 hands in 5 men and 10 women. Their average age was 49.5 years old (19 to 76 y.o.). Axial T1 weighted MR images around the radial styloid process were obtained. Eight hands which resisted conservative treatment were operated on and first compartment was directly inspected. The other 5 were well treated with one or two steroid injection. In all operative cases, MRI revealed that the EPB tendon exists apart from the APL tendon surrounded with thick high intensity area. That finding correspond to the operative findings. That were fibrocartilagenous septum dividing the first compartment and dense synovium around the EPB tendon. On the other hands, in 5 hands which responded to steroid injection, EPB was identified only in 2 on MRI and could not be distinguished from APL in the other 3. Consequently, MRI provides useful information to make a strategy for treating de Quervain`s disease. In cases whose MRI show that EPB and APL are accommodated in one common canal non-surgical treatment should be continued while in the cases of separate EPB tunnel with surrounding proliferating synovium early operation might be considered. (author)

Reference values of MRI measurements of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gwal, Kriti; Bedoya, Maria A.; Patel, Neal; Darge, Kassa; Anupindi, Sudha A. [University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Rambhatla, Siri J. [Beth Israel Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Newark, NJ (United States); Sreedharan, Ram R. [University of Pennsylvania, Departments of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2015-08-15

Magnetic resonance imaging/cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) is now an essential imaging modality for the evaluation of biliary and pancreatic pathology in children, but there are no data depicting the normal diameters of the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct. Recognition of abnormal duct size is important and the increasing use of MRCP necessitates normal MRI measurements. To present normal MRI measurements for the common bile duct and pancreatic duct in children. In this retrospective study we searched all children ages birth to 10 years in our MR urography (MRU) database from 2006 until 2013. We excluded children with a history of hepatobiliary or pancreatic surgery. We stratified 204 children into five age groups and retrospectively measured the CBD and the pancreatic duct on 2-D axial and 3-D coronal T2-weighted sequences. We performed statistical analysis, using logistic and linear regressions to detect the age association of the visibility and size of the duct measurements. We used non-parametric tests to detect gender and imaging plane differences. Our study included 204 children, 106 (52%) boys and 98 (48%) girls, with a median age of 33 months (range 0-119 months). The children were distributed into five age groups. The common bile duct was visible in all children in all age groups. The pancreatic duct was significantly less visible in the youngest children, group 1 (54/67, 80.5%; P = 0.003) than in the oldest children, group 5 (22/22, 100%). In group 2 the pancreatic duct was seen in 19/21 (90.4%), in group 3 52/55 (94.5%), and in group 4 39/39 (100%). All duct measurements increased with age (P < 0.001; r-value > 0.423), and the incremental differences between ages were significant. The measurement variations between the axial and coronal planes were statistically significant (P < 0.001); however these differences were fractions of millimeters. For example, in group 1 the mean coronal measurement of the CBD was 2.1 mm and the axial

Reference values of MRI measurements of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gwal, Kriti; Bedoya, Maria A.; Patel, Neal; Darge, Kassa; Anupindi, Sudha A.; Rambhatla, Siri J.; Sreedharan, Ram R.

2015-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging/cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) is now an essential imaging modality for the evaluation of biliary and pancreatic pathology in children, but there are no data depicting the normal diameters of the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct. Recognition of abnormal duct size is important and the increasing use of MRCP necessitates normal MRI measurements. To present normal MRI measurements for the common bile duct and pancreatic duct in children. In this retrospective study we searched all children ages birth to 10 years in our MR urography (MRU) database from 2006 until 2013. We excluded children with a history of hepatobiliary or pancreatic surgery. We stratified 204 children into five age groups and retrospectively measured the CBD and the pancreatic duct on 2-D axial and 3-D coronal T2-weighted sequences. We performed statistical analysis, using logistic and linear regressions to detect the age association of the visibility and size of the duct measurements. We used non-parametric tests to detect gender and imaging plane differences. Our study included 204 children, 106 (52%) boys and 98 (48%) girls, with a median age of 33 months (range 0-119 months). The children were distributed into five age groups. The common bile duct was visible in all children in all age groups. The pancreatic duct was significantly less visible in the youngest children, group 1 (54/67, 80.5%; P = 0.003) than in the oldest children, group 5 (22/22, 100%). In group 2 the pancreatic duct was seen in 19/21 (90.4%), in group 3 52/55 (94.5%), and in group 4 39/39 (100%). All duct measurements increased with age (P < 0.001; r-value > 0.423), and the incremental differences between ages were significant. The measurement variations between the axial and coronal planes were statistically significant (P < 0.001); however these differences were fractions of millimeters. For example, in group 1 the mean coronal measurement of the CBD was 2.1 mm and the axial

Anatomic MRI study of a small muscle: the masseter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dheyriat, A.; Lissac, M.; Sappey-Marinier, D.; Bonmartin, A.

1997-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides functional information in an anatomic presentation allowing to distinguish soft tissues with high sensitivity. The goal of this study was to investigate the normal anatomy of the major masticatory muscle, the masseter, both at rest or during contraction by using three dimensional (3D) MRI. Eighteen subjects aged from 19 to 28 years, all in good health, were studied. Several experiments were first realized on phantoms to test the 3D-MRI technique. After reconstruction and segmentation processing, 3D acquisition, enabled obtaining data on the masseter anatomy. The normal anatomical position of the masseter was reported to the skin plan as the mean internal distance (7.9±0.42 mm) and external distance (15.2±0.41 mm). While there was no difference between internal distance, for sex or side, the external distance was significantly (p = 0.02) shorter in male (7.7±0.5 mm) than in female (8.8±0.4 mm) for both sides. The mean volume for all subjects and both sides (20.3±1.1 cm 3 ) did not change significantly between rest and exercise. The masseter volume was significantly (p 3 ) than in female (16.4±3.6 cm 3 ) groups. These physiological references may be useful for further MRI investigations of masticatory system pathologies. (authors)

MRI performed on dedicated knee coils is inaccurate for the measurement of tibial tubercle trochlear groove distance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aarvold, A.; Pope, A.; Sakthivel, V.K.; Ayer, R.V.

2014-01-01

Tibial tubercle trochlear groove distance (TTD) is a significant factor in patello-femoral instability. Initially described on CT scans with the knee in full extension, the measurement has been validated on MR scans. Dedicated knee MRI coils have subsequently superseded both CT and MRI body coils for knee imaging. However, the knee rests in partial flexion within the dedicated knee coil. The objective of this study is to investigate whether images from dedicated knee MRI coils produce different TTD measurements from MR body coils. Thirty-two symptomatic knees (27 patients) had simultaneous knee MR scans performed in both a dedicated knee coil and a body coil. TTD measurements were independently compared to assess whether the coil type used affected TTD. Patients' ages ranged from 10 to 27 years (mean 15 years). Mean TTD in the dedicated knee coil (partially flexed knee) was 11.3 mm compared with 19.9 mm in the body coil (that permits full knee extension). The mean difference was 8.6 mm, which was highly significant (p < 0.0001, unpaired t test). Inter-rater correlation co-efficient was 96 %. Of the knees that recorded a ''normal'' TTD on the dedicated knee coil, 60-100 % recorded a ''pathological'' TTD on body coil images, depending on which diagnostic value for ''normal'' cut-off was used. This study has identified a highly significant difference in TTD measurement when knees are scanned in a dedicated knee coil with the knee partially flexed, compared with an MR body coil. It is critical for surgeons and radiologists managing patello-femoral instability to appreciate this profound difference. TTD measurement taken from knees scanned in dedicated knee coils may lead to patients being falsely re-assured or erroneously denied surgery. (orig.)

Grading of cerebral gilomas: correlation with perfusion MRI, spectroscopic MRI and histopathology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Law, M.; Cha, S.; Knopp, E.A.; Johnson, G.; Litt, A.W.

2002-01-01

Full text: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between perfusion MRI (pMRI), spectroscopic MRI (sMRI) and histopathologic grading of primary glial neoplasms. Echo-planar pMRI has already been shown to be a robust physiological tool in preoperatively predicting tumor grade and guiding stereotactic biopsy (1). Thirty-four patients with a primary glial neoplasm underwent conventional MR imaging, T2*-weighted echo planar pMRI and sMRI. Four rCBV measurements were obtained from the colour maps of each lesion to determine the maximum rCBV. Spectroscopic MRI utilizing 2D chemical shift imaging at a TE of 135 provided multi-voxel spectroscopic data in sixteen of these patients. The maximum Cho/NAA, Cho/Cr, and minimum NAA/Cr ratios were obtained as well as documenting the presence of lactate and lipids. This was compared with the histopathological grading (including staining with H and E, GFAP, vimentin and MIB1, proliferative index) obtained from volumetric resection or stereotactic biopsy. The maximum rCBV in high grade tumors (n=26) ranged from 1.34 to 5.15, with a mean of 3.00 ± 1.21 (SD), and in the low grade tumors (n=8) ranged from 1.47 to 2.49, with a mean of 1.81 ± 1.21 (SD).This difference was statistically significant (p<0.001; Student t test). Maximum values for Cho/NAA, Cho/Cr and minimum NAA/Cr values were 3.24 ± 3.26, 2.49 ± 1.17 and 1.02 ± 0.34, respectively in the high grade (n = 11), and 1.3 ± 0.39, 1.58 ± 0.45 and 0.89 ± 0.37 respectively in the low-grade tumors (n = 5). A statistically significant difference was found for the Cho/Cr ratio (p<0.05) between the high grade and low grade groups. Relative CBV measurements and spectroscopic metabolic ratios are complementary and correlate with histopathology (2,3). These tools provide powerful physiological and metabolic information for preoperative prediction of tumor grade and will guide pre and post operative planning and management. Copyright (2002) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

CT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT findings of sinonasal sarcoma: Differentiation from squamous cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jin Ho; Yoon, Dae Young; Baek, Sora; Park, Min Woo; Kwon, Kee Hwan; Rho, Young Soo

2016-01-01

To evaluate computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) findings for the differentiation of sinonasal sarcoma from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We retrospectively reviewed CT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT results in 20 patients with pathologically proven sinonasal sarcoma (n = 7) and SCC (n = 13). Imaging characteristics of tumors, such as the shape, size, margin, MRI signal intensity, pattern of enhancement, local tumor invasion, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were analyzed and compared between sarcoma and SCC. The SUVmax of sarcomas (7.4 ± 2.1) was significantly lower than the SUVmax of the SCCs (14.3 ± 4.5) (p = 0.0013). However, no significant difference in the shape, size, margin, MRI signal intensity, pattern of enhancement, and local tumor invasion was observed between sarcoma and SCC. Although CT and MR imaging features are nonspecific, FDG PET/CT is useful in distinguishing between sinonasal sarcoma and SCC based on the SUVmax value

CT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT findings of sinonasal sarcoma: Differentiation from squamous cell carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jin Ho; Yoon, Dae Young; Baek, Sora; Park, Min Woo; Kwon, Kee Hwan; Rho, Young Soo [Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

To evaluate computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) findings for the differentiation of sinonasal sarcoma from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We retrospectively reviewed CT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT results in 20 patients with pathologically proven sinonasal sarcoma (n = 7) and SCC (n = 13). Imaging characteristics of tumors, such as the shape, size, margin, MRI signal intensity, pattern of enhancement, local tumor invasion, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were analyzed and compared between sarcoma and SCC. The SUVmax of sarcomas (7.4 ± 2.1) was significantly lower than the SUVmax of the SCCs (14.3 ± 4.5) (p = 0.0013). However, no significant difference in the shape, size, margin, MRI signal intensity, pattern of enhancement, and local tumor invasion was observed between sarcoma and SCC. Although CT and MR imaging features are nonspecific, FDG PET/CT is useful in distinguishing between sinonasal sarcoma and SCC based on the SUVmax value.

The capability of high field MRI in demonstrating post-mortem fetal brains at different gestational age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhonghe; Liu Shuwei; Lin Xiangtao; Gen Hequn; Teng Gaojun; Fang Fang; Zang Fengchao; Yu Taifei; Zhao Bin

2009-01-01

Objective: To study the capability of high field MRI in demonstrating the post-mortem fetal brains at different gestational age (GA). Methods: One hundred and eight post-mortem fetal brains of 14-40 weeks GA were evaluated by 3.0 T MRI. Eleven brains of 14 to 27 weeks GA with good 3.0 T MRI images were chosen and scanned by 7.0 T MRI. The developing sulci, layered structures of fetal cerebral cortex and basal nuclei were evaluated on MRI of different Tesla (3.0 T and 7.0 T) and their results analyzed. Results: On T 1 WI of 3.0 T MRI, the layered structures of fetal cerebral cortex were present at 14 weeks GA, the sulci were more accurately identified after 16 weeks GA. The basal nuclei were clearly distinguishable after 20 weeks CA, and these structures were better visualized as the GA increased. On T 2 WI of 7.0 T MRI, the sulci, layered structures of fetal cerebral cortex and basal nuclei were shown more clearly at the same GA when compared to 3.0 T, especially the sulci at the early developmental stages. Conclusions: T 1 WI of 3.0 T MRI could show the developing structures of post-mortem fetal brain well, but the T 2 WI of 7.0 T MRI were comparatively better. (authors)

Functional MRI in human motor control studies and clinical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toma, Keiichiro

2002-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been a useful tool for the noninvasive mapping of brain function associated with various motor and cognitive tasks. Because fMRI is based on the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) effect, it does not directly record neural activity. With the fMRI technique, distinguishing BOLD signals creased by cortical projection neurons from those created by intracortical neurons appears to be difficult. Two major experimental designs are used in fMRI studies: block designs and event-related designs. Block-designed fMRI presupposes the steady state of regional cerebral blood flow and has been applied to examinations of brain activation caused by tasks requiring sustained or repetitive movements. By contrast, the more recently developed event-related fMRI with time resolution of a few seconds allows the mapping of brain activation associated with a single movement according to the transient aspects of the hemodynamic response. Increasing evidence suggests that multiple motor areas are engaged in a networked manner to execute various motor acts. In order to understand functional brain maps, it is important that one understands sequential and parallel organizations of anatomical connections between multiple motor areas. In fMRI studies of complex motor tasks, elementary parameters such as movement length, force, velocity, acceleration and frequency should be controlled, because inconsistency in those parameters may alter the extent and intensity of motor cortical activation, confounding interpretation of the findings obtained. In addition to initiation of movements, termination of movements plays an important role in the successful achievement of complex movements. Brain areas exclusively related to the termination of movements have been, for the first time, uncovered with an event-related fMRI technique. We propose the application of fMRI to the elucidation of the pathophysiology of movement disorders, particularly dystonia

Functional MRI in human motor control studies and clinical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toma, Keiichiro [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Medicine; Nakai, Toshiharu [Inst. of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Kobe (Japan)

2002-07-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been a useful tool for the noninvasive mapping of brain function associated with various motor and cognitive tasks. Because fMRI is based on the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) effect, it does not directly record neural activity. With the fMRI technique, distinguishing BOLD signals creased by cortical projection neurons from those created by intracortical neurons appears to be difficult. Two major experimental designs are used in fMRI studies: block designs and event-related designs. Block-designed fMRI presupposes the steady state of regional cerebral blood flow and has been applied to examinations of brain activation caused by tasks requiring sustained or repetitive movements. By contrast, the more recently developed event-related fMRI with time resolution of a few seconds allows the mapping of brain activation associated with a single movement according to the transient aspects of the hemodynamic response. Increasing evidence suggests that multiple motor areas are engaged in a networked manner to execute various motor acts. In order to understand functional brain maps, it is important that one understands sequential and parallel organizations of anatomical connections between multiple motor areas. In fMRI studies of complex motor tasks, elementary parameters such as movement length, force, velocity, acceleration and frequency should be controlled, because inconsistency in those parameters may alter the extent and intensity of motor cortical activation, confounding interpretation of the findings obtained. In addition to initiation of movements, termination of movements plays an important role in the successful achievement of complex movements. Brain areas exclusively related to the termination of movements have been, for the first time, uncovered with an event-related fMRI technique. We propose the application of fMRI to the elucidation of the pathophysiology of movement disorders, particularly dystonia

Multiple imaging procedures including MRI for the bladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikata, Noriharu; Suzuki, Makoto; Takeuchi, Takumi; Kunisawa, Yositaka; Fukutani, Keiko; Kawabe, Kazuki

1986-01-01

Endoscopic photography, double contrast cystography, transurethral echography, X-ray CT scan, and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) were utilized for the staging diagnosis of the four patients with carcinoma of the bladder. In the first case, a 70-year-old man, since all of the five imaging procedures suggested a superficial and pedunculated tumor, his bladder cancer was considered T1. The classification of stage T3 carcinoma was made for the second 86-year-old male. Because all of his imaging examinations showed a tumor infiltrating deep muscle and penetrating the bladder wall. The third case was a 36-year-old male. His clinical stage was diagnosed as T2 or T3a by cystophotography, double contrast cystogram, ultrasonography, and X-ray CT scan. However, MRI showed only thickened bladder wall and the infiltrating tumor could not be distinguished from the hypertrophic wall. The last patient, a 85-year-old female, had a smaller Ta cancer. Her double contrast cystography revealed the small tumor at the lateral bladder wall. But, the tumor could not be detected by transaxial, sagittal and coronal scans. Multiple imaging procedures combining MRI and staging diagnosis of the bladder carcinoma were discussed. (author)

Non-Cartesian MRI scan time reduction through sparse sampling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wajer, F.T.A.W.

2001-01-01

Non-Cartesian MRI Scan-Time Reduction through Sparse Sampling Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals are measured in the Fourier domain, also called k-space. Samples of the MRI signal can not be taken at will, but lie along k-space trajectories determined by the magnetic field gradients. MRI

Measuring and manipulating brain connectivity with resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Michael D; Halko, Mark A; Eldaief, Mark C; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2012-10-01

Both resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are increasingly popular techniques that can be used to non-invasively measure brain connectivity in human subjects. TMS shows additional promise as a method to manipulate brain connectivity. In this review we discuss how these two complimentary tools can be combined to optimally study brain connectivity and manipulate distributed brain networks. Important clinical applications include using resting state fcMRI to guide target selection for TMS and using TMS to modulate pathological network interactions identified with resting state fcMRI. The combination of TMS and resting state fcMRI has the potential to accelerate the translation of both techniques into the clinical realm and promises a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases that demonstrate network pathology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlation between anatomic foot and ankle movement measured with MRI and with a motion analysis system.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquez-Barrientos, C; Liu, X C; Lyon, R; Tassone, C; Thometz, J; Tarima, S

2012-07-01

Several studies have attempted to measure how well external markers track internal bone movement using pins drilled into the foot, but this is too invasive for the pediatric population. This study investigated how well a six segment foot model (6SFM) using external markers was able to measure bone movement in the foot compared to MRI measurements. The foot was moved into different positions using a plastic foot jig and measurements were taken with both systems. The aims were to: (1) Look at the correlation between movement tracked with an Electronic Motion Tracking System (EMTS) and by measurements derived from MRI images, specifically the principal intercept angles (PIAs) which are the angles of intersection between principal axes of inertia of bone volumes. (2) To see how well external motion measured by the 6SFM could predict PIAs. Four bone pairs had their movement tracked: Tibia-Calcaneus, Calcaneus-Cuboid, Navicular-1st Metatarsal, and 1st Metatarsal-Hallux. The results showed moderate correlation between measured PIAs and those predicted at the Tibia-Calcaneus, Navicular-1st Metatarsal, and 1st Metatarsal-Hallux joints. Moderate to high correlation was found between the PIA and movement in a single anatomic plane for all four joints at several positions. The 6SFM using the EMTS allows reliable tracking of 3D rotations in the pediatric foot, except at the Calcaneus-Cuboid joint. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, Ignacio [Musculoskeletal Research Fellow at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Centro de Diagnostico Dr. Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Rosenberg, Zehava [NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Zember, Jonathan [Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY (United States)

2016-04-15

Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, Ignacio; Rosenberg, Zehava; Zember, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

Measurement of Strain in the Left Ventricle during Diastole withcine-MRI and Deformable Image Registration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veress, Alexander I.; Gullberg, Grant T.; Weiss, Jeffrey A.

2005-07-20

The assessment of regional heart wall motion (local strain) can localize ischemic myocardial disease, evaluate myocardial viability and identify impaired cardiac function due to hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathies. The objectives of this research were to develop and validate a technique known as Hyperelastic Warping for the measurement of local strains in the left ventricle from clinical cine-MRI image datasets. The technique uses differences in image intensities between template (reference) and target (loaded) image datasets to generate a body force that deforms a finite element (FE) representation of the template so that it registers with the target image. To validate the technique, MRI image datasets representing two deformation states of a left ventricle were created such that the deformation map between the states represented in the images was known. A beginning diastoliccine-MRI image dataset from a normal human subject was defined as the template. A second image dataset (target) was created by mapping the template image using the deformation results obtained from a forward FE model of diastolic filling. Fiber stretch and strain predictions from Hyperelastic Warping showed good agreement with those of the forward solution. The technique had low sensitivity to changes in material parameters, with the exception of changes in bulk modulus of the material. The use of an isotropic hyperelastic constitutive model in the Warping analyses degraded the predictions of fiber stretch. Results were unaffected by simulated noise down to an SNR of 4.0. This study demonstrates that Warping in conjunction with cine-MRI imaging can be used to determine local ventricular strains during diastole.

The value of MRI iniIdiopathic tarsal tunnel syndrome by measuring the cross-sectional area of tarsal tunnel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Min Jung; Jeong, Yu Mi; Lee, Sheen Woo; Choi Seung; Kim, Jeong Ho; Park, Hong Gi [Gachon University, Gil Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MRI as a diagnostic test in tarsal tunnel syndrome. There are no published reports with this aim and no diagnostic standard for idiopathic tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) using imaging modalities. We retrospectively searched our Picture Archiving and Communication System data and medical records to identify patients who were clinically and electomyographically diagnosed with idiopathic TTS without space-occupying lesion on MRI. Twenty five patients were included in the patient group. Another twenty-five patients who underwent ankle MRI for Achilles tendon disease were selected and included in the control group. Cross-sectional areas (CSA) of tarsal tunnel were manually measured independently by two radiologists who were blinded to clinical and surgical results, using three-dimensional reconstruction software in our hospital. Measurements were done on axial images at three levels (level 1, tibiotalar joint level; level 2, medial malleolar tip level; level 3, sustentaculum tali level). Patient and control group data were statistically analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. The mean values of CSA at levels 1, 2, and 3 of the tarsal tunnel were 87.8 mm2, 98.2 mm2, and 105.2 mm2, respectively in the patient group; and 100.0 mm2, 113.8 mm2, and 127.9 mm2 in the control group, respectively, in reader 1; and 86.2 mm2, 97.6 mm2, 105.2 mm2, respectively in the patient group; and 99.7 mm2, 112.3 mm2, 124.4 mm2, respectively, in the control group, in reader 2. The mean CSA in the patient group was significantly less than that of the control group at all three levels (p < 0.05). Intra-class correlation coefficient value between reader 1 and reader 2 were 0.98 in group 1, and 0.97 in group 2, respectively. MRI can be helpful in the assessment of idiopathic tarsal tunnel syndrome. CSA measurements of tarsal tunnel at each level may predict TTS even though there are no space occupying lesions in the tarsal tunnel on MRI.

MRI of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Pt. 1. Cranial MRI of 30 patients with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Autti, T.; Raininko, R.; Santavuori, P.; Vanhanen, S.L.

1996-01-01

We studied 30 patients with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL). The patients (aged 6-25 years) and 43 age-matched healthy volunteers underwent MRI. After visual assessment, the signal intensity was measured on T2-weighted images in numerous locations. The thickness of the cortex and corpus callosum and the dimensions of the brain stem were measured. Mild to moderate cerebral atrophy was found in 14 to 30 patients, most of them over 14 years of age; 5 older patients had mild to moderate cerebellar atrophy. There was reduction in the size of the corpus callosum and brain stem. The thalamus, caudate nucleus and putamen appeared to give low signal in patients form the ages of 7, 11 and 11 years, respectively. In contrast, the signal intensity measured from the thalamus in these patients showed only a slight (insignificant) decrease compared with controls. The most significant alteration, an increase in measured signal intensity, was found in the white matter (P<0.0001), even in the youngest patients. The MRI findings correlated significantly with decreased intelligence, speech disturbances and motor problems. Although MRI findings in JNCL do not appear very specific and the visual changes develop relatively late, the absence of pathological MRI findings in the very early stage of the disease may play a part in differnetial diagnosis of the different types of NCL. Furthermore, the MRI findings may be used in assessing severity and prognosis, particularly in young patients. (orig.)

Bell's palsy: what is the prognostic value of measurements of signal intensity increases with contrast enhancement on MRI?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kress, B.P.J.; Efinger, K.; Solbach, T.; Gottschalk, A.; Baehren, W.; Griesbeck, F.; Kornhuber, A.W.

2002-01-01

Our objective was to assess the prognostic value of measurements of the degree of contrast enhancement of the intratemporal segments of the facial nerve. We prospectively obtained MRI, slice thickness <1 mm of 20 patients with a facial palsy on the first day of inpatient treatment, and measured contrast enhancement of the nerve. The data were compared with compound muscle action potential (CMAP) measurements and the clinical course. Analysis of the initial enabled differentiation of three patients whose palsy was to show no improvement from 17 whose palsy was to resolve as expected. No patient with a poor outcome showed lesser increase in signal in the internal auditory canal, pars tympanica and pars mastoidea than patients who fully recovered. In no patient who had been diagnosed on the basis of the initial MRI as having a ''normal'' palsy was the amplitude of the (CMAP) reduced to less than 20% that of the normal side. Measurement of contrast enhancement was thus shown to be a prognostic indicator and may provide a basis for a differential treatment of facial palsy. (orig.)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation distinguishes Alzheimer disease from frontotemporal dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Benussi, Alberto; Di Lorenzo, Francesco; Dell'Era, Valentina; Cosseddu, Maura; Alberici, Antonella; Caratozzolo, Salvatore; Cotelli, Maria Sofia; Micheli, Anna; Rozzini, Luca; Depari, Alessandro; Flammini, Alessandra; Ponzo, Viviana; Martorana, Alessandro; Caltagirone, Carlo; Padovani, Alessandro; Koch, Giacomo; Borroni, Barbara

2017-08-15

To determine whether a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) multiparadigm approach can be used to distinguish Alzheimer disease (AD) from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Paired-pulse TMS was used to investigate short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and facilitation (ICF), long-interval intracortical inhibition, and short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) to measure the activity of different intracortical circuits in patients with AD, patients with FTD, and healthy controls (HC). The primary outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity of TMS measures, derived from receiver operating curve analysis. A total of 175 participants met the inclusion criteria. We diagnosed 79 patients with AD, 64 patients with FTD, and 32 HC. We found that while patients with AD are characterized by a specific impairment of SAI, FTD shows a remarkable dysfunction of SICI-ICF intracortical circuits. With the use of the best indexes, TMS differentiated FTD from AD with a sensitivity of 91.8% and specificity of 88.6%, AD from HC with a sensitivity of 84.8% and specificity of 90.6%, and FTD from HC with a sensitivity of 90.2% and specificity of 78.1%. These results were confirmed in patients with mild disease. TMS is a noninvasive procedure that reliably distinguishes AD from FTD and HC and, if these findings are replicated in larger studies, could represent a useful additional diagnostic tool for clinical practice. This study provides Class III evidence that TMS measures can distinguish patients with AD from those with FTD. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Precision of MRI-based body composition measurements of postmenopausal women

Science.gov (United States)

Romu, Thobias; Thorell, Sofia; Lindblom, Hanna; Berin, Emilia; Holm, Anna-Clara Spetz; Åstrand, Lotta Lindh; Karlsson, Anette; Borga, Magnus; Hammar, Mats; Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist

2018-01-01

Objectives To determine precision of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based fat and muscle quantification in a group of postmenopausal women. Furthermore, to extend the method to individual muscles relevant to upper-body exercise. Materials and methods This was a sub-study to a randomized control trial investigating effects of resistance training to decrease hot flushes in postmenopausal women. Thirty-six women were included, mean age 56 ± 6 years. Each subject was scanned twice with a 3.0T MR-scanner using a whole-body Dixon protocol. Water and fat images were calculated using a 6-peak lipid model including R2*-correction. Body composition analyses were performed to measure visceral and subcutaneous fat volumes, lean volumes and muscle fat infiltration (MFI) of the muscle groups’ thigh muscles, lower leg muscles, and abdominal muscles, as well as the three individual muscles pectoralis, latissimus, and rhomboideus. Analysis was performed using a multi-atlas, calibrated water-fat separated quantification method. Liver-fat was measured as average proton density fat-fraction (PDFF) of three regions-of-interest. Precision was determined with Bland-Altman analysis, repeatability, and coefficient of variation. Results All of the 36 included women were successfully scanned and analysed. The coefficient of variation was 1.1% to 1.5% for abdominal fat compartments (visceral and subcutaneous), 0.8% to 1.9% for volumes of muscle groups (thigh, lower leg, and abdomen), and 2.3% to 7.0% for individual muscle volumes (pectoralis, latissimus, and rhomboideus). Limits of agreement for MFI was within ± 2.06% for muscle groups and within ± 5.13% for individual muscles. The limits of agreement for liver PDFF was within ± 1.9%. Conclusion Whole-body Dixon MRI could characterize a range of different fat and muscle compartments with high precision, including individual muscles, in the study-group of postmenopausal women. The inclusion of individual muscles, calculated from the

Tissue Necrosis Monitoring for HIFU Ablation with T1 Contrast MRI Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, San-Chao; Yao, Ching; Kuo, Ih-Yuan; Tsai, Wei-Cheng; Chang, Hsu

2011-09-01

In MR-guided HIFU ablation, MTC (Magnetization Transfer Contrast) or perfusion imaging is usually used after ablation to evaluate the ablated area based on the thermally induced necrosis contrast. In our MR-guided HIFU ablation study, a T1 contrast MRI scan sequence has been used to distinguish between necrotic and non-necrotic tissue. The ablation of porcine meat in-vitro and in-vivo pig leg muscle show that the necrotic area of T1 contrast MRI image coincides with the photographs of sliced specimen. The sequence is considerably easier to apply than MTC or perfusion imaging, while giving good necrosis contrast. In addition, no injection of contrast agent is needed, allowing multiple scans to be applied throughout the entire ablation procedure.

A biomimetic tumor tissue phantom for validating diffusion-weighted MRI measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Damien J; Zhou, Feng-Lei; Wimpenny, Ian; Poologasundarampillai, Gowsihan; Naish, Josephine H; Hubbard Cristinacce, Penny L; Parker, Geoffrey J M

2018-07-01

To develop a biomimetic tumor tissue phantom which more closely reflects water diffusion in biological tissue than previously used phantoms, and to evaluate the stability of the phantom and its potential as a tool for validating diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI measurements. Coaxial-electrospraying was used to generate micron-sized hollow polymer spheres, which mimic cells. The bulk structure was immersed in water, providing a DW-MRI phantom whose apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and microstructural properties were evaluated over a period of 10 months. Independent characterization of the phantom's microstructure was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The repeatability of the construction process was investigated by generating a second phantom, which underwent high resolution synchrotron-CT as well as SEM and MR scans. ADC values were stable (coefficients of variation (CoVs) < 5%), and varied with diffusion time, with average values of 1.44 ± 0.03 µm 2 /ms (Δ = 12 ms) and 1.20 ± 0.05 µm 2 /ms (Δ = 45 ms). Microstructural parameters showed greater variability (CoVs up to 13%), with evidence of bias in sphere size estimates. Similar trends were observed in the second phantom. A novel biomimetic phantom has been developed and shown to be stable over 10 months. It is envisaged that such phantoms will be used for further investigation of microstructural models relevant to characterizing tumor tissue, and may also find application in evaluating acquisition protocols and comparing DW-MRI-derived biomarkers obtained from different scanners at different sites. Magn Reson Med 80:147-158, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is

Renal Cell Carcinoma Perfusion before and after Radiofrequency Ablation Measured with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wah, Tze Min; Sourbron, Steven; Wilson, Daniel Jonathan; Magee, Derek; Gregory, Walter Martin; Selby, Peter John; Buckley, David L

2018-01-08

To investigate if the early treatment effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be detected with dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI and to correlate RCC perfusion with RFA treatment time. 20 patients undergoing RFA of their 21 RCCs were evaluated with DCE-MRI before and at one month after RFA treatment. Perfusion was estimated using the maximum slope technique at two independent sittings. Total RCC blood flow was correlated with total RFA treatment time, tumour location, size and histology. DCE-MRI examinations were successfully evaluated for 21 RCCs (size from 1.3 to 4 cm). Perfusion of the RCCs decreased significantly ( p measuring RCC perfusion before and after RFA. Perfusion significantly decreases in the zone of ablation, suggesting that it may be useful for the assessment of treatment efficacy. Pre-RFA RCC blood flow may be used to predict RFA treatment time.

Structural and functional MRI in children with renal disease. First experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joergensen, Bettina; Froekiaer, Joergen [Aarhus Univ. Hospital (Denmark). Inst. of Clinical Medicine; Karstoft, Kristian; Pedersen, Michael [Aarhus Univ. Hospital (Denmark). Inst. of Clinical Medicine; Aarhus Univ. Hospital (Denmark). MR Research Centre; Joergensen, Troels Munch [Aarhus Univ. Hospital (Denmark). Dept. of Urology; Rittig, Soeren [Aarhus Univ. Hospital (Denmark). Dept. of Paediatrics

2010-07-01

This MRI study demonstrates our first clinical experiences with structural and functional evaluation in children with renal dysfunction, and communicates our experience with quantitative measurements of renal function compared to reference values found employing radionucleotides. We included renal impaired children who were recruited for clinical radioisotopic GFR measurements (n=8). MRI was performed 2 hours after Cr-EDTA measurements and was conducted using a protocol involving both anatomical/structural sequences and a dynamic contrast-enhanced sequence. Data obtained with the dynamic MRI sequence were processed using the graphical Patlak approach to obtain estimates of GFR. We were able to characterize the intrarenal configuration (cortex, medulla, pelvicalyceal arrangement) in all cases. Functional analyses of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI revealed an overall underestimation of GFR measured by MRI compared to Cr-EDTPA measures (range: -2% to -43%). We advocate the use of MRI as a single-modality approach in the structural and functional evaluation of impaired kidneys in children, and concurrently, we presented a clinically available strategy for estimations of renal cortical volume and single kidney function. However, the use of MRI contrast agents have recently become controversial in renal patients due to the risk of NSF. (orig.)

Toward an MRI-based method to measure non-uniform cartilage deformation: an MRI-cyclic loading apparatus system and steady-state cyclic displacement of articular cartilage under compressive loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Neu, C P; Hull, M L

2003-04-01

Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have shown potential for measuring non-uniform deformations throughout the volume (i.e. three-dimensional (3D) deformations) in small orthopedic tissues such as articular cartilage. However, to analyze cartilage deformation using MRI techniques, a system is required which can construct images from multiple acquisitions of MRI signals from the cartilage in both the underformed and deformed states. The objectives of the work reported in this article were to 1) design an apparatus that could apply highly repeatable cyclic compressive loads of 400 N and operate in the bore of an MRI scanner, 2) demonstrate that the apparatus and MRI scanner can be successfully integrated to observe 3D deformations in a phantom material, 3) use the apparatus to determine the load cycle necessary to achieve a steady-state deformation response in normal bovine articular cartilage samples using a flat-surfaced and nonporous indentor in unconfined compression. Composed of electronic and pneumatic components, the apparatus regulated pressure to a double-acting pneumatic cylinder so that (1) load-controlled compression cycles were applied to cartilage samples immersed in a saline bath, (2) loading and recovery periods within a cycle varied in time duration, and (3) load magnitude varied so that the stress applied to cartilage samples was within typical physiological ranges. In addition the apparatus allowed gating for MR image acquisition, and operation within the bore of an MRI scanner without creating image artifacts. The apparatus demonstrated high repeatability in load application with a standard deviation of 1.8% of the mean 400 N load applied. When the apparatus was integrated with an MRI scanner programmed with appropriate pulse sequences, images of a phantom material in both the underformed and deformed states were constructed by assembling data acquired through multiple signal acquisitions. Additionally, the number of cycles to reach

Can breast MRI computer-aided detection (CAD) improve radiologist accuracy for lesions detected at MRI screening and recommended for biopsy in a high-risk population?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arazi-Kleinman, T.; Causer, P.A.; Jong, R.A.; Hill, K.; Warner, E.

2009-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) computer-aided detection (CAD) for breast MRI screen-detected lesions recommended for biopsy in a high-risk population. Material and methods: Fifty-six consecutive Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3-5 lesions with histopathological correlation [nine invasive cancers, 13 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 34 benign] were retrospectively evaluated using a breast MRI CAD prototype (CAD-Gaea). CAD evaluation was performed separately and in consensus by two radiologists specializing in breast imaging, blinded to the histopathology. Thresholds of 50, 80, and 100% and delayed enhancement were independently assessed with CAD. Lesions were rated as malignant or benign according to threshold and delayed enhancement only and in combination. Sensitivities, specificities, and negative predictive values (NPV) were determined for CAD assessments versus pathology. Initial MRI BI-RADS interpretation without CAD versus CAD assessments were compared using paired binary diagnostic tests. Results: Threshold levels for lesion enhancement were: 50% to include all malignant (and all benign) lesions; and 100% for all invasive cancer and high-grade DCIS. Combined use of threshold and enhancement patterns for CAD assessment was best (73% sensitivity, 56% specificity and 76% NPV for all cancer). Sensitivities and NPV were better for invasive cancer (100%/100%) than for all malignancies (54%/76%). Radiologists' MRI interpretation was more sensitive than CAD (p = 0.05), but less specific (p = 0.001) for cancer detection. Conclusion: The breast MRI CAD system used could not improve the radiologists' accuracy for distinguishing all malignant from benign lesions, due to the poor sensitivity for DCIS detection.

Measuring the mutual effects between a CZT detector and MRI for the development of a simultaneous MBI/MRI insert

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Tao, Ashley [McMaster University (Canada); Farncombe, Troy [Hamilton Health Sciences (Canada); Noseworthy, Michael [McMaster University (Canada)

2015-05-18

While mammography is the gold standard for breast cancer screening, it suffers from poor sensitivity in women with dense breast tissue. Both breast MRI and molecular breast imaging (MBI) have been used as secondary imaging techniques. However, breast MRI suffers from low specificity and low sensitivity in MBI. A CZT based detector system has been developed with the goal of simultaneous MBI/MRI imaging to address the shortcomings of each modality. The performance of each modality needs to be addressed separately and together. The CZT system is comprised of four Redlen CZT modules tiled in a 2x2 array. Each module consists of 256 pixels and feature a builtin on-board ASIC and FPGA. A custom digital readout circuit board was designed to interface the four modules with a microcontroller to a PC. MR images were acquired with a 3T GE Discovery MR750 and Hologic breast coils. A gradient echo imaging sequence was used for all image acquisitions. A tissue mimicking phantom with a plastic grid insert (1 cm spacing) was used to evaluate geometric accuracy with the CZT detectors in the MRI bore. The average distance between the grid markers was 1Å 0.2cm indicating negligible geometric distortion. Field maps were generated with a uniform phantom to quantify the effect on magnetic field homogeneity. Early results indicate a significant distortion (~10ppm) in the magnetic field closest to the coil. Further analysis of the MR images will determine the extent of image quality degradation. A flood map of Tc-99m was acquired to evaluate and implement an energy correction map and a uniformity map. In the absence of a magnetic field, the mean energy resolution at 140keV was 6.3%. After fully characterizing the uniformity, geometric accuracy and sensitivity, the same metrics will be evaluated in the MRI bore.

Can common measures of core stability distinguish performance in a shoulder pressing task under stable and unstable conditions?

Science.gov (United States)

Keogh, Justin W L; Aickin, Sam E; Oldham, Anthony R H

2010-02-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether a range of static core stability (CS) measures could distinguish shoulder press performance in unstable vs. stable conditions. Thirty resistance-trained men gave informed consent to participate in this study. One-repetition maximum strength (from 0.90), moderate (0.85 Core stability training (with or without a SB) may therefore only lead to significant improvements in functional dynamic performance if the postures, mode and velocity of contraction performed in training, are similar to the competitive tasks.

Value of MRI of the brain in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and neurologic disturbance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, J.E.; Sundgren, P.C.; Maly, P.; Attwood, J.; McCune, J.

2004-01-01

Our objective was to review the frequency and pattern of signal abnormalities seen on conventional MRI in patients with suspected neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NP-SLE). We reviewed 116 MRI examinations of the brain performed on 85 patients with SLE, (81 women, four men, aged 21-78 years, mean 40.6 years) presenting with neurological disturbances. MRI was normal or nearly normal in 34%. In 60% high-signal lesions were observed on T2-weighted images, frequently in the frontal and parietal subcortical white matter. Infarct-like lesions involving gray and white matter were demonstrated in 21 of cases. Areas of restricted diffusion were seen in 12 of the 67 patients who underwent diffusion-weighted imaging. Other abnormalities included loss of brain volume, hemorrhage, meningeal enhancement, and bilateral high signal in occipital white-matter. The MRI findings alone did not allow us to distinguish between thromboembolic and inflammatory events in many patients. Some patients with normal MRI improved clinically while on immunosuppressive therapy. More sensitive and/or specific imaging methods, such as spectroscopy and perfusion-weighted imaging, should be investigated in these subgroups of patients with suspected NP-SLE. (orig.)

Test-retest measurements of dopamine D{sub 1}-type receptors using simultaneous PET/MRI imaging

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Kaller, Simon; Patt, Marianne; Becker, Georg-Alexander; Luthardt, Julia; Meyer, Philipp M.; Werner, Peter; Barthel, Henryk; Bresch, Anke; Sabri, Osama [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Rullmann, Michael [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); Girbardt, Johanna [Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); Fritz, Thomas H. [Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); University of Gent, Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM), Ghent (Belgium); Hesse, Swen [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Leipzig University Medical Centre, Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig (Germany)

2017-06-15

The role of dopamine D{sub 1}-type receptor (D{sub 1}R)-expressing neurons in the regulation of motivated behavior and reward prediction has not yet been fully established. As a prerequisite for future research assessing D{sub 1}-mediated neuronal network regulation using simultaneous PET/MRI and D{sub 1}R-selective [{sup 11}C]SCH23390, this study investigated the stability of central D{sub 1}R measurements between two independent PET/MRI sessions under baseline conditions. Thirteen healthy volunteers (7 female, age 33 ± 13 yrs) underwent 90-min emission scans, each after 90-s bolus injection of 486 ± 16 MBq [{sup 11}C]SCH23390, on two separate days within 2-4 weeks using a PET/MRI system. Parametric images of D{sub 1}R distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding potential (BP{sub ND}) were generated by a multi-linear reference tissue model with two parameters and the cerebellar cortex as receptor-free reference region. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was performed with manual VOIs drawn on consecutive transverse MRI slices for brain regions with high and low D{sub 1}R density. The DVR varied from 2.5 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 in regions with high D{sub 1}R density (e.g. the head of the caudate) and from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.2 in regions with low D{sub 1}R density (e.g. the prefrontal cortex). The absolute variability of the DVR ranged from 2.4% ± 1.3% to 5.1% ± 5.3%, while Bland-Altman analyses revealed very low differences in mean DVR (e.g. 0.013 ± 0.17 for the nucleus accumbens). Intraclass correlation (one-way, random) indicated very high agreement (0.93 in average) for both DVR and BP{sub ND} values. Accordingly, the absolute variability of BP{sub ND} ranged from 7.0% ± 4.7% to 12.5% ± 10.6%; however, there were regions with very low D{sub 1}R content, such as the occipital cortex, with higher mean variability. The test-retest reliability of D{sub 1}R measurements in this study was very high. This was the case not only for D{sub 1}R-rich brain areas, but

The application of MRI and MRS in psychiatry and performance evaluation of magnetic field homogeneity in MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hua Hsuan

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a safe non-invasive tool to study the physiological mechanisms of the human brain. MRS has the capability to provide the information regarding neurochemicals in brains of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. Therefore, to produce measurable and interpretable information in MRI and MRS, a quality control (QC) program is required. Magnetic field homogeneity (MFH) is an important factor for QC when the volume sizes and neurochemical levels are quantified. Poor main (B0) MFH leads to artifacts, signal losses and broadened line widths. The American College of Radiology's (ACR) MRI QC manual mandates annual checks of MFH, suggesting tests using spectral line widths (FWHM) and phase-difference (Deltaϕ) maps. A new method, dubbed the bandwidth-difference (DeltaBW) method, is proposed along with a prototype phantom for determining MFH. The DeltaBW method is compared with standard methods and has also been tested in different model MRI systems from various manufacturers. Direct comparisons of the data obtained using the DeltaBW method demonstrated good agreement with data obtained using the linewidth method and the frequency map data provided by one MRI system manufacturer. As a result, the DeltaBW method produces measurements of MFH at various Diameter Sphere Volume (DSV) values that can be obtained from a single set of phantom images. The conclusion of the study is that the accuracy of DeltaBW B0 homogeneity measurements of MFH is comparable to the other methods tested while the ease of measurement in practical clinical setting is considerably improved.

Development of Human Muscle Protein Measurement with MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chen; Evans, Harlan; Leblanc, Adrian D.

1997-01-01

It is known that micro-gravity has a strong influence on the human musculoskeletal system. A number of studies have shown that significant changes in skeletal muscles occur in both space flight and bedrest simulation. In our 5 week bedrest study, the cross-sectional area of soleus-gastrocnemius decreased about 12% while the cross-sectional area of anterior calf muscles decreased about 4%. Using volume measurements, these losses increased after 17 weeks to approximately 30% and 21% respectively. Significant muscle atrophy was also found on the SL-J crew members after only 8 days in space. It is important that these effects are fully understood so that countermeasures can be developed. The same knowledge might also be useful in preventing muscle atrophy related to other medical problems. A major problem with anatomical measurements of muscle during bed rest and microgravity is the influence of fluid shifts and water balance on the measurement of muscle volume, especially when the exposure duration is short and the atrophy is relatively small. Fluid shifts were documented in Skylab by visual observations of blood vessel distention, rapid changes in limb volume, center of mass measurements and subjective descriptions such as puffy faces and head fullness. It has been reported that the muscle water content of biopsied soleus muscles decreased following 8 hours of head down tilt bed rest. Three aspects of fluid shifts that can affect volume measurements are: first, the shift of fluid that occurs whenever there is a change from upright to a recumbent position and vice versa; second, the potential for fluid accumulation in the lower limbs resulting from muscle damage caused by overextending atrophied muscle or swelling caused by deconditioned precapillary sphincter muscles during reambulation; third, the net change of hydration level during and after bed rest or spaceflight. Because of these transitory fluid shifts, muscle protein is expected to represent muscle capacity

Hemodynamic measurement using four-dimensional phase-contrast MRI: Quantification of hemodynamic parameters and clinical applications

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Ha, Ho Jin; Lee, Sang Joon [POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Guk Bae; Kweon, Ji Hoon; Kim, Young Hak; Lee, Deok Hee; Yang, Dong Hyun; KIm, Nam Kug [Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

Recent improvements have been made to the use of time-resolved, three-dimensional phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is also named four-dimensional (4D) PC-MRI or 4D flow MRI, in the investigation of spatial and temporal variations in hemodynamic features in cardiovascular blood flow. The present article reviews the principle and analytical procedures of 4D PC-MRI. Various fluid dynamic biomarkers for possible clinical usage are also described, including wall shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy, and relative pressure. Lastly, this article provides an overview of the clinical applications of 4D PC-MRI in various cardiovascular regions.

Hemodynamic Measurement Using Four-Dimensional Phase-Contrast MRI: Quantification of Hemodynamic Parameters and Clinical Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Hojin [POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Guk Bae [Asan Institute of Life Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Kweon, Jihoon [Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Joon [POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young-Hak [Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Deok Hee; Yang, Dong Hyun [Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Namkug [Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-01

Recent improvements have been made to the use of time-resolved, three-dimensional phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is also named four-dimensional (4D) PC-MRI or 4D flow MRI, in the investigation of spatial and temporal variations in hemodynamic features in cardiovascular blood flow. The present article reviews the principle and analytical procedures of 4D PC-MRI. Various fluid dynamic biomarkers for possible clinical usage are also described, including wall shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy, and relative pressure. Lastly, this article provides an overview of the clinical applications of 4D PC-MRI in various cardiovascular regions.

Intraoperative detection of glioma invasion beyond MRI enhancement with Raman spectroscopy in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Jermyn, Michael; Mok, Kelvin; Mercier, Jeanne; Desroches, Joannie; Pichette, Julien; Saint-Arnaud, Karl; Guiot, Marie-Christine; Petrecca, Kevin; Leblond, Frédéric

2015-03-01

Cancer tissue is frequently impossible to distinguish from normal brain during surgery. Gliomas are a class of brain cancer which invade into the normal brain. If left unresected, these invasive cancer cells are the source of glioma recurrence. Moreover, these invasion areas do not show up on standard-of-care pre-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This inability to fully visualize invasive brain cancers results in subtotal surgical resections, negatively impacting patient survival. To address this issue, we have demonstrated the efficacy of single-point in vivo Raman spectroscopy using a contact hand-held fiber optic probe for rapid detection of cancer invasion in 8 patients with low and high grade gliomas. Using a supervised machine learning algorithm to analyze the Raman spectra obtained in vivo, we were able to distinguish normal brain from the presence of cancer cells with sensitivity and specificity greater than 90%. Moreover, by correlating these results with pre-operative MRI we demonstrate the ability to detect low density cancer invasion up to 1.5cm beyond the cancer extent visible using MRI. This represents the potential for significant improvements in progression-free and overall patient survival, by identifying previously undetectable residual cancer cell populations and preventing the resection of normal brain tissue. While the importance of maximizing the volume of tumor resection is important for all grades of gliomas, the impact for low grade gliomas can be dramatic because surgery can even be curative. This convenient technology can rapidly classify cancer invasion in real-time, making it ideal for intraoperative use in brain tumor resection.

MRI-guided stereotactic neurosurgical procedures in a diagnostic MRI suite: Background and safe practice recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Paul S; Willie, Jon T; Vadivelu, Sudhakar; Azmi-Ghadimi, Hooman; Nichols, Amy; Fauerbach, Loretta Litz; Johnson, Helen Boehm; Graham, Denise

2017-07-01

The development of navigation technology facilitating MRI-guided stereotactic neurosurgery has enabled neurosurgeons to perform a variety of procedures ranging from deep brain stimulation to laser ablation entirely within an intraoperative or diagnostic MRI suite while having real-time visualization of brain anatomy. Prior to this technology, some of these procedures required multisite workflow patterns that presented significant risk to the patient during transport. For those facilities with access to this technology, safe practice guidelines exist only for procedures performed within an intraoperative MRI. There are currently no safe practice guidelines or parameters available for facilities looking to integrate this technology into practice in conventional MRI suites. Performing neurosurgical procedures in a diagnostic MRI suite does require precautionary measures. The relative novelty of technology and workflows for direct MRI-guided procedures requires consideration of safe practice recommendations, including those pertaining to infection control and magnet safety issues. This article proposes a framework of safe practice recommendations designed for assessing readiness and optimization of MRI-guided neurosurgical interventions in the diagnostic MRI suite in an effort to mitigate patient risk. The framework is based on existing clinical evidence, recommendations, and guidelines related to infection control and prevention, health care-associated infections, and magnet safety, as well as the clinical and practical experience of neurosurgeons utilizing this technology. © 2017 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association.

Diffusion MRI for rectal cancer staging: ADC measurements before and after ultrasonographic gel lumen distension

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Palmucci, S., E-mail: spalmucci@sirm.org; Piccoli, M.; Piana, S.; Foti, P.V.; Siverino, R.O.A.; Mauro, L.A.; Milone, P.; Ettorre, G.C.

2017-01-15

Objectives: To compare Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) measurements in rectal neoplastic lesions before and after lumen distension obtained with sonography transmission gel. Methods: From January 2014 to July 2016, 25 patients (average age 63.7, range 41–85, 18 males) were studied for pre-treatment rectal cancer staging using a 1.5 T MRI. Diffusion MRI was obtained using echo-planar imaging with b = 800 value; all patients were studied acquiring diffusion sequences with and without rectal lumen distension obtained using sonography transmission gel. In both diffusion sequences, two blinded readers calculated border ADC values and small ADC values, drawing regions of interest respectively along tumour borders and far from tumour borders. Mean ADC values among readers − for each type of ADC measurement − were compared using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. Correlation was assessed using Pearson analysis. Results: Border ADC mean value for diffusion MR sequences without endorectal contrast was 1.122 mm{sup 2}/sec, with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.02–1.22; using gel lumen distension, higher border ADC mean value of 1.269 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 1.16–1.38) was obtained. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test revealed statistical difference (p < 0.01); a strong Pearson correlation was reported, with r value of 0.69. Small-ADC mean value was 1.038 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 0.91–1.16) for diffusion sequences acquired without endorectal distension and 1.127 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 0.98–1.27) for diffusion sequences obtained after endorectal gel lumen distension. Wilcoxon analysis did not show statistical difference (p = 0.13). A very strong positive correlation was observed, with r value of 0.81. Conclusions: ADC measurements are slightly higher using endorectal sonographic transmission gel; ROI should be traced far from tumour borders, to minimize gel filled-pixel along the interface between lumen and lesion. Further studies are needed to

Diffusion MRI for rectal cancer staging: ADC measurements before and after ultrasonographic gel lumen distension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmucci, S.; Piccoli, M.; Piana, S.; Foti, P.V.; Siverino, R.O.A.; Mauro, L.A.; Milone, P.; Ettorre, G.C.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To compare Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) measurements in rectal neoplastic lesions before and after lumen distension obtained with sonography transmission gel. Methods: From January 2014 to July 2016, 25 patients (average age 63.7, range 41–85, 18 males) were studied for pre-treatment rectal cancer staging using a 1.5 T MRI. Diffusion MRI was obtained using echo-planar imaging with b = 800 value; all patients were studied acquiring diffusion sequences with and without rectal lumen distension obtained using sonography transmission gel. In both diffusion sequences, two blinded readers calculated border ADC values and small ADC values, drawing regions of interest respectively along tumour borders and far from tumour borders. Mean ADC values among readers − for each type of ADC measurement − were compared using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. Correlation was assessed using Pearson analysis. Results: Border ADC mean value for diffusion MR sequences without endorectal contrast was 1.122 mm 2 /sec, with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.02–1.22; using gel lumen distension, higher border ADC mean value of 1.269 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 1.16–1.38) was obtained. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test revealed statistical difference (p < 0.01); a strong Pearson correlation was reported, with r value of 0.69. Small-ADC mean value was 1.038 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 0.91–1.16) for diffusion sequences acquired without endorectal distension and 1.127 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 0.98–1.27) for diffusion sequences obtained after endorectal gel lumen distension. Wilcoxon analysis did not show statistical difference (p = 0.13). A very strong positive correlation was observed, with r value of 0.81. Conclusions: ADC measurements are slightly higher using endorectal sonographic transmission gel; ROI should be traced far from tumour borders, to minimize gel filled-pixel along the interface between lumen and lesion. Further studies are needed to investigate better

Pharmacokinetics of Chiral Dendrimer-Triamine-Coordinated Gd-MRI Contrast Agents Evaluated by in Vivo MRI and Estimated by in Vitro QCM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuka Miyake

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Recently, we developed novel chiral dendrimer-triamine-coordinated Gd-MRI contrast agents (Gd-MRI CAs, which showed longitudinal relaxivity (r1 values about four times higher than that of clinically used Gd-DTPA (Magnevist®, Bayer. In our continuing study of pharmacokinetic differences derived from both the chirality and generation of Gd-MRI CAs, we found that the ability of chiral dendrimer Gd-MRI CAs to circulate within the body can be directly evaluated by in vitro MRI (7 T. In this study, the association constants (Ka of chiral dendrimer Gd-MRI CAs to bovine serum albumin (BSA, measured and calculated with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM in vitro, were found to be an extremely easy means for evaluating the body-circulation ability of chiral dendrimer Gd-MRI CAs. The Ka values of S-isomeric dendrimer Gd-MRI CAs were generally greater than those of R-isomeric dendrimer Gd-MRI CAs, which is consistent with the results of our previous MRI study in vivo.

Interventional MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harada, Junta; Dohi, Michiko; Yoshihiro, Akiko; Mogami, Takuji; Kuwada, Tomoko; Nakata, Norio [Jikei Univ., Chiba (Japan). Kashiwa Hospital

2000-06-01

Open type MR system and fast sequence is now available and MRI becomes a new modality for interventional Radiology, including biopsy, drainage operation, and monitoring for minimally invasive therapy. Experimental studies of temperature monitoring were performed under hot and cold status. Signal changes of porcine disc and meat under microwave and laser ablation were observed as low signal area by signal intensity method. Using proton chemical shift method, signal change by laser ablation was displaced color imaging and correlated with thermometric temperature measurement. The very T2 relaxation time of ice affords excellent contrast between ice and surrounding gelatin tissue allowing acute depiction of the extent of the iceball under MRI. (author)

MRI angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poncelet, B.; Baleriiaux, D.; struyven, J.; Segebarth, C.

1989-01-01

In MRI angiography two basis images are measured which only differ by the signal intensity of the flowing blood in the vessels. Subtraction of these two images produces a high contrast-to-noise representation of the vessels. Contrast between stationary tissues and flowing blood is changed, for one image compared to the second one, using a selective modification of the phase of the signal from the flowing blood, and/or using a selective modification of its longitudinal magnetization: The macroscopic spin motions along the selection and the measurement gradient directions affect the phase of the nuclear signal; assuming constant velocity, the phase is proportional to the velocity and to the first moment of the gradient waveforms applied. This work concentrates on the generarion of MRI angiograms, following a phase-based approach, of the carotid bifurcation and of different intracranical regions including the carotid syphon and the circle of Willis. (author). 21 refs.; 3 figs

MRI characterization of temporal lobe epilepsy using rapidly measurable spatial indices with hemisphere asymmetries and gender features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, Siddhartha; Chakrabarti, Nilkanta; Sarkar, Sudipta; Chakraborty, Sumit; Basu, Swadhapriya; Mulpuru, Sai Krishna; Tiwary, Basant K.; Roy, Prasun Kumar

2015-01-01

The paucity of morphometric markers for hemispheric asymmetries and gender variations in hippocampi and amygdalae in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) calls for better characterization of TLE by finding more useful prognostic MRI parameter(s). T1-weighted MRI (3 T) morphometry using multiple parameters of hippocampus-parahippocampus (angular and linear measures, volumetry) and amygdalae (volumetry) including their hemispheric asymmetry indices (AI) were evaluated in both genders. The cutoff values of parameters were statistically estimated from measurements of healthy subjects to characterize TLE (57 patients, 55 % male) alterations. TLE had differential categories with hippocampal atrophy, parahippocampal angle (PHA) acuteness, and several other parametric changes. Bilateral TLE categories were much more prevalent compared to unilateral TLE categories. Female patients were considerably more disposed to bilateral TLE categories than male patients. Male patients displayed diverse categories of unilateral abnormalities. Few patients (both genders) had combined bilateral appearances of hippocampal atrophy, amygdala atrophy, PHA acuteness, and increase in hippocampal angle (HA) where medial distance ratio (MDR) varied among genders. TLE had gender-specific and hemispheric dominant alterations in AI of parameters. Maximum magnitude of parametric changes in TLE includes (a) AI increase in HA of both genders, (b) HA increase (bilateral) in female patients, and (c) increase in ratio of amygdale/hippocampal volume (unilateral, right hemispheric), and AI decrease in MDR, in male patients. Multiparametric MRI studies of hippocampus and amygdalae, including their hemispheric asymmetry, underscore better characterization of TLE. Rapidly measurable single-slice parameters (HA, PHA, MDR) can readily delineate TLE in a time-constrained clinical setting, which contrasts with customary three-dimensional hippocampal volumetry that requires many slice computation. (orig.)

MRI characterization of temporal lobe epilepsy using rapidly measurable spatial indices with hemisphere asymmetries and gender features

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Datta, Siddhartha; Chakrabarti, Nilkanta [University of Calcutta, Department of Physiology and UGC-CPEPA Centre for ' ' Electro-physiological and Neuro-imaging studies including Mathematical Modelling' ' , Kolkata (India); Sarkar, Sudipta; Chakraborty, Sumit; Basu, Swadhapriya [IPGME and R, SSKM Hospital, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Kolkata (India); Mulpuru, Sai Krishna [National Brain Research Centre, National Neuro-Imaging Facility, Manesar (India); Tiwary, Basant K. [Pondicherry University, Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry (India); Roy, Prasun Kumar [National Brain Research Centre, Computational Neuroimaging Division, Manesar (India); National Brain Research Centre, Clinical Neuroscience Unit, Gurgaon (India)

2015-09-15

The paucity of morphometric markers for hemispheric asymmetries and gender variations in hippocampi and amygdalae in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) calls for better characterization of TLE by finding more useful prognostic MRI parameter(s). T1-weighted MRI (3 T) morphometry using multiple parameters of hippocampus-parahippocampus (angular and linear measures, volumetry) and amygdalae (volumetry) including their hemispheric asymmetry indices (AI) were evaluated in both genders. The cutoff values of parameters were statistically estimated from measurements of healthy subjects to characterize TLE (57 patients, 55 % male) alterations. TLE had differential categories with hippocampal atrophy, parahippocampal angle (PHA) acuteness, and several other parametric changes. Bilateral TLE categories were much more prevalent compared to unilateral TLE categories. Female patients were considerably more disposed to bilateral TLE categories than male patients. Male patients displayed diverse categories of unilateral abnormalities. Few patients (both genders) had combined bilateral appearances of hippocampal atrophy, amygdala atrophy, PHA acuteness, and increase in hippocampal angle (HA) where medial distance ratio (MDR) varied among genders. TLE had gender-specific and hemispheric dominant alterations in AI of parameters. Maximum magnitude of parametric changes in TLE includes (a) AI increase in HA of both genders, (b) HA increase (bilateral) in female patients, and (c) increase in ratio of amygdale/hippocampal volume (unilateral, right hemispheric), and AI decrease in MDR, in male patients. Multiparametric MRI studies of hippocampus and amygdalae, including their hemispheric asymmetry, underscore better characterization of TLE. Rapidly measurable single-slice parameters (HA, PHA, MDR) can readily delineate TLE in a time-constrained clinical setting, which contrasts with customary three-dimensional hippocampal volumetry that requires many slice computation. (orig.)

Postoperative meningeal enhancement on MRI in children with brain neoplasms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Min Hee; Han, Bokyung Kim; Yoon, Hye Kyung; Shin, Hyung Jin

2000-01-01

The meninges composed of the dura, the arachnoid and the pia are significant sites of blood-brain barrier. Physical disruption of the integrity of the meninges from a variety of causes including surgery results in various patterns of meningeal enhancement on contrast enhanced MR images. It is important to distinguish normal reactive or benign postoperative enhancement from more serious leptomeningeal metastasis or infection, particularly in children with intracranial neoplasms. We present various patterns of meningeal enhancement on MRI in children following surgery for brain neoplasms. (author)

Monitoring local heating around an interventional MRI antenna with RF radiometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ertürk, M. Arcan [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287 and Division of MR Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287 (United States); El-Sharkawy, AbdEl-Monem M.; Bottomley, Paul A., E-mail: bottoml@mri.jhu.edu [Division of MR Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287 (United States)

2015-03-15

Purpose: Radiofrequency (RF) radiometry uses thermal noise detected by an antenna to measure the temperature of objects independent of medical imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, an active interventional MRI antenna can be deployed as a RF radiometer to measure local heating, as a possible new method of monitoring device safety and thermal therapy. Methods: A 128 MHz radiometer receiver was fabricated to measure the RF noise voltage from an interventional 3 T MRI loopless antenna and calibrated for temperature in a uniformly heated bioanalogous gel phantom. Local heating (ΔT) was induced using the antenna for RF transmission and measured by RF radiometry, fiber-optic thermal sensors, and MRI thermometry. The spatial thermal sensitivity of the antenna radiometer was numerically computed using a method-of-moment electric field analyses. The gel’s thermal conductivity was measured by MRI thermometry, and the localized time-dependent ΔT distribution computed from the bioheat transfer equation and compared with radiometry measurements. A “H-factor” relating the 1 g-averaged ΔT to the radiometric temperature was introduced to estimate peak temperature rise in the antenna’s sensitive region. Results: The loopless antenna radiometer linearly tracked temperature inside a thermally equilibrated phantom up to 73 °C to within ±0.3 °C at a 2 Hz sample rate. Computed and MRI thermometric measures of peak ΔT agreed within 13%. The peak 1 g-average temperature was H = 1.36 ± 0.02 times higher than the radiometric temperature for any media with a thermal conductivity of 0.15–0.50 (W/m)/K, indicating that the radiometer can measure peak 1 g-averaged ΔT in physiologically relevant tissue within ±0.4 °C. Conclusions: Active internal MRI detectors can serve as RF radiometers at the MRI frequency to provide accurate independent measures of local and peak temperature without the artifacts that can accompany MRI thermometry or

Monitoring local heating around an interventional MRI antenna with RF radiometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ertürk, M. Arcan; El-Sharkawy, AbdEl-Monem M.; Bottomley, Paul A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Radiofrequency (RF) radiometry uses thermal noise detected by an antenna to measure the temperature of objects independent of medical imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, an active interventional MRI antenna can be deployed as a RF radiometer to measure local heating, as a possible new method of monitoring device safety and thermal therapy. Methods: A 128 MHz radiometer receiver was fabricated to measure the RF noise voltage from an interventional 3 T MRI loopless antenna and calibrated for temperature in a uniformly heated bioanalogous gel phantom. Local heating (ΔT) was induced using the antenna for RF transmission and measured by RF radiometry, fiber-optic thermal sensors, and MRI thermometry. The spatial thermal sensitivity of the antenna radiometer was numerically computed using a method-of-moment electric field analyses. The gel’s thermal conductivity was measured by MRI thermometry, and the localized time-dependent ΔT distribution computed from the bioheat transfer equation and compared with radiometry measurements. A “H-factor” relating the 1 g-averaged ΔT to the radiometric temperature was introduced to estimate peak temperature rise in the antenna’s sensitive region. Results: The loopless antenna radiometer linearly tracked temperature inside a thermally equilibrated phantom up to 73 °C to within ±0.3 °C at a 2 Hz sample rate. Computed and MRI thermometric measures of peak ΔT agreed within 13%. The peak 1 g-average temperature was H = 1.36 ± 0.02 times higher than the radiometric temperature for any media with a thermal conductivity of 0.15–0.50 (W/m)/K, indicating that the radiometer can measure peak 1 g-averaged ΔT in physiologically relevant tissue within ±0.4 °C. Conclusions: Active internal MRI detectors can serve as RF radiometers at the MRI frequency to provide accurate independent measures of local and peak temperature without the artifacts that can accompany MRI thermometry or

Monitoring local heating around an interventional MRI antenna with RF radiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertürk, M. Arcan; El-Sharkawy, AbdEl-Monem M.; Bottomley, Paul A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Radiofrequency (RF) radiometry uses thermal noise detected by an antenna to measure the temperature of objects independent of medical imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, an active interventional MRI antenna can be deployed as a RF radiometer to measure local heating, as a possible new method of monitoring device safety and thermal therapy. Methods: A 128 MHz radiometer receiver was fabricated to measure the RF noise voltage from an interventional 3 T MRI loopless antenna and calibrated for temperature in a uniformly heated bioanalogous gel phantom. Local heating (ΔT) was induced using the antenna for RF transmission and measured by RF radiometry, fiber-optic thermal sensors, and MRI thermometry. The spatial thermal sensitivity of the antenna radiometer was numerically computed using a method-of-moment electric field analyses. The gel’s thermal conductivity was measured by MRI thermometry, and the localized time-dependent ΔT distribution computed from the bioheat transfer equation and compared with radiometry measurements. A “H-factor” relating the 1 g-averaged ΔT to the radiometric temperature was introduced to estimate peak temperature rise in the antenna’s sensitive region. Results: The loopless antenna radiometer linearly tracked temperature inside a thermally equilibrated phantom up to 73 °C to within ±0.3 °C at a 2 Hz sample rate. Computed and MRI thermometric measures of peak ΔT agreed within 13%. The peak 1 g-average temperature was H = 1.36 ± 0.02 times higher than the radiometric temperature for any media with a thermal conductivity of 0.15–0.50 (W/m)/K, indicating that the radiometer can measure peak 1 g-averaged ΔT in physiologically relevant tissue within ±0.4 °C. Conclusions: Active internal MRI detectors can serve as RF radiometers at the MRI frequency to provide accurate independent measures of local and peak temperature without the artifacts that can accompany MRI thermometry or

Machine learning algorithm accurately detects fMRI signature of vulnerability to major depression

OpenAIRE

Sato, Jo?o R.; Moll, Jorge; Green, Sophie; Deakin, John F.W.; Thomaz, Carlos E.; Zahn, Roland

2015-01-01

Standard functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses cannot assess the potential of a neuroimaging signature as a biomarker to predict individual vulnerability to major depression (MD). Here, we use machine learning for the first time to address this question. Using a recently identified neural signature of guilt-selective functional disconnection, the classification algorithm was able to distinguish remitted MD from control participants with 78.3% accuracy. This demonstrates the hi...

Heart MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Magnetic resonance imaging - cardiac; Magnetic resonance imaging - heart; Nuclear magnetic resonance - cardiac; NMR - cardiac; MRI of the heart; Cardiomyopathy - MRI; Heart failure - MRI; Congenital heart disease - MRI

Performance Comparison of 1.5 T Endorectal Coil MRI with Non-Endorectal Coil 3.0 T MRI in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Zarine K.; Elias, Saba N.; Abaza, Ronney; Zynger, Debra L.; DeRenne, Lawrence A.; Knopp, Michael V.; Guo, Beibei; Schurr, Ryan; Heymsfield, Steven B.; Jia, Guang

2015-01-01

Rationale and Objectives To compare prostate morphology, image quality, and diagnostic performance of 1.5 T endorectal coil MRI and 3.0 T non-endorectal coil MRI in patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods MR images obtained of 83 patients with prostate cancer using 1.5 T MRI systems with an endorectal coil were compared to images collected from 83 patients with a 3.0 T MRI system. Prostate diameters were measured and image quality was evaluated by one ABR-certified radiologist (Reader 1) and one ABR-certified diagnostic medical physicist (Reader 2). The likelihood of the peripheral zone cancer presence in each sextant and local extent were rated and compared with histopathologic findings. Results Prostate anterior-posterior diameter measured by both readers was significantly shorter with 1.5 T endorectal MRI than with 3.0 T MRI. The overall image quality score difference was significant only for Reader 1. Both readers found that the two MRI systems provided similar diagnostic accuracy in cancer localization, extraprostatic extension, and seminal vesicle involvement. Conclusion Non-endorectal coil 3.0 T MRI provides prostate images that are natural in shape and that have comparable image quality to those obtained at 1.5 T with an endorectal coil, but not superior diagnostic performance. These findings suggest an opportunity exists for improving technical aspects of 3.0 T prostate MRI. PMID:25579637

Multi-parametric MRI of rectal cancer – Do quantitative functional MR measurements correlate with radiologic and pathologic tumor stages?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Attenberger, U.I.; Pilz, L.R.; Morelli, J.N.; Hausmann, D.; Doyon, F.; Hofheinz, R.; Kienle, P.; Post, S.; Michaely, H.J.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Dinter, D.J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to evaluate, whether functional rectal MRI techniques can be analyzed in a reproducible manner by different readers and second, to assess whether different clinical and pathologic T and N stages can be differentiated by functional MRI measurements. Materials and methods: 54 patients (38 men, 16 female; mean age 63.2 ± 12.2 years) with pathologically proven rectal cancer were included in this retrospective IRB-approved study. All patients were referred for a multi-parametric MRI protocol on a 3 Tesla MR-system, consisting of a high-resolution, axial T2 TSE sequence, DWI and perfusion imaging (plasma flow –s PF Tumor ) prior to any treatment. Two experienced radiologists evaluated the MRI measurements, blinded to clinical data and outcome. Inter-reader correlation and the association of functional MRI parameters with c- and p-staging were analyzed. Results: The inter-reader correlation for lymph node (ρ 0.76–0.94; p < 0.0002) and primary tumor (ρ 0.78–0.92; p < 0.0001) apparent diffusion coefficient and plasma flow (PF) values was good to very good. PF Tumor values decreased with cT stage with significant differences identified between cT2 and cT3 tumors (229 versus 107.6 ml/100 ml/min; p = 0.05). ADC Tumor values did not differ significantly. No substantial discrepancies in lymph node ADC Ln values or short axis diameter were found among cN1-3 stages, whereas PF Ln values were distinct between cN1 versus cN2 stages (p = 0.03). In the patients without neoadjuvant RCT no statistically significant differences in the assessed functional parameters on the basis of pathologic stage were found. Conclusion: This study illustrates that ADC as well as MR perfusion values can be analyzed with good interobserver agreement in patients with rectal cancer. Moreover, MR perfusion parameters may allow accurate differentiation of tumor stages. Both findings suggest that functional MRI parameters may help to discriminate

MRI of lumbar trunk muscles in patients with Parkinson's disease and camptocormia.

Science.gov (United States)

Margraf, N G; Rohr, A; Granert, O; Hampel, J; Drews, A; Deuschl, G

2015-07-01

Camptocormia in Parkinson's disease (PD) is an axial postural disorder usually accompanied by histopathological changes in the paravertebral muscles of unknown etiology. The diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of back muscles in camptocormia has not been systematically assessed. Our objective was to characterize pathological muscle changes with MRI and to develop radiological criteria for camptocormia. The criteria edema, swelling and fatty degeneration in 20 idiopathic PD patients with camptocormia were assessed using MRI (T1w and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences) of the lumbar trunk muscles and compared with 20 group-matched PD patients without camptocormia. Edema and fatty degeneration of the paravertebral muscles were significantly more frequent in camptocormia. Edema correlated negatively and fatty degeneration positively with the duration of camptocormia and not PD. Swelling of the paravertebral muscles, edema and swelling of the quadratus lumborum muscle and rare edema of the psoas muscle were only found in camptocormia patients. In this case-control study the defined MRI criteria distinguish the group of PD patients with camptocormia versus those without. Our findings suggest dynamic changes in the MRI signals over time in the paravertebral muscles: edema and swelling are found initially, followed by fatty atrophic degeneration 2-3 years after the beginning of camptocormia. Muscle MRI qualifies as a tool for categorizing phases of camptocormia as acute or chronic, with potential consequences for therapeutic approaches. The involvement of muscles beyond an isolated impairment of the paravertebral muscles implies a more systemic view with a deregulation of lumbar trunk muscles.

Multi-Parametric MRI and Texture Analysis to Visualize Spatial Histologic Heterogeneity and Tumor Extent in Glioblastoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leland S Hu

Full Text Available Genetic profiling represents the future of neuro-oncology but suffers from inadequate biopsies in heterogeneous tumors like Glioblastoma (GBM. Contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI targets enhancing core (ENH but yields adequate tumor in only ~60% of cases. Further, CE-MRI poorly localizes infiltrative tumor within surrounding non-enhancing parenchyma, or brain-around-tumor (BAT, despite the importance of characterizing this tumor segment, which universally recurs. In this study, we use multiple texture analysis and machine learning (ML algorithms to analyze multi-parametric MRI, and produce new images indicating tumor-rich targets in GBM.We recruited primary GBM patients undergoing image-guided biopsies and acquired pre-operative MRI: CE-MRI, Dynamic-Susceptibility-weighted-Contrast-enhanced-MRI, and Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Following image coregistration and region of interest placement at biopsy locations, we compared MRI metrics and regional texture with histologic diagnoses of high- vs low-tumor content (≥80% vs <80% tumor nuclei for corresponding samples. In a training set, we used three texture analysis algorithms and three ML methods to identify MRI-texture features that optimized model accuracy to distinguish tumor content. We confirmed model accuracy in a separate validation set.We collected 82 biopsies from 18 GBMs throughout ENH and BAT. The MRI-based model achieved 85% cross-validated accuracy to diagnose high- vs low-tumor in the training set (60 biopsies, 11 patients. The model achieved 81.8% accuracy in the validation set (22 biopsies, 7 patients.Multi-parametric MRI and texture analysis can help characterize and visualize GBM's spatial histologic heterogeneity to identify regional tumor-rich biopsy targets.

Exploring differences in speech processing among elderly hearing-impaired listeners with or without hearing aid experience: Eye-tracking and fMRI measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Habicht, Julia; Behler, Oliver; Kollmeier, Birger

2018-01-01

on the cognitive processes underlying speech comprehension. Eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements were carried out with acoustic sentence-in-noise (SIN) stimuli complemented by pairs of pictures that either correctly (target) or incorrectly (competitor) depicted the sentence...... meanings. For the eye-tracking measurements, the time taken by the participants to start fixating the target picture (the ‘processing time’) was measured. For the fMRI measurements, brain activation inferred from blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses following sentence comprehension...... frontal areas for SIN relative to noise-only stimuli in the eHA group compared to the iHA group. Together, these results imply that HA experience leads to faster speech-in-noise processing, possibly related to less recruitment of brain regions outside the core sentence-comprehension network. Follow...

Value of bimodal (18)F-choline-PET/MRI and trimodal (18)F-choline-PET/MRI/TRUS for the assessment of prostate cancer recurrence after radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Paparo, Francesco; Piccardo, Arnoldo; Bacigalupo, Lorenzo; Romagnoli, Andrea; Piccazzo, Riccardo; Monticone, Michela; Cevasco, Luca; Campodonico, Fabio; Conzi, Giuseppe Maria; Carmignani, Giorgio; Rollandi, Gian Andrea

2015-08-01

Between 27% and 53% of all patients who undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy (RT) as the first-line treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) develop a biochemical recurrence. Imaging plays a pivotal role in restaging by helping to distinguish between local relapse and metastatic disease (i.e., lymph-node and skeletal metastases). At present, the most promising tools for assessing PCa patients with biochemical recurrence are multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with radio-labeled choline derivatives. The main advantage of mpMRI is its high diagnostic accuracy in detecting local recurrence, while choline-PET/CT is able to identify lymph-node metastases when they are not suspicious on morphological imaging. The most recent advances in the field of fusion imaging have shown that multimodal co-registration, synchronized navigation, and combined interpretation are more valuable than the individual; separate assessment offered by different diagnostic techniques. The objective of the present essay was to describe the value of bimodal choline-PET/mpMRI fusion imaging and trimodal choline-PET/mpMRI/transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) in the assessment of PCa recurrence after RP and RT. Bimodal choline-PET/mpMRI fusion imaging allows morphological, functional, and metabolic information to be combined, thereby overcoming the limitations of each separate imaging modality. In addition, trimodal real-time choline-PET/mpMRI/TRUS fusion imaging may be useful for the planning and real-time guidance of biopsy procedures in order to obtain histological confirmation of the local recurrence.

Respiratory challenge MRI: Practical aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona C. Moreton

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Respiratory challenge MRI is the modification of arterial oxygen (PaO2 and/or carbon dioxide (PaCO2 concentration to induce a change in cerebral function or metabolism which is then measured by MRI. Alterations in arterial gas concentrations can lead to profound changes in cerebral haemodynamics which can be studied using a variety of MRI sequences. Whilst such experiments may provide a wealth of information, conducting them can be complex and challenging. In this paper we review the rationale for respiratory challenge MRI including the effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide on the cerebral circulation. We also discuss the planning, equipment, monitoring and techniques that have been used to undertake these experiments. We finally propose some recommendations in this evolving area for conducting these experiments to enhance data quality and comparison between techniques.

Measurement of extracellular volume and transit time heterogeneity using contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunze, Karl P; Rischpler, Christoph; Hayes, Carmel; Ibrahim, Tareq; Laugwitz, Karl-Ludwig; Haase, Axel; Schwaiger, Markus; Nekolla, Stephan G

2017-06-01

To assess the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI to measure extracellular volume (ECV) and to investigate the possibility of estimating capillary transit time heterogeneity (CTH) in patients after myocardial infarction and successful revascularization. Twenty-four perfusion data sets were acquired on a 3 Tesla positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI scanner. Three perfusion models of different complexity were implemented in a hierarchical fashion with an Akaike information criterion being used to determine the number of fit parameters supported by the data. Results were compared sector-wise to ECV from an equilibrium T 1 mapping method (modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI)). ECV derived from the perfusion analysis correlated well with equilibrium measurements (R² = 0.76). Estimation of CTH was supported in 16% of sectors (mostly remote). Inclusion of a nonzero CTH parameter usually led to lower estimates of first-pass extraction and slightly higher estimates of blood volume and flow. Estimation of the capillary permeability-surface area product was feasible in 81% of sectors. Transit time heterogeneity has a measurable effect on the kinetic analysis of myocardial perfusion MRI data, and Gd-DTPA extravasation in the myocardium is usually not flow-limited in infarct-related pathology. Measurement of myocardial ECV using perfusion imaging could provide a scan-time efficient alternative to methods based on T 1 mapping. Magn Reson Med 77:2320-2330, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Interference between PET and MRI sub-systems in a silicon-photomultiplier-based PET/MRI system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watabe, Hiroshi; Kanai, Yasukazu; Hatazawa, Jun; Aoki, Masaaki; Sugiyama, Eiji; Watabe, Tadashi; Imaizumi, Masao; Shimosegawa, Eku

2011-01-01

The silicon-photomultiplier (Si-PM) is a promising photodetector, especially for integrated PET/MRI systems, due to its small size, high gain, and low sensitivity to static magnetic fields. The major problem using a Si-PM-based PET system within the MRI system is the interference between the PET and MRI units. We measured the interference by combining a Si-PM-based PET system with a permanent-magnet MRI system. When the RF signal-induced pulse height exceeded the lower energy threshold level of the PET system, interference between the Si-PM-based PET system and MRI system was detected. The prompt as well as the delayed coincidence count rates of the Si-PM-based PET system increased significantly. These noise counts produced severe artifacts on the reconstructed images of the Si-PM-based PET system. In terms of the effect of the Si-PM-based PET system on the MRI system, although no susceptibility artifact was observed on the MR images, electronic noise from the PET detector ring was detected by the RF coil and reduced the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the MR images. The S/N degradation of the MR images was reduced when the distance between the RF coil and the Si-PM-based PET system was increased. We conclude that reducing the interference between the PET and MRI systems is essential for achieving the optimum performance of integrated Si-PM PET/MRI systems.

Peripheral nerve MRI: precision and reproducibility of T2*-derived measurements at 3.0-T. A feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tagliafico, Alberto [University of Genoa, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Genoa (Italy); Bignotti, Bianca; Martinoli, Carlo [University of Genoa, Radiology Department, Genoa, Genova (Italy); Tagliafico, Giulio [CNR-IMATI, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Matematica Applicata e Tecnologie Informatiche, Genova (Italy)

2015-05-01

To prospectively evaluate the precision and reproducibility of T2*-derived measurements of the peripheral nerves. The study was approved by the local ethics committee and written informed consent was obtained. Bilateral upper and lower limb MRI examination was performed in 40 healthy subjects on a 3.0-T scanner. MRI protocol included T1-turbo spin-echo, T2-turbo spin-echo with fat suppression, and multiecho gradient recalled echo. Measurements of T2* times on T2* maps at different anatomical levels were performed. Three authors measured independently and in different sessions at baseline and after 4 weeks. Non-parametric tests and Bland-Altman statistics were used. Minimum and maximum percentage variability were 10 % and 19 % for T2* (84-91 % of reproducibility). Maximum values of minimum detectable differences between limbs was 16 % (with 95 % CI: 2-37). Intra- and inter-observer agreement of the three radiologists for T2* was considered good. Evaluating the combined influence of the observer and of the repeated measurements the reproducibility was 87-98 %. T2* measurement of the peripheral nerves is precise and reproducible. The healthy contralateral side can be used as an internal control. Variations in T2* values up to 16 % have to be considered. (orig.)

FWFusion: Fuzzy Whale Fusion model for MRI multimodal image ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Hanmant Venketrao Patil

2018-03-14

Mar 14, 2018 ... consider multi-modality medical images other than PET and MRI images. ... cipal component averaging based on DWT for fusing CT-. MRI and MRI ..... sub-band LH of the fused image, the distance measure is given based on the ...... sustainable integrated dynamic ship routing and scheduling optimization.

Genomic, Epigenomic, and Transcriptomic Profiling towards Identifying Omics Features and Specific Biomarkers That Distinguish Uterine Leiomyosarcoma and Leiomyoma at Molecular Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomoko Miyata

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS is the worst malignancy among the gynecologic cancers. Uterine leiomyoma (LM, a benign tumor of myometrial origin, is the most common among women of childbearing age. Because of their similar symptoms, it is difficult to preoperatively distinguish the two conditions only by ultrasound and pelvic MRI. While histopathological diagnosis is currently the main approach used to distinguish them postoperatively, unusual histologic variants of LM tend to be misdiagnosed as LMS. Therefore, development of molecular diagnosis as an alternative or confirmatory means will help to diagnose LMS more accurately. We adopted omics-based technologies to identify genome-wide features to distinguish LMS from LM and revealed that copy number, gene expression, and DNA methylation profiles successfully distinguished these tumors. LMS was found to possess features typically observed in malignant solid tumors, such as extensive chromosomal abnormalities, overexpression of cell cycle-related genes, hypomethylation spreading through large genomic regions, and frequent hypermethylation at the polycomb group target genes and protocadherin genes. We also identified candidate expression and DNA methylation markers, which will facilitate establishing postoperative molecular diagnostic tests based on conventional quantitative assays. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of establishing such tests and the possibility of developing preoperative and noninvasive methods.

A study of exposure to RF radiation during MRI examinations. 2. A comparison of two procedures measuring the whole body SAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Masayuki; Imaeda, Isao; Koga, Sukehiko; Sugie, Masami; Anno, Hirofumi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Okada, Tatsuhiko; Endou, Yukio; Katada, Kazuhiro.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Particularly, in this paper, the authors compared the measuring procedures of a whole body specific absorption rate (SAR) set forth in two safety guidelines respectively: the safety guideline of MRI equipments in Japan which based on the 1988 guideline of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the 1995 standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). As a result of the measurement, the measuring procedure set forth in the Japanese guideline underestimated the whole body SAR of a torso phantom in a tuneless type QD coil. The result of our experiment clearly showed that the measuring procedure set forth in the Japanese guideline did not adjust to the tuneless type QD coil. Therefore, the authors recommended ''the pulse energy method'' which is provided by the IEC standard as a measuring procedure of the whole body SAR. (author)

Quantitative MRI and strength measurements in the assessment of muscle quality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wokke, B H; van den Bergen, J C; Versluis, M J; Niks, E H; Milles, J; Webb, A G; van Zwet, E W; Aartsma-Rus, A; Verschuuren, J J; Kan, H E

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study was to assess leg muscle quality and give a detailed description of leg muscle involvement in a series of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients using quantitative MRI and strength measurements. Fatty infiltration, as well as total and contractile (not fatty infiltrated) cross sectional areas of various leg muscles were determined in 16 Duchenne patients and 11 controls (aged 8-15). To determine specific muscle strength, four leg muscle groups (quadriceps femoris, hamstrings, anterior tibialis and triceps surae) were measured and related to the amount of contractile tissue. In patients, the quadriceps femoris showed decreased total and contractile cross sectional area, attributable to muscle atrophy. The total, but not the contractile, cross sectional area of the triceps surae was increased in patients, corresponding to hypertrophy. Specific strength decreased in all four muscle groups of Duchenne patients, indicating reduced muscle quality. This suggests that muscle hypertrophy and fatty infiltration are two distinct pathological processes, differing between muscle groups. Additionally, the quality of remaining muscle fibers is severely reduced in the legs of Duchenne patients. The combination of quantitative MRI and quantitative muscle testing could be a valuable outcome parameter in longitudinal studies and in the follow-up of therapeutic effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MRI-derived measurements of fibrous-cap and lipid-core thickness: the potential for identifying vulnerable carotid plaques in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trivedi, Rikin A.; U-King-Im, Jean-Marie; Graves, Martin J.; Horsley, Jo; Goddard, Martin; Kirkpatrick, Peter J.; Gillard, Jonathan H.

2004-01-01

Vulnerable plaques have thin fibrous caps overlying large necrotic lipid cores. Recent studies have shown that high-resolution MR imaging can identify these components. We set out to determine whether in vivo high-resolution MRI could quantify this aspect of the vulnerable plaque. Forty consecutive patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent pre-operative in vivo multi-sequence MR imaging of the carotid artery. Individual plaque constituents were characterised on MR images. Fibrous-cap and lipid-core thickness was measured on MRI and histology images. Bland-Altman plots were generated to determine the level of agreement between the two methods. Multi-sequence MRI identified 133 corresponding MR and histology slices. Plaque calcification or haemorrhage was seen in 47 of these slices. MR and histology derived fibrous cap-lipid-core thickness ratios showed strong agreement with a mean difference between MR and histology ratios of 0.02 (±0.04). The intra-class correlation coefficient between two readers for measurements was 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.73 and 0.93). Multi-sequence, high-resolution MR imaging accurately quantified the relative thickness of fibrous-cap and lipid-core components of carotid atheromatous plaques. This may prove to be a useful tool to characterise vulnerable plaques in vivo. (orig.)

MRI-derived measurements of fibrous-cap and lipid-core thickness: the potential for identifying vulnerable carotid plaques in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trivedi, Rikin A. [Addenbrooke' s Hospital, University Department of Radiology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Addenbrooke' s Hospital, Academic Department of Neurosurgery, Cambridge (United Kingdom); U-King-Im, Jean-Marie; Graves, Martin J. [Addenbrooke' s Hospital, University Department of Radiology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Horsley, Jo; Goddard, Martin [Papworth Hospital, Department of Histopathology, Papworth Everard (United Kingdom); Kirkpatrick, Peter J. [Addenbrooke' s Hospital, Academic Department of Neurosurgery, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Gillard, Jonathan H. [Addenbrooke' s Hospital, University Department of Radiology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Addenbrooke' s Hospital, Hills Road, Box 219, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2004-09-01

Vulnerable plaques have thin fibrous caps overlying large necrotic lipid cores. Recent studies have shown that high-resolution MR imaging can identify these components. We set out to determine whether in vivo high-resolution MRI could quantify this aspect of the vulnerable plaque. Forty consecutive patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent pre-operative in vivo multi-sequence MR imaging of the carotid artery. Individual plaque constituents were characterised on MR images. Fibrous-cap and lipid-core thickness was measured on MRI and histology images. Bland-Altman plots were generated to determine the level of agreement between the two methods. Multi-sequence MRI identified 133 corresponding MR and histology slices. Plaque calcification or haemorrhage was seen in 47 of these slices. MR and histology derived fibrous cap-lipid-core thickness ratios showed strong agreement with a mean difference between MR and histology ratios of 0.02 ({+-}0.04). The intra-class correlation coefficient between two readers for measurements was 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.73 and 0.93). Multi-sequence, high-resolution MR imaging accurately quantified the relative thickness of fibrous-cap and lipid-core components of carotid atheromatous plaques. This may prove to be a useful tool to characterise vulnerable plaques in vivo. (orig.)

Plasma complement biomarkers distinguish multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakobyan, Svetlana; Luppe, Sebastian; Evans, David Rs; Harding, Katharine; Loveless, Samantha; Robertson, Neil P; Morgan, B Paul

2017-06-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Although distinguished by clinicoradiological and demographic features, early manifestations can be similar complicating management. Antibodies against aquaporin-4 support the diagnosis of NMOSD but are negative in some patients. Therefore, there is unmet need for biomarkers that enable early diagnosis and disease-specific intervention. We investigated whether plasma complement proteins are altered in MS and NMOSD and provide biomarkers that distinguish these diseases. Plasma from 54 NMOSD, 40 MS and 69 control donors was tested in multiplex assays measuring complement activation products and proteins. Using logistic regression, we tested whether combinations of complement analytes distinguished NMOSD from controls and MS. All activation products were elevated in NMOSD compared to either control or MS. Four complement proteins (C1inh, C1s, C5 and FH) were higher in NMOSD compared to MS or controls. A model comprising C1inh and terminal complement complex (TCC) distinguished NMOSD from MS (area under the curve (AUC): 0.98), while C1inh and C5 distinguished NMOSD from controls (AUC: 0.94). NMOSD is distinguished from MS by plasma complement biomarkers. Selected complement analytes enable differential diagnosis. Findings support trials of anti-complement therapies in NMOSD.

Perfusion MRI (dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging) with different measurement approaches for the evaluation of blood flow and blood volume in human gliomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomsen, H. (Den Sundhedsfaglige Kandidatuddannelse, Aarhus Universitet Bygning 1264, Aarhus (Denmark); University College Nordjylland, Aalborg (Denmark)), Email: hnt@ucn.dk; Steffensen, E. (Aalborg Hospital/Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Aalborg (Denmark)); Larsson, E. M. (Aalborg Hospital/Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Aalborg (Denmark); Uppsala University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Uppsala (Sweden))

2012-02-15

Background. Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used in the evaluation of brain tumors. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) is usually obtained by dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI using normal appearing white matter as reference region. The emerging perfusion technique arterial spin labelling (ASL) presently provides measurement only of cerebral blood flow (CBF), which has not been widely used in human brain tumor studies. Purpose. To assess if measurement of blood flow is comparable with measurement of blood volume in human biopsy-proven gliomas obtained by DSC-MRI using two different regions for normalization and two different measurement approaches. Material and Methods. Retrospective study of 61 patients with different types of gliomas examined with DSC perfusion MRI. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in tumor portions with maximum perfusion on rCBF and rCBV maps, with contralateral normal appearing white matter and cerebellum as reference regions. Larger ROIs were drawn for histogram analyses. The type and grade of the gliomas were obtained by histopathology. Statistical comparison was made between diffuse astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. Results. rCBF and rCBV measurements obtained with the maximum perfusion method were correlated when normalized to white matter (r = 0.60) and to the cerebellum (r = 0.49). Histogram analyses of rCBF and rCBV showed that mean and median values as well as skewness and peak position were correlated (0.61 < r < 0.93), whereas for kurtosis and peak height, the correlation coefficient was about 0.3 when comparing rCBF and rCBV values for the same reference region. Neither rCBF nor rCBV quantification provided a statistically significant difference between the three types of gliomas. However, both rCBF and rCBV tended to increase with tumor grade and to be lower in patients who had undergone resection/treatment. Conclusion. rCBF measurements normalized to white matter

Characterization of the murine orthotopic adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma PDX model by MRI in correlation with histology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hölsken, Annett; Schwarz, Marc; Gillmann, Clarissa; Pfister, Christina; Uder, Michael; Doerfler, Arnd; Buchfelder, Michael; Schlaffer, Sven; Fahlbusch, Rudolf; Buslei, Rolf; Bäuerle, Tobias

2018-01-01

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (ACP) as benign sellar brain tumors are challenging to treat. In order to develop robust in vivo drug testing methodology, the murine orthotopic craniopharyngioma model (PDX) was characterized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology in xenografts from three patients (ACP1-3). In ACP PDX, multiparametric MRI was conducted to assess morphologic characteristics such as contrast-enhancing tumor volume (CETV) as well as functional parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) including area-under-the-curve (AUC), peak enhancement (PE), time-to-peak (TTP) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). These MRI parameters evaluated in 27 ACP PDX were correlated to histological features and percentage of vital tumor cell content. Qualitative analysis of MRI and histology from PDX revealed a similar phenotype as seen in patients, although the MRI appearance in mice resulted in a more solid tumor growth than in humans. CETV were significantly higher in ACP2 xenografts relative to ACP1 and ACP3 which correspond to respective average vitality of 41%, <10% and 26% determined histologically. Importantly, CETV prove tumor growth of ACP2 PDX as it significantly increases in longitudinal follow-up of 110 days. Furthermore, xenografts from ACP2 revealed a significantly higher AUC, PE and TTP in comparison to ACP3, and significantly increased ADC relative to ACP1 and ACP3 respectively. Overall, DCE-MRI and DWI can be used to distinguish vital from non-vital grafts, when using a cut off value of 15% for vital tumor cell content. MRI enables the assessment of craniopharyngioma PDX vitality in vivo as validated histologically.

Enhancing Diffusion MRI Measures By Integrating Grey and White Matter Morphometry With Hyperbolic Wasserstein Distance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen; Shi, Jie; Yu, Jun; Zhan, Liang; Thompson, Paul M.; Wang, Yalin

2017-01-01

In order to improve the preclinical diagnose of Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a great deal of interest in analyzing the AD related brain structural changes with magnetic resonance image (MRI) analyses. As the major features, variation of the structural connectivity and the cortical surface morphometry provide different views of structural changes to determine whether AD is present on presymptomatic patients. However, the large scale tensor-valued information and relatively low imaging resolution in diffusion MRI (dMRI) have created huge challenges for analysis. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that improves dMRI analysis power by fusing cortical surface morphometry features from structural MRI (sMRI). We first compute the hyperbolic harmonic maps between cortical surfaces with the landmark constraints thus to precisely evaluate surface tensor-based morphometry. Meanwhile, the graph-based analysis of structural connectivity derived from dMRI is conducted. Next, we fuse these two features via the optimal mass transportation (OMT) and eventually the Wasserstein distance (WD) based single image index is computed as a potential clinical multimodality imaging score. We apply our framework to brain images of 20 AD patients and 20 matched healthy controls, randomly chosen from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (AD-NI2) dataset. Our preliminary experimental results of group classification outperformed those of some other single dMRI-based features, such as regional hippocampal volume, mean scores of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean axial (MD). The novel image fusion pipeline and simple imaging score of structural changes may benefit the preclinical AD and AD prevention research. PMID:28936280

Stereotactic imaging for radiotherapy: accuracy of CT, MRI, PET and SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karger, Christian P; Hipp, Peter; Henze, Marcus; Echner, Gernot; Hoess, Angelika; Schad, Lothar; Hartmann, Guenther H

2003-01-01

CT, MRI, PET and SPECT provide complementary information for treatment planning in stereotactic radiotherapy. Stereotactic correlation of these images requires commissioning tests to confirm the localization accuracy of each modality. A phantom was developed to measure the accuracy of stereotactic localization for CT, MRI, PET and SPECT in the head and neck region. To this end, the stereotactically measured coordinates of structures within the phantom were compared with their mechanically defined coordinates. For MRI, PET and SPECT, measurements were performed using two different devices. For MRI, T1- and T2-weighted imaging sequences were applied. For each measurement, the mean radial deviation in space between the stereotactically measured and mechanically defined position of target points was determined. For CT, the mean radial deviation was 0.4 ± 0.2 mm. For MRI, the mean deviations ranged between 0.7 ± 0.2 mm and 1.4 ± 0.5 mm, depending on the MRI device and the imaging sequence. For PET, mean deviations of 1.1 ± 0.5 mm and 2.4 ± 0.3 mm were obtained. The mean deviations for SPECT were 1.6 ± 0.5 mm and 2.0 ± 0.6 mm. The phantom is well suited to determine the accuracy of stereotactic localization with CT, MRI, PET and SPECT in the head and neck region. The obtained accuracy is well below the physical resolution for CT, PET and SPECT, and of comparable magnitude for MRI. Since the localization accuracy may be device dependent, results obtained at one device cannot be generalized to others

Resting quantitative cerebral blood flow in schizophrenia measured by pulsed arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI

OpenAIRE

Pinkham, Amy; Loughead, James; Ruparel, Kosha; Wu, Wen-Chau; Overton, Eve; Gur, Raquel; Gur, Ruben

2011-01-01

Arterial spin labeling imaging (ASL) perfusion MRI is a relatively novel technique that can allow for quantitative measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by using magnetically labeled arterial blood water as an endogenous tracer. Available data on resting CBF in schizophrenia primarily comes from invasive and expensive nuclear medicine techniques that are often limited to small samples and yield mixed results. The noninvasive nature of ASL offers promise for larger-scale studies. The utilit...

Mass diffusion coefficient measurement for vitreous humor using FEM and MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Rattanakijsuntorn, Komsan; Penkova, Anita; Sadha, Satwindar S.

2018-01-01

In early studies, the ‘contour method’ for determining the diffusion coefficient of the vitreous humor was developed. This technique relied on careful injection of an MRI contrast agent (surrogate drug) into the vitreous humor of fresh bovine eyes, and tracking the contours of the contrast agent in time. In addition, an analytical solution was developed for the theoretical contours built on point source model for the injected surrogate drug. The match between theoretical and experimental contours as a least square fit, while floating the diffusion coefficient, led to the value of the diffusion coefficient. This method had its limitation that the initial injection of the surrogate had to be spherical or ellipsoidal because of the analytical result based on the point-source model. With a new finite element model for the analysis in this study, the technique is much less restrictive and handles irregular shapes of the initial bolus. The fresh bovine eyes were used for drug diffusion study in the vitreous and three contrast agents of different molecular masses: gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA, 938 Da), non-ionic gadoteridol (Prohance, 559 Da), and bovine albumin conjugated with gadolinium (Galbumin, 74 kDa) were used as drug surrogates to visualize the diffusion process by MRI. The 3D finite element model was developed to determine the diffusion coefficients of these surrogates with the images from MRI. This method can be used for other types of bioporous media provided the concentration profile can be visualized (by methods such as MRI or fluorescence).

Machine learning based analytics of micro-MRI trabecular bone microarchitecture and texture in type 1 Gaucher disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Gulshan B; Robertson, Douglas D; Laney, Dawn A; Gambello, Michael J; Terk, Michael

2016-06-14

Type 1 Gaucher disease (GD) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease, affecting bone metabolism, structure and strength. Current bone assessment methods are not ideal. Semi-quantitative MRI scoring is unreliable, not standardized, and only evaluates bone marrow. DXA BMD is also used but is a limited predictor of bone fragility/fracture risk. Our purpose was to measure trabecular bone microarchitecture, as a biomarker of bone disease severity, in type 1 GD individuals with different GD genotypes and to apply machine learning based analytics to discriminate between GD patients and healthy individuals. Micro-MR imaging of the distal radius was performed on 20 type 1 GD patients and 10 healthy controls (HC). Fifteen stereological and textural measures (STM) were calculated from the MR images. General linear models demonstrated significant differences between GD and HC, and GD genotypes. Stereological measures, main contributors to the first two principal components (PCs), explained ~50% of data variation and were significantly different between males and females. Subsequent PCs textural measures were significantly different between GD patients and HC individuals. Textural measures also significantly differed between GD genotypes, and distinguished between GD patients with normal and pathologic DXA scores. PCA and SVM predictive analyses discriminated between GD and HC with maximum accuracy of 73% and area under ROC curve of 0.79. Trabecular STM differences can be quantified between GD patients and HC, and GD sub-types using micro-MRI and machine learning based analytics. Work is underway to expand this approach to evaluate GD disease burden and treatment efficacy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Updating working memory in aircraft noise and speech causes different fMRI activations

OpenAIRE

Sætrevik, Bjørn; Sörqvist, Patrik

2014-01-01

The present study used fMRI/BOLD neuroimaging to investigate how visual-verbal working memory is updated when exposed to three different background-noise conditions: speech noise, aircraft noise and silence. The number-updating task that was used can distinguish between ?substitution processes,? which involve adding new items to the working memory representation and suppressing old items, and ?exclusion processes,? which involve rejecting new items and maintaining an intact memory set. The cu...

Evaluation of muscle MRI in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Yuri; Kuroiwa, Yoshiyuki

2005-01-01

Various objective measurements can be used to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). T2-weighted brain MRI images revealed high signal areas at the posterior limb of the internal capsules in ALS patients. Recently, muscle MRI proved useful to evaluate abnormalities of the muscle in myositis patients. Therefore, in the present study, we examined muscle MRI of leg muscles in ALS patients, and correlated MRI with functional measurements, such as muscle strength, and compound muscle action potential amplitude of the tibialis anterior (TA) after stimulation of the peroneal nerve. The subjects consisted of 10 ALS patients (7 males and 3 females), ranging in age from 49 to 87. Neurologic symptoms at the onset of ALS consisted of bulbar dysfunction in one patient, upper extremity involvement in three patients, and lower extremity involvement in six patients. Muscle MRI of the legs was performed in 9 (ALS patients. A peripheral nerve conduction study was performed on the peroneal nerve, with the recording electrode over the TA. The T2-weighted muscle MRI images revealed high signal aeras in the muscle in six ALS patients, whose muscle weakness existed predominantly in the lower extremities. Extracellular fluid accumulation has been proposed to be responsible for the signal increase of denervated muscles on T2-weighted muscle MRI images. We assume that muscle MRI is useful to demonstrate the distribution of muscle involvement in ALS patients and to assess the disease's stage. (author)

Assessment of histological response of paediatric bone sarcomas using FDG PET in comparison to morphological volume measurement and standardized MRI parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denecke, Timm; Misch, Daniel; Steffen, Ingo G.; Plotkin, Michail; Stoever, Brigitte [Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Klinik fuer Strahlenheilkunde, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin (Germany); Hundsdoerfer, Patrick; Henze, Guenter [Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Klinik fuer Paediatrie m.S. Onkologie und Haematologie, Otto-Heubner-Zentrum, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin (Germany); Schoenberger, Stefan [Universitaetsklinikum der Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Klinik fuer Kinder-Onkologie, -Haematologie und -Immunologie, Duesseldorf (Germany); Furth, Christian; Ruf, Juri [Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Magdeburg A.oe.R., Magdeburg (Germany); Hautzel, Hubertus [Universitaetsklinikum der Heinrich Heine Universitaet Duesseldorf, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik, Duesseldorf (Germany); Kluge, Regine [Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig A.oe.R., Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Leipzig (Germany); Bierbach, Uta [Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig A.oe.R., Abteilung fuer Kinder-Haematologie, -Onkologie und -Haemostaseologie, Leipzig (Germany); Otto, Sylke [Universitaetsklinikum Greifswald, Institut fuer Diagnostische Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Greifswald (Germany); Beck, James F. [Universitaetsklinikum Greifswald, Abteilung fuer Paediatrische Haematologie und Onkologie, Greifswald (Germany); Franzius, Christiane [MR- und PET/CT-Zentrum, Bremen-Mitte (Germany); Universitaetsklinikum Muenster, Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Muenster (Germany); Amthauer, Holger [Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Klinik fuer Strahlenheilkunde, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin (Germany); Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Magdeburg A.oe.R., Magdeburg (Germany)

2010-10-15

The objective of this study was to evaluate positron emission tomography (PET) using {sup 18}F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in comparison to volumetry and standardized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters for the assessment of histological response in paediatric bone sarcoma patients. FDG PET and local MRI were performed in 27 paediatric sarcoma patients [Ewing sarcoma family of tumours (EWS), n = 16; osteosarcoma (OS), n = 11] prior to and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy before local tumour resection. Several parameters for assessment of response of the primary tumour to therapy by FDG PET and MRI were evaluated and compared with histopathological regression of the resected tumour as defined by Salzer-Kuntschik. FDG PET significantly discriminated responders from non-responders using the standardized uptake value (SUV) reduction and the absolute post-therapeutic SUV (SUV2) in the entire patient population ({nabla}SUV, p = 0.005; SUV2, p = 0.011) as well as in the subgroup of OS patients ({nabla}SUV, p = 0.009; SUV2, p = 0.028), but not in the EWS subgroup. The volume reduction measured by MRI/CT did not significantly discriminate responders from non-responders either in the entire population (p = 0.170) or in both subgroups (EWS, p = 0.950; OS, p = 1.000). The other MRI parameters alone or in combination were unreliable and did not improve the results. Comparing diagnostic parameters of FDG PET and local MRI, metabolic imaging showed high superiority in the subgroup of OS patients, while similar results were observed in the population of EWS. FDG PET appears to be a useful tool for non-invasive response assessment in the group of OS patients and is superior to MRI. In EWS patients, however, neither FDG PET nor volumetry or standardized MRI criteria enabled a reliable response assessment to be made after neoadjuvant treatment. (orig.)

Studies on improvement of diagnosis of neurosurgical lesions by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 2; Advantages of MRI on diagnosis of parasellar lesions and comparison with X-ray CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimizu, Kotoyuki (Kagoshima Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine)

1989-05-01

Findings of magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging in 46 patients with sellar or parasellar mass were reviewed and compared with those of concurrently available X-ray CT. Intrasellar contents, the hypothalamic pituitary region, adjacent brain stem, optic nerves, and the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid were clearly depicted on T1-weighted images. The cavernous sinus and blood vessels, including the Willis circle, were visualized on T2-weighted images. In detecting pituitary macroadenoma, MRI seemed to be the most userful modality, because it was superior to CT in identifying abnormal changes of the infundibulum, diaphragma sellae, cavernous sinus and optic chiasm. Macroadenoma of the pituitary gland was usually isointense to the normal cerebral cortex on T1- and T2-weighted images. T1- and T2-weighted relaxation times for pituitary adenoma were slightly prolonged. The normal pituitary gland was distinguishable from adenomatous tissues. For microadenoma, MRI failed to show lesions or erosion of the sellar floor. Craniopharyngioma, meningioma of the tuberculum sellae, hypothalamic tumor, such as glioma and germinoma, and the other parasellar masses were clearly visualized on MRI. MRI was superior to CT in detecting tumor and its involvement, but inferior in detecting presence of calcification. T1-weighted imaging was useful in identifing the presence of intratumoral hemorrhage. Cysts of craniopharyngioma had various appearances on T1-weighted images. High signal cyst intensity corresponded to a high cholesterol content or the presence of methemoglobin. MRI depicted empty sella. The intrasellar content had the same appearance as that of the cerebrospinal fluid space, and the flattened pituitary gland and pituitary stalk were detected on T1-weighted images. (N.K.).

Measurement of the arterial concentration of Gd-DTPA using MRI: a step toward quantitative perfusion imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fritz-Hansen, T; Rostrup, Egill; Larsson, H B

1996-01-01

A noninvasive method using an inversion recovery turbo-FLASH for dynamic measurement of the arterial input function represented by the bolus passage of Gd-DTPA in the descending aorta is presented, and the results are compared with the input function obtained by arterial blood samples. A good...... accordance between the two input functions was found, indicating that it is possible to measure the input function to the myocardium using MRI. A variation between the two concentration curves of 5% at upslope, 2.7% at peak point, and ... inversion time peak concentration....

High-resolution MRI using a microscopy coil for the diagnosis of recurrent lateral patellar dislocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwata, Yuki; Fujii, Masahiko; Muratsu, Hirotsugu; Kurosaka, Masahiro; Kawamitsu, Hideaki; Sugimura, Kazuro; Shibanuma, Hitoshi

2006-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been commonly used for the preoperative evaluation of recurrent lateral patellar dislocation (RLPD). The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI) with a microscopy coil for diagnosing RLPD. The study group consisted of 15 patients with clinically diagnosed RLPD and 10 normal volunteers. All studies were performed on a 1.5-T MR system. First, conventional MRIs of the whole knee joint were obtained using the knee coil. Then HR-MRI scans using a microscopy coil in the medial aspect of the patella were obtained at the level of the superior pole of the patella, targeting the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL). The acquired HR-MRIs with RLPD were reviewed concerning the MPFL injury and the patellar injury. The MPFL was distinguished as a separate ligament, and the layer structure of the patellar cartilage was visualized clearly in all volunteers. The MPFL injury was visualized in 12 cases (87%); it included discontinuity, thickening, and loosening. The patellar injury was visualized in 11 cases (73%), which included dissecans of the medial margin and cartilage injuries. HR-MRI with a microscopy coil provides precise information of the MPFL and patellar cartilage injury for the diagnosis of RLPD. (author)

Distinguishing Hidden Markov Chains

OpenAIRE

Kiefer, Stefan; Sistla, A. Prasad

2015-01-01

Hidden Markov Chains (HMCs) are commonly used mathematical models of probabilistic systems. They are employed in various fields such as speech recognition, signal processing, and biological sequence analysis. We consider the problem of distinguishing two given HMCs based on an observation sequence that one of the HMCs generates. More precisely, given two HMCs and an observation sequence, a distinguishing algorithm is expected to identify the HMC that generates the observation sequence. Two HM...

Population receptive field (pRF) measurements of chromatic responses in human visual cortex using fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Welbourne, Lauren E; Morland, Antony B; Wade, Alex R

2018-02-15

The spatial sensitivity of the human visual system depends on stimulus color: achromatic gratings can be resolved at relatively high spatial frequencies while sensitivity to isoluminant color contrast tends to be more low-pass. Models of early spatial vision often assume that the receptive field size of pattern-sensitive neurons is correlated with their spatial frequency sensitivity - larger receptive fields are typically associated with lower optimal spatial frequency. A strong prediction of this model is that neurons coding isoluminant chromatic patterns should have, on average, a larger receptive field size than neurons sensitive to achromatic patterns. Here, we test this assumption using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We show that while spatial frequency sensitivity depends on chromaticity in the manner predicted by behavioral measurements, population receptive field (pRF) size measurements show no such dependency. At any given eccentricity, the mean pRF size for neuronal populations driven by luminance, opponent red/green and S-cone isolating contrast, are identical. Changes in pRF size (for example, an increase with eccentricity and visual area hierarchy) are also identical across the three chromatic conditions. These results suggest that fMRI measurements of receptive field size and spatial resolution can be decoupled under some circumstances - potentially reflecting a fundamental dissociation between these parameters at the level of neuronal populations. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured with cardiac MRI in children with tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Soslow, Jonathan H; Usoro, Emem; Wang, Li; Parra, David A

2016-04-01

Aneurysmal dilation of the right ventricular outflow tract complicates assessment of right ventricular function in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion is commonly used to estimate ejection fraction. We hypothesised that tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured by cardiac MRI approximates global and segmental right ventricular function, specifically right ventricular sinus ejection fraction, in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was measured retrospectively on cardiac MRIs in 54 patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Values were compared with right ventricular global, sinus, and infundibular ejection fractions. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was indexed to body surface area, converted into a fractional value, and converted into published paediatric Z-scores. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measurements had good agreement between observers. Right ventricular ejection fraction did not correlate with the absolute or indexed tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and correlated weakly with fractional tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (r=0.41 and p=0.002). Segmental right ventricular function did not appreciably improve correlation with any of the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measures. Paediatric Z-scores were unable to differentiate patients with normal and abnormal right ventricular function. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured by cardiac MRI correlates poorly with global and segmental right ventricular ejection fraction in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion is an unreliable approximation of right ventricular function in this patient population.

Role of New Functional MRI Techniques in the Diagnosis, Staging, and Followup of Gynecological Cancer: Comparison with PET-CT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Alvarez Moreno

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recent developments in diagnostic imaging techniques have magnified the role and potential of both MRI and PET-CT in female pelvic imaging. This article reviews the techniques and clinical applications of new functional MRI (fMRI including diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-MRI, comparing with PET-CT. These new emerging provide not only anatomic but also functional imaging, allowing detection of small volumes of active tumor at diagnosis and early disease relapse, which may not result in detectable morphological changes at conventional imaging. This information is useful in distinguishing between recurrent/residual tumor and post-treatment changes and assessing treatment response, with a clear impact on patient management. Both PET-CT and now fMRI have proved to be very valuable tools for evaluation of gynecologic tumors. Most papers try to compare these techniques, but in our experience both are complementary in management of these patients. Meanwhile PET-CT is superior in diagnosis of ganglionar disease; fMRI presents higher accuracy in local preoperative staging. Both techniques can be used as biomarkers of tumor response and present high accuracy in diagnosis of local recurrence and peritoneal dissemination, with complementary roles depending on histological type, anatomic location and tumoral volume.

The diagnostic value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI for the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suh, Chong Hyun [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyung Won; Shin, Yong Moon; Kim, Pyo Nyun [Asan Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gene Young [University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Columbia (United States); Park, Seong Ho [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Asan Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-01

We aimed to systematically review the gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI) findings of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and its diagnostic value. A thorough literature search was conducted in Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to identify studies evaluating Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI findings of FNH. To evaluate the frequency of characteristic imaging findings on Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI, pooled proportions of high/iso signal intensity (SI) on the hepatobiliary phase (HBP), arterial enhancement, high/iso SI on the portal-venous phase (PVP) or equilibrium phase (EP), and the central scar were calculated. Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high/iso SI on HBP for distinguishing FNH from hepatocellular adenoma. A review of 96 articles identified ten eligible articles with 304 patients with FNHs for meta-analysis. Pooled proportion of the Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI findings showed that high/iso SI on the HBP, arterial enhancement, and high/iso SI on the PVP/EP were observed in 93% (95% CI, 90-97%), 99% (95% CI, 97-100%), and 97% (95% CI, 95-99%) of FNHs, respectively, while a central scar was observed in 61% of FNHs (95% CI, 47-74%). High/iso SI on the HBP was highly accurate for distinguishing FNH from hepatocellular adenoma, with a summary sensitivity of 93.9% (95% CI, 89.1-97.1%) and a specificity of 95.3% (95% CI, 88.4-98.7%). High/iso SI on the HBP of Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI is characteristic and a prevalent finding of FNHs and can be helpful in the management of patients with FNH. (orig.)

Temperature elevation by HIFU in ex vivo porcine muscle: MRI measurement and simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solovchuk, Maxim A., E-mail: solovchuk@gmail.com [Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Sciences (CASTS), National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hwang, San Chao; Chang, Hsu [Medical Engineering Research Division, National Health Research Institute, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan (China); Thiriet, Marc [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7598, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions, F-75005, Paris (France); Sheu, Tony W. H., E-mail: twhsheu@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China and Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Sciences (CASTS), National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2014-05-15

Purpose: High-intensity focused ultrasound is a rapidly developing medical technology with a large number of potential clinical applications. Computational model can play a pivotal role in the planning and optimization of the treatment based on the patient's image. Nonlinear propagation effects can significantly affect the temperature elevation and should be taken into account. In order to investigate the importance of nonlinear propagation effects, nonlinear Westervelt equation was solved. Weak nonlinear propagation effects were studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the predicted and measured temperature elevations and lesion in a porcine muscle. Methods: The investigated single-element transducer has a focal length of 12 cm, an aperture of 8 cm, and frequency of 1.08 MHz. Porcine muscle was heated for 30 s by focused ultrasound transducer with an acoustic power in the range of 24–56 W. The theoretical model consists of nonlinear Westervelt equation with relaxation effects being taken into account and Pennes bioheat equation. Results: Excellent agreement between the measured and simulated temperature rises was found. For peak temperatures above 85–90 °C “preboiling” or cavitation activity appears and lesion distortion starts, causing small discrepancy between the measured and simulated temperature rises. From the measurements and simulations, it was shown that distortion of the lesion was caused by the “preboiling” activity. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that for peak temperatures below 85–90 °C numerical simulation results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data in three dimensions. Both temperature rise and lesion size can be well predicted. Due to nonlinear effect the temperature in the focal region can be increased compared with the linear case. The current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) resolution is not sufficient. Due to the inevitable averaging the measured

A comparison of exogenous and endogenous CEST MRI methods for evaluating in vivo pH.

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Lindeman, Leila R; Randtke, Edward A; High, Rachel A; Jones, Kyle M; Howison, Christine M; Pagel, Mark D

2018-05-01

Extracellular pH (pHe) is an important biomarker for cancer cell metabolism. Acido-chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI uses the contrast agent iopamidol to create spatial maps of pHe. Measurements of amide proton transfer exchange rates (k ex ) from endogenous CEST MRI were compared to pHe measurements by exogenous acido-CEST MRI to determine whether endogenous k ex could be used as a proxy for pHe measurements. Spatial maps of pHe and k ex were obtained using exogenous acidoCEST MRI and an endogenous CEST MRI analyzed with the omega plot method, respectively, to evaluate mouse kidney, a flank tumor model, and a spontaneous lung tumor model. The pHe and k ex results were evaluated using pixelwise comparisons. The k ex values obtained from endogenous CEST measurements did not correlate with the pHe results from exogenous CEST measurements. The k ex measurements were limited to fewer pixels and had a limited dynamic range relative to pHe measurements. Measurements of k ex with endogenous CEST MRI cannot substitute for pHe measurements with acidoCEST MRI. Whereas endogenous CEST MRI may still have good utility for evaluating some specific pathologies, exogenous acido-CEST MRI is more appropriate when evaluating pathologies based on pHe values. Magn Reson Med 79:2766-2772, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Exposure to MRI-related magnetic fields and vertigo in MRI workers.

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Schaap, Kristel; Portengen, Lützen; Kromhout, Hans

2016-03-01

Vertigo has been reported by people working around magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and was found to increase with increasing strength of scanner magnets. This suggests an association with exposure to static magnetic fields (SMF) and/or motion-induced time-varying magnetic fields (TVMF). This study assessed the association between various metrics of shift-long exposure to SMF and TVMF and self-reported vertigo among MRI workers. We analysed 358 shifts from 234 employees at 14 MRI facilities in the Netherlands. Participants used logbooks to report vertigo experienced during the work day at the MRI facility. In addition, personal exposure to SMF and TVMF was measured during the same shifts, using portable magnetic field dosimeters. Vertigo was reported during 22 shifts by 20 participants and was significantly associated with peak and time-weighted average (TWA) metrics of SMF as well as TVMF exposure. Associations were most evident with full-shift TWA TVMF exposure. The probability of vertigo occurrence during a work shift exceeded 5% at peak exposure levels of 409 mT and 477 mT/s and at full-shift TWA levels of 3 mT and 0.6 mT/s. These results confirm the hypothesis that vertigo is associated with exposure to MRI-related SMF and TVMF. Strong correlations between various metrics of shift-long exposure make it difficult to disentangle the effects of SMF and TVMF exposure, or identify the most relevant exposure metric. On the other hand, this also implies that several metrics of shift-long exposure to SMF and TVMF should perform similarly in epidemiological studies on MRI-related vertigo. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Molecular MRI of Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis with Simultaneous Delayed Enhancement MRI Distinguishes Apoptotic and Necrotic Myocytes In Vivo: Potential for Midmyocardial Salvage in Acute Ischemia

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Sosnovik, David E.; Garanger, Elisabeth; Aikawa, Elena; Nahrendorf, Matthias; Figuiredo, Jose-Luiz; Dai, Guangping; Reynolds, Fred; Rosenzweig, Anthony; Weissleder, Ralph; Josephson, Lee

2009-01-01

Background A novel dual contrast molecular MRI technique to image both cardiomyocyte (CM) apoptosis and necrosis in-vivo within 4-6 hours of ischemia is presented. The technique utilizes the annexin-based nanoparticle AnxCLIO-Cy5.5 (apoptosis) and simultaneous delayed enhancement (DE) imaging with a novel gadolinium chelate, Gd-DTPA-NBD (necrosis). Methods and Results Mice with transient coronary ligation were injected intravenously at the onset of reperfusion with AnxCLIO-Cy5.5 (n=7) or the control probe Inact_CLIO-Cy5.5 (n=6). T2* weighted MR images (9.4 Tesla) were acquired within 4-6 hours of reperfusion. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between injured and uninjured myocardium was measured. The mice were then injected with Gd-DTPA-NBD and DE imaging was performed within 10-30 minutes. Uptake of AnxCLIO-Cy5.5 was most prominent in the midmyocardium and was significantly greater than that of Inact_CLIO-Cy5.5 (CNR 8.82 +/− 1.5 versus 3.78 +/− 1.1, p DTPA-NBD. Wall thickening was significantly reduced in segments with DE and/or transmural accumulation of AnxCLIO-Cy5.5 (p DTPA-NBD confirmed the presence of large numbers of apoptotic but potentially viable CMs (AnxCLIO-Cy5.5 positive, Gd-DTPA-NBD negative) in the midmyocardium. Conclusions A novel technique to image CM apoptosis and necrosis in-vivo within 4-6 hours of injury is presented, and reveals large areas of apoptotic but viable myocardium in the midmyocardium. Strategies to salvage the numerous apoptotic but potentially viable CMs in the midmyocardium in acute ischemia should be investigated. PMID:19920044

Bell's palsy: what is the prognostic value of measurements of signal intensity increases with contrast enhancement on MRI?

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Kress, B.P.J.; Efinger, K.; Solbach, T.; Gottschalk, A.; Baehren, W. [Department of Radiology, Armed Forces Hospital, Deutsche Bundeswehr, Ulm (Germany); Griesbeck, F.; Kornhuber, A.W. [Department of Neurology/Psychiatry, Armed Forces Hospital, Deutsche Bundeswehr, Ulm (Germany)

2002-05-01

Our objective was to assess the prognostic value of measurements of the degree of contrast enhancement of the intratemporal segments of the facial nerve. We prospectively obtained MRI, slice thickness <1 mm of 20 patients with a facial palsy on the first day of inpatient treatment, and measured contrast enhancement of the nerve. The data were compared with compound muscle action potential (CMAP) measurements and the clinical course. Analysis of the initial enabled differentiation of three patients whose palsy was to show no improvement from 17 whose palsy was to resolve as expected. No patient with a poor outcome showed lesser increase in signal in the internal auditory canal, pars tympanica and pars mastoidea than patients who fully recovered. In no patient who had been diagnosed on the basis of the initial MRI as having a ''normal'' palsy was the amplitude of the (CMAP) reduced to less than 20% that of the normal side. Measurement of contrast enhancement was thus shown to be a prognostic indicator and may provide a basis for a differential treatment of facial palsy. (orig.)

Validity of soft-tissue thickness of calf measured using MRI for assessing unilateral lower extremity lymphoedema secondary to cervical and endometrial cancer treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Qing; Li, Yulai; Chen, Tian-Wu; Yao, Yuan; Zhao, Zizhou; Li, Yang; Xu, Jianrong; Jiang, Zhaohua; Hu, Jiani

2014-01-01

Aim: To determine whether soft-tissue thickness of the calf measured using MRI could be valid for assessing unilateral lower extremity lymphoedema (LEL) secondary to cervical and endometrial cancer treatments. Materials and methods: Seventy women with unilateral LEL and 25 without LEL after cervical or endometrial cancer treatments underwent MRI examinations of their calves. Total thickness of soft-tissue (TT), muscle thickness (MT), and subcutaneous tissue thickness (STT) of the calf, and the difference between the affected and contralateral unaffected calf regarding TT (DTT), MT (DMT), and STT (DSTT) were obtained using fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging in the middle of the calves. The volume of the calf and difference in volume (DV) between calves were obtained by the method of water displacement. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the validity of MRI measurements by volume measurements in staging LEL. Results: There was a close correlation between volume and TT for the affected (r = 0.927) or unaffected calves (r = 0.896). STT of the affected calf, and DTT or DSTT of the calves were closely correlated with volume of the affected calf or DV of the calves (all p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in TT, STT, volume of the affected calf, DTT, DSTT, and DV between stages except in volume of the affected calf or in DV between stage 0 and 1. For staging LEL, DSTT showed the best discrimination ability among all the parameters. Conclusions: Soft-tissue thickness of the calf measured at MRI could be valid for quantitatively staging unilateral LEL, and DSTT of the calves could be the best classifying factor. - Highlights: • The soft tissue thickness of calves on MRI could quantitatively assess secondary LEL. • Calf soft tissue thickness indicated concurrent or construct validity of calf volume. • The difference of subcutaneous tissue thickness of calves could be used to stage LEL

Influence of orthodontic appliance-derived artifacts on 3-T MRI movies.

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Ozawa, Erika; Honda, Ei-Ichi; Parakonthun, Kulthida Nunthayanon; Ohmori, Hiroko; Shimazaki, Kazuo; Kurabayashi, Tohru; Ono, Takashi

2018-02-19

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to study configurations of speech organs in the resting state. However, MRI is sensitive to metals, and numerous types of metallic appliances, most of which have a large magnetic susceptibility, are used in orthodontic treatment and may cause severe artifacts on MRI. We have developed techniques for obtaining MRI movies of the oral region, to evaluate articulatory changes, especially movement of the tongue, palate, and teeth, pre- and post-orthodontic/orthognathic treatment. We evaluated the influence of artifacts caused by orthodontic appliances, including fixed retainers, metal brackets, and wires, on measurements in 3-T MRI movies. Sixteen healthy young adults (nine males, seven females; average age, 27 years) with normal occlusion were recruited. Four types of customized maxillary and mandibular plates were prepared by incorporating one of the following into the plate: (a) nothing, (b) a fixed canine-to-canine retainer, (c) metal brackets for the anterior and molar teeth, or (d) clear brackets for the anterior teeth and metal brackets for molars. A 3-T MRI movie, in segmented cine mode, was generated for each plate condition while participants pronounced a vowel-consonant-vowel syllable (/asa/). The size of the artifact due to the metallic brackets was measured. The face size and orthodontically important anatomical structures, such as the velum, the hard palate, and the laryngeal ventricle, were also measured. A large artifact was observed over the entire oral region around orthodontic appliances, altering regional visibility. The velopharyngeal height was measured as significantly longer in the presence of metal brackets. The maximum artifact size due to a metallic bracket was > 8 cm. Our results show that even if it is possible to obtain the measurements of palate length, nasion to sella, and nasion to basion in individuals wearing metal brackets for molars, the measurements might be affected due to the

Pharmacokinetic changes induced by focused ultrasound in glioma-bearing rats as measured by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

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Feng-Yi Yang

Full Text Available Focused ultrasound (FUS combined with microbubbles has been shown to be a noninvasive and targeted drug delivery technique for brain tumor treatment. The purpose of this study was to measure the kinetics of Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA in glioma-bearing rats in the presence of FUS-induced blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. A total of ten glioma-bearing rats (9-12 weeks, 290-340 g were used in this study. Using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-MRI, the spatial permeability of FUS-induced BBB-D was evaluated and the kinetic parameters were calculated by a general kinetic model (GKM. The results demonstrate that the mean Ktrans of the sonicated tumor (0.128±0.019 at 20 min and 0.103±0.023 at 24 h after sonication, respectively was significantly higher than (2.46-fold at 20 min and 1.78-fold at 24 h that of the contralateral (non-sonicated tumor (0.052±0.019 at 20 min and 0.058±0.012 at 24 h after sonication, respectively. In addition, the transfer constant Ktrans in the sonicated tumor correlated strongly with tissue EB extravasation (R = 0.95, which suggests that DCE-MRI may reflect drug accumulation in the brain. Histological observations showed no macroscopic damage except for a few small erythrocyte extravasations. The current study demonstrates that DCE-MRI can monitor the dynamics of the FUS-induced BBB-D process and constitutes a useful tool for quantifying BBB permeability in tumors.

Minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity: Diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Hara, Marina; Katase, Naoki; Asaumi, Jun-ichi; Hisatomi, Miki; Unetsubo, Teruhisa; Konouchi, Hironobu; Takenobu, Toshihiko; Nagatsuka, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity. Materials and methods: Thirty-two patients with minor salivary gland tumors were examined preoperatively using DCE-MRI. Their maximum contrast index (CImax), time of CImax (Tmax), Tpeak; i.e., the time that corresponded to the CImax × 0.90, and washout ratios (WR300 and WR600) were determined from contrast index (CI) curves. We compared these parameters between benign and malignant tumors and among the different histopathological types of minor salivary gland tumors. Then, we categorized the patients’ CI curves into four patterns (gradual increase, rapid increase with high washout ratio, rapid increase with low washout, and flat). Results: Statistically significant differences in Tmax (P = 0.004) and Tpeak (P = 0.002) were observed between the benign and malignant tumors. Regarding each histopathological tumor type, significant differences in Tmax (P < 0.001), Tpeak (P < 0.001), and WR600 (P = 0.026) were observed between the pleomorphic adenomas and mucoepidermoid carcinomas. It was difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant tumors using our CI curve classification because that two-thirds of the cases were classified into the same type (gradual increase). Conclusion: The DCE-MRI parameters of minor salivary gland tumors contributed little to their differential diagnosis compared with those for major salivary gland tumors. During the diagnosis of minor salivary gland tumors, Tmax is useful for distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors

Multiparametric MRI in the assessment of response of rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: A comparison of morphological, volumetric and functional MRI parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoetker, Andreas M.; Tarlinton, Lisa; Gollub, Marc J.; Mazaheri, Yousef; Woo, Kaitlin M.; Goenen, Mithat; Saltz, Leonard B.; Goodman, Karyn A.; Garcia-Aguilar, Julio

2016-01-01

To compare morphological and functional MRI metrics and determine which ones perform best in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in rectal cancer. This retrospective study included 24 uniformly-treated patients with biopsy-proven rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent MRI, including diffusion-weighted (DW) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequences, before and after completion of CRT. On all MRI exams, two experienced readers independently measured longest and perpendicular tumour diameters, tumour volume, tumour regression grade (TRG) and tumour signal intensity ratio on T2-weighted imaging, as well as tumour volume and apparent diffusion coefficient on DW-MRI and tumour volume and transfer constant K"t"r"a"n"s on DCE-MRI. These metrics were correlated with histopathological percent tumour regression in the resected specimen (%TR). Inter-reader agreement was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). For both readers, post-treatment DW-MRI and DCE-MRI volumetric tumour assessments were significantly associated with %TR; DCE-MRI volumetry showed better inter-reader agreement (CCC=0.700) than DW-MRI volumetry (CCC=0.292). For one reader, mrTRG, post-treatment T2 tumour volumetry and assessments of volume change made with T2, DW-MRI and DCE-MRI were also significantly associated with %TR. Tumour volumetry on post-treatment DCE-MRI and DW-MRI correlated well with %TR, with DCE-MRI volumetry demonstrating better inter-reader agreement. (orig.)

Multiparametric MRI in the assessment of response of rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: A comparison of morphological, volumetric and functional MRI parameters

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Hoetker, Andreas M. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Universitaetsmedizin Mainz, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Mainz (Germany); Tarlinton, Lisa; Gollub, Marc J. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Mazaheri, Yousef [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Medical Physics, New York, NY (United States); Woo, Kaitlin M.; Goenen, Mithat [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States); Saltz, Leonard B. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, New York, NY (United States); Goodman, Karyn A. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, New York, NY (United States); Garcia-Aguilar, Julio [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States)

2016-12-15

To compare morphological and functional MRI metrics and determine which ones perform best in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in rectal cancer. This retrospective study included 24 uniformly-treated patients with biopsy-proven rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent MRI, including diffusion-weighted (DW) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequences, before and after completion of CRT. On all MRI exams, two experienced readers independently measured longest and perpendicular tumour diameters, tumour volume, tumour regression grade (TRG) and tumour signal intensity ratio on T2-weighted imaging, as well as tumour volume and apparent diffusion coefficient on DW-MRI and tumour volume and transfer constant K{sup trans} on DCE-MRI. These metrics were correlated with histopathological percent tumour regression in the resected specimen (%TR). Inter-reader agreement was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). For both readers, post-treatment DW-MRI and DCE-MRI volumetric tumour assessments were significantly associated with %TR; DCE-MRI volumetry showed better inter-reader agreement (CCC=0.700) than DW-MRI volumetry (CCC=0.292). For one reader, mrTRG, post-treatment T2 tumour volumetry and assessments of volume change made with T2, DW-MRI and DCE-MRI were also significantly associated with %TR. Tumour volumetry on post-treatment DCE-MRI and DW-MRI correlated well with %TR, with DCE-MRI volumetry demonstrating better inter-reader agreement. (orig.)

MRI-measured bone marrow adipose tissue is inversely related to DXA-measured bone mineral in Caucasian women.

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Shen, W; Chen, J; Punyanitya, M; Shapses, S; Heshka, S; Heymsfield, S B

2007-05-01

Recent studies suggest that bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) might play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Previous research using regional magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods to measure BMAT has reported inconsistent findings on the relationship between BMAT and dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA)-measured bone mineral density (BMD). In the present study, total body and pelvic BMAT were evaluated in 56 healthy women (age 18-88 yrs, mean +/- SD, 47.4 +/- 17.6 yrs; BMI, 24.3 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)) with T1-weighted whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). BMD was measured using the whole-body DXA mode (GE Lunar DPX, software version 4.7). A strong negative correlation was observed between pelvic BMAT and BMD (total-body BMD, R = -0.743, P BMAT and BMD (total-body BMD, R = -0.443, P BMAT and BMD remained strong after adjusting for age, weight, total body fat, and menopausal status (partial correlation: total-body BMD, R = -0.553, P BMAT was also highly correlated with age (pelvic BMAT, R = 0.715, P BMAT, R = 0.519, P BMAT is thus strongly inversely correlated with DXA-measured BMD independent of other predictor variables. These observations, in the context of DXA technical concerns, support the growing evidence linking BMAT with low bone density.

Distinguishing patients with Parkinson's disease subtypes from normal controls based on functional network regional efficiencies.

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Delong Zhang

Full Text Available Many studies have demonstrated that the pathophysiology and clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD are inhomogeneous. However, the symptom-specific intrinsic neural activities underlying the PD subtypes are still not well understood. Here, 15 tremor-dominant PD patients, 10 non-tremor-dominant PD patients, and 20 matched normal controls (NCs were recruited and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Functional brain networks were constructed based on randomly generated anatomical templates with and without the cerebellum. The regional network efficiencies (i.e., the local and global efficiencies were further measured and used to distinguish subgroups of PD patients (i.e., with tremor-dominant PD and non-tremor-dominant PD from the NCs using linear discriminant analysis. The results demonstrate that the subtype-specific functional networks were small-world-organized and that the network regional efficiency could discriminate among the individual PD subgroups and the NCs. Brain regions involved in distinguishing between the study groups included the basal ganglia (i.e., the caudate and putamen, limbic regions (i.e., the hippocampus and thalamus, the cerebellum, and other cerebral regions (e.g., the insula, cingulum, and calcarine sulcus. In particular, the performances of the regional local efficiency in the functional network were better than those of the global efficiency, and the performances of global efficiency were dependent on the inclusion of the cerebellum in the analysis. These findings provide new evidence for the neurological basis of differences between PD subtypes and suggest that the cerebellum may play different roles in the pathologies of different PD subtypes. The present study demonstrated the power of the combination of graph-based network analysis and discrimination analysis in elucidating the neural basis of different PD subtypes.

Concurrent tACS-fMRI Reveals Causal Influence of Power Synchronized Neural Activity on Resting State fMRI Connectivity.

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Bächinger, Marc; Zerbi, Valerio; Moisa, Marius; Polania, Rafael; Liu, Quanying; Mantini, Dante; Ruff, Christian; Wenderoth, Nicole

2017-05-03

Resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) is commonly used to study the brain's intrinsic neural coupling, which reveals specific spatiotemporal patterns in the form of resting state networks (RSNs). It has been hypothesized that slow rs-fMRI oscillations (5 Hz); however, causal evidence for this relationship is currently lacking. Here we measured rs-fMRI in humans while applying transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to entrain brain rhythms in left and right sensorimotor cortices. The two driving tACS signals were tailored to the individual's α rhythm (8-12 Hz) and fluctuated in amplitude according to a 1 Hz power envelope. We entrained the left versus right hemisphere in accordance to two different coupling modes where either α oscillations were synchronized between hemispheres (phase-synchronized tACS) or the slower oscillating power envelopes (power-synchronized tACS). Power-synchronized tACS significantly increased rs-fMRI connectivity within the stimulated RSN compared with phase-synchronized or no tACS. This effect outlasted the stimulation period and tended to be more effective in individuals who exhibited a naturally weak interhemispheric coupling. Using this novel approach, our data provide causal evidence that synchronized power fluctuations contribute to the formation of fMRI-based RSNs. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that the brain's intrinsic coupling at rest can be selectively modulated by choosing appropriate tACS signals, which could lead to new interventions for patients with altered rs-fMRI connectivity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) has become an important tool to estimate brain connectivity. However, relatively little is known about how slow hemodynamic oscillations measured with fMRI relate to electrophysiological processes. It was suggested that slowly fluctuating power envelopes of electrophysiological signals synchronize across brain areas and that the topography of this activity is spatially correlated to

Renal Cell Carcinoma Perfusion before and after Radiofrequency Ablation Measured with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI: A Pilot Study

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Tze Min Wah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To investigate if the early treatment effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA on renal cell carcinoma (RCC can be detected with dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE-MRI and to correlate RCC perfusion with RFA treatment time. Materials and methods: 20 patients undergoing RFA of their 21 RCCs were evaluated with DCE-MRI before and at one month after RFA treatment. Perfusion was estimated using the maximum slope technique at two independent sittings. Total RCC blood flow was correlated with total RFA treatment time, tumour location, size and histology. Results: DCE-MRI examinations were successfully evaluated for 21 RCCs (size from 1.3 to 4 cm. Perfusion of the RCCs decreased significantly (p < 0.0001 from a mean of 203 (±80 mL/min/100 mL before RFA to 8.1 (±3.1 mL/min/100 mL after RFA with low intra-observer variability (r ≥ 0.99, p < 0.0001. There was an excellent correlation (r = 0.95 between time to complete ablation and pre-treatment total RCC blood flow. Tumours with an exophytic location exhibit the lowest mean RFA treatment time. Conclusion: DCE-MRI can detect early treatment effects by measuring RCC perfusion before and after RFA. Perfusion significantly decreases in the zone of ablation, suggesting that it may be useful for the assessment of treatment efficacy. Pre-RFA RCC blood flow may be used to predict RFA treatment time.

CT and MRI of the epigastrium - is the MRI competitive?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamm, B. von

1993-01-01

The conclusion drawn in this article is: - CT will continue to rank first as a method for diagnostic evaluation of the entire abdomen. - MRI now offers advantages over CT for diagnostic identification of focal liver lesions, both with regard to detection as such and to a differential diagnosis of liver tumors. - CT continues to be the modality of first choice for diagnostic evaluation of acute pancreatitis. - CT offers advantages for the diagnostic evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract (as e.g. in case of complications in the course of inflammatory intestinal affection). - Interventional measures such as biopsies or abscess drainage will still be best controlled by CT, and MRI is not likely to become a really competitive method for such tasks in the foreseeable future. (orig.) [de

Measurement of coronary flow response to cold pressor stress in asymptomatic women with cardiovascular risk factors using spiral velocity-encoded cine MRI at 3 Tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maroules, Christopher D.; Peshock, Ronald M.; Chang, Alice Y.; Kontak, Andrew; Dimitrov, Ivan; Kotys, Melanie

2010-01-01

Background: Coronary sinus (CS) flow in response to a provocative stress has been used as a surrogate measure of coronary flow reserve, and velocity-encoded cine (VEC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established technique for measuring CS flow. In this study, the cold pressor test (CPT) was used to measure CS flow response because it elicits an endothelium-dependent coronary vasodilation that may afford greater sensitivity for detecting early changes in coronary endothelial function. Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and reproducibility of CS flow reactivity (CSFR) to CPT using spiral VEC MRI at 3 Tesla in a sample of asymptomatic women with cardiovascular risk factors. Material and Methods: Fourteen asymptomatic women (age 38 years ± 10) with cardiovascular risk factors were studied using 3D spiral VEC MRI of the CS at 3 T. The CPT was utilized as a provocative stress to measure changes in CS flow. CSFR to CPT was calculated from the ratio of CS flow during peak stress to baseline CS flow. Results: CPT induced a significant hemodynamic response as measured by a 45% increase in rate-pressure product (P<0.01). A significant increase in CS volume flow was also observed (baseline, 116 ± 26 ml/min; peak stress, 152 ± 34 ml/min, P=0.01). CSFR to CPT was 1.31 ± 0.20. Test-retest variability of CS volume flow was 5% at baseline and 6% during peak stress. Conclusion: Spiral CS VEC MRI at 3 T is a feasible and reproducible technique for measuring CS flow in asymptomatic women at risk for cardiovascular disease. Significant changes in CSFR to CPT are detectable, without demanding pharmacologic stress

MRI contrast enhancement using Magnetic Carbon Nanoparticles

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Chaudhary, Rakesh P.; Kangasniemi, Kim; Takahashi, Masaya; Mohanty, Samarendra K.; Koymen, Ali R.; Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington Team; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Team

2014-03-01

In recent years, nanotechnology has become one of the most exciting forefront fields in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics such as drug delivery, thermal therapy and detection of cancer. Here, we report development of core (Fe)-shell (carbon) nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic properties for contrast enhancement in MRI imaging. These new classes of magnetic carbon nanoparticles (MCNPs) are synthesized using a bottom-up approach in various organic solvents, using the electric plasma discharge generated in the cavitation field of an ultrasonic horn. Gradient echo MRI images of well-dispersed MCNP-solutions (in tube) were acquired. For T2 measurements, a multi echo spin echo sequence was performed. From the slope of the 1/T2 versus concentration plot, the R2 value for different CMCNP-samples was measured. Since MCNPs were found to be extremely non-reactive, and highly absorbing in NIR regime, development of carbon-based MRI contrast enhancement will allow its simultaneous use in biomedical applications. We aim to localize the MCNPs in targeted tissue regions by external DC magnetic field, followed by MRI imaging and subsequent photothermal therapy.

Postoperative enhancement on breast MRI: Time course and pattern of changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Mary C; Sharda, Radhika G

2018-04-23

Expected postoperative enhancement on breast MRI can appear similar to enhancement seen in recurrent or residual malignancy. Our aim was to assess the time course and patterns of enhancement at the surgical site, thereby helping to distinguish between benign and malignant postoperative enhancement. In 200 MRI scans performed in 153 patients after breast conservation treatment, 43 after surgical excision of atypia, and 4 patients after benign excisional biopsy were categorized by postoperative time interval. We defined 4 patterns of morphologic enhancement on MRI: cavity wall/seroma (Pattern I); thin linear (Pattern II); mass (Pattern III); and fat necrosis (Pattern IV). Of 200 MRI scans, 66 (33%) demonstrated enhancement at the surgical site. Enhancement typically decreased through the postoperative follow-up period. Enhancement was observed in 41% (28/68) of cases beyond the 18-month interval but was uncommon after 5 years. Pattern III enhancement was the morphologic pattern seen most commonly with malignancy (5/19 cases, 26%). When associated with delayed washout kinetics, it was even more strongly predictive of malignancy (4/5 cases, 80%). In patients with a history of excisional biopsy and no prior radiation treatment, the percentage of MRI scans showing enhancement was significantly lower than (21% vs 49% with P-value .0027) in patients who had undergone radiation. Enhancement at the surgical site occurred in one-third of cases up to 5 years after surgery, particularly in patients who underwent both radiation and surgery. Mass enhancement, particularly in conjunction with delayed washout kinetics, is most predictive of malignancy and should prompt biopsy or re-excision. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Automated segmentation of blood-flow regions in large thoracic arteries using 3D-cine PC-MRI measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

van Pelt, Roy; Nguyen, Huy; ter Haar Romeny, Bart; Vilanova, Anna

2012-03-01

Quantitative analysis of vascular blood flow, acquired by phase-contrast MRI, requires accurate segmentation of the vessel lumen. In clinical practice, 2D-cine velocity-encoded slices are inspected, and the lumen is segmented manually. However, segmentation of time-resolved volumetric blood-flow measurements is a tedious and time-consuming task requiring automation. Automated segmentation of large thoracic arteries, based solely on the 3D-cine phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) blood-flow data, was done. An active surface model, which is fast and topologically stable, was used. The active surface model requires an initial surface, approximating the desired segmentation. A method to generate this surface was developed based on a voxel-wise temporal maximum of blood-flow velocities. The active surface model balances forces, based on the surface structure and image features derived from the blood-flow data. The segmentation results were validated using volunteer studies, including time-resolved 3D and 2D blood-flow data. The segmented surface was intersected with a velocity-encoded PC-MRI slice, resulting in a cross-sectional contour of the lumen. These cross-sections were compared to reference contours that were manually delineated on high-resolution 2D-cine slices. The automated approach closely approximates the manual blood-flow segmentations, with error distances on the order of the voxel size. The initial surface provides a close approximation of the desired luminal geometry. This improves the convergence time of the active surface and facilitates parametrization. An active surface approach for vessel lumen segmentation was developed, suitable for quantitative analysis of 3D-cine PC-MRI blood-flow data. As opposed to prior thresholding and level-set approaches, the active surface model is topologically stable. A method to generate an initial approximate surface was developed, and various features that influence the segmentation model were evaluated. The active surface

Measuring Precise Radii of Giants Orbiting Giants to Distinguish Between Planet Evolution Models

Science.gov (United States)

Grunblatt, Samuel; Huber, Daniel; Lopez, Eric; Gaidos, Eric; Livingston, John

2017-10-01

Despite more than twenty years since the initial discovery of highly irradiated gas giant planets, the mechanism for planet inflation remains unknown. However, proposed planet inflation mechanisms can now be separated into two general classes: those which allow for post-main sequence planet inflation by direct irradiation from the host star, and those which only allow for slowed cooling of the planet over its lifetime. The recent discovery of two inflated warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars with the NASA K2 Mission allows distinction between these two classes, but uncertainty in the planet radius blurs this distinction. Observing transits of these planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope would reduce stellar variability and thus planet radius uncertainties by approximately 50% relative to K2, allowing distinction between the two planet inflation model classes at a 3-sigma level. We propose to observe one transit of both known warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars, K2-97b and EPIC228754001.01, to distinguish between planet model inflation classes and measure the planetary heating efficiency to 3-sigma precision. These systems are benchmarks for the upcoming NASA TESS Mission, which is predicted to discover an order of magnitude more red giant planet systems after launching next year.

MRI in Optic Neuritis: Structure, Function, Interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglø, Dan

2011-01-01

resonance imaging (MRI), and the visual evoked potential (VEP) continues to show a delayed P100 indicating persistent demyelination. The explanation for this apparent discrepancy between structure and function could be due to either a redundancy in the visual pathways so that some degree of signal loss...... will have very few or no clinical symptoms, or it could be due to compensatory mechanisms in the visual pathway or the visual cortex. In order to understand the pathophysiology and recovery processes in ON it is essential to have sensitive methods to asses both structure and function. These methods...... are low. Functional MRI (fMRI) is a non-invasive technique that can measure brain activity with a high spatial resolution. Recently, technical and methodological advancements have made it feasible to record VEPs and fMRI simultaneously and the relationship between averaged VEPs and averaged fMRI signals...

Design and implementation of a simple multinuclear MRI system for ultra high-field imaging of animals

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Chang-Hoon; Ha, YongHyun; Veeraiah, Pandichelvam; Felder, Jörg; Möllenhoff, Klaus; Shah, N. Jon

2016-12-01

Non-proton MRI has recently garnered gathering interest with the increased availability of ultra high-field MRI system. Assuming the availability of a broadband RF amplifier, performing multinuclear MR experiments essentially requires additional hardware, such as an RF resonator and a T/R switch for each nucleus. A double- or triple-resonant RF probe is typically constructed using traps or PIN-diode circuits, but this approach degrades the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and image quality compared to a single-resonant coil and this is a limiting factor. In this work, we have designed the required hardware for multinuclear MR imaging experiments employing six single-resonant coil sets and a purpose-built animal bed; these have been implemented into a home-integrated 9.4 T preclinical MRI scanner. System capabilities are demonstrated by distinguishing concentration differences and sensitivity of X-nuclei imaging and spectroscopy without SNR penalty for any nuclei, no subject interruption and no degradation of the static shim conditions.

MRI Visualization of Staphyloccocus aureus-Induced Infective Endocarditis in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Ring, Janine; Hoerr, Verena; Tuchscherr, Lorena; Kuhlmann, Michael T.; Löffler, Bettina; Faber, Cornelius

2014-01-01

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe and often fatal disease, lacking a fast and reliable diagnostic procedure. The purpose of this study was to establish a mouse model of Staphylococcus aureus-induced IE and to develop a MRI technology to characterize and diagnose IE. To establish the mouse model of hematogenous IE, aortic valve damage was induced by placing a permanent catheter into right carotid artery. 24 h after surgery, mice were injected intravenously with either iron particle-labeled or unlabeled S. aureus (strain 6850). To distinguish the effect of IE from mere tissue injury or recruited macrophages, subgroups of mice received sham surgery prior to infection (n = 17), received surgery without infection (n = 8), or obtained additionally injection of free iron particles to label macrophages (n = 17). Cardiac MRI was performed 48 h after surgery using a self-gated ultra-short echo time (UTE) sequence (TR/TE, 5/0.31 ms; in-plane/slice, 0.125/1 mm; duration, 12∶08 min) to obtain high-resolution, artifact-free cinematographic images of the valves. After MRI, valves were either homogenized and plated on blood agar plates for determination of bacterial titers, or sectioned and stained for histology. In the animal model, both severity of the disease and mortality increased with bacterial numbers. Infection with 105 S. aureus bacteria reliably caused endocarditis with vegetations on the valves. Cinematographic UTE MRI visualised the aortic valve over the cardiac cycle and allowed for detection of bacterial vegetations, while mere tissue trauma or labeled macrophages were not detected. Iron labeling of S. aureus was not required for detection. MRI results were consistent with histology and microbial assessment. These data showed that S. aureus-induced IE in mice can be detected by MRI. The established mouse model allows for investigation of the pathophysiology of IE, testing of novel drugs and may serve for the development of a clinical diagnostic

Resting bold fMRI differentiates dementia with Lewy bodies vs Alzheimer disease

Science.gov (United States)

Price, J.L.; Yan, Z.; Morris, J.C.; Sheline, Y.I.

2011-01-01

Objective: Clinicopathologic phenotypes of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer disease (AD) often overlap, making discrimination difficult. We performed resting state blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) to determine whether there were differences between AD and DLB. Methods: Participants (n = 88) enrolled in a longitudinal study of memory and aging underwent 3-T fcMRI. Clinical diagnoses of probable DLB (n = 15) were made according to published criteria. Cognitively normal control participants (n = 38) were selected for the absence of cerebral amyloid burden as imaged with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB). Probable AD cases (n = 35) met published criteria and had appreciable amyloid deposits with PiB imaging. Functional images were collected using a gradient spin-echo sequence sensitive to BOLD contrast (T2* weighting). Correlation maps selected a seed region in the combined bilateral precuneus. Results: Participants with DLB had a functional connectivity pattern for the precuneus seed region that was distinct from AD; both the DLB and AD groups had functional connectivity patterns that differed from the cognitively normal group. In the DLB group, we found increased connectivity between the precuneus and regions in the dorsal attention network and the putamen. In contrast, we found decreased connectivity between the precuneus and other task-negative default regions and visual cortices. There was also a reversal of connectivity in the right hippocampus. Conclusions: Changes in functional connectivity in DLB indicate patterns of activation that are distinct from those seen in AD and may improve discrimination of DLB from AD and cognitively normal individuals. Since patterns of connectivity differ between AD and DLB groups, measurements of BOLD functional connectivity can shed further light on neuroanatomic connections that distinguish DLB from AD. PMID:21525427

Virtual phantom magnetic resonance imaging (ViP MRI) on a clinical MRI platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Saint-Jalmes, Hervé; Bordelois, Alejandro; Gambarota, Giulio

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to implement Virtual Phantom Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ViP MRI), a technique that allows for generating reference signals in MR images using radiofrequency (RF) signals, on a clinical MR system and to test newly designed virtual phantoms. MRI experiments were conducted on a 1.5 T MRI scanner. Electromagnetic modelling of the ViP system was done using the principle of reciprocity. The ViP RF signals were generated using a compact waveform generator (dimensions of 26 cm × 18 cm × 16 cm), connected to a homebuilt 25 mm-diameter RF coil. The ViP RF signals were transmitted to the MRI scanner bore, simultaneously with the acquisition of the signal from the object of interest. Different types of MRI data acquisition (2D and 3D gradient-echo) as well as different phantoms, including the Shepp-Logan phantom, were tested. Furthermore, a uniquely designed virtual phantom - in the shape of a grid - was generated; this newly proposed phantom allows for the investigations of the vendor distortion correction field. High quality MR images of virtual phantoms were obtained. An excellent agreement was found between the experimental data and the inverse cube law, which was the expected functional dependence obtained from the electromagnetic modelling of the ViP system. Short-term time stability measurements yielded a coefficient of variation in the signal intensity over time equal to 0.23% and 0.13% for virtual and physical phantom, respectively. MR images of the virtual grid-shaped phantom were reconstructed with the vendor distortion correction; this allowed for a direct visualization of the vendor distortion correction field. Furthermore, as expected from the electromagnetic modelling of the ViP system, a very compact coil (diameter ~ cm) and very small currents (intensity ~ mA) were sufficient to generate a signal comparable to that of physical phantoms in MRI experiments. The ViP MRI technique was successfully implemented on a clinical MR

Advanced flow MRI: emerging techniques and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markl, M.; Schnell, S.; Wu, C.; Bollache, E.; Jarvis, K.; Barker, A.J.; Robinson, J.D.; Rigsby, C.K.

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide non-invasive and non-ionising methods for the highly accurate anatomical depiction of the heart and vessels throughout the cardiac cycle. In addition, the intrinsic sensitivity of MRI to motion offers the unique ability to acquire spatially registered blood flow simultaneously with the morphological data, within a single measurement. In clinical routine, flow MRI is typically accomplished using methods that resolve two spatial dimensions in individual planes and encode the time-resolved velocity in one principal direction, typically oriented perpendicular to the two-dimensional (2D) section. This review describes recently developed advanced MRI flow techniques, which allow for more comprehensive evaluation of blood flow characteristics, such as real-time flow imaging, 2D multiple-venc phase contrast MRI, four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI, quantification of complex haemodynamic properties, and highly accelerated flow imaging. Emerging techniques and novel applications are explored. In addition, applications of these new techniques for the improved evaluation of cardiovascular (aorta, pulmonary arteries, congenital heart disease, atrial fibrillation, coronary arteries) as well as cerebrovascular disease (intra-cranial arteries and veins) are presented.

Statistical approach of measurement of signal to noise ratio in according to change pulse sequence on brain MRI meningioma and cyst images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eul Kyu; Choi, Kwan Woo; Jeong, Hoi Woun; Jang, Seo Goo; Kim, Ki Won; Son, Soon Yong; Min, Jung Whan; Son, Jin Hyun

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to needed basis of measure MRI CAD development for signal to noise ratio (SNR) by pulse sequence analysis from region of interest (ROI) in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast. We examined images of brain MRI contrast enhancement of 117 patients, from January 2005 to December 2015 in a University-affiliated hospital, Seoul, Korea. Diagnosed as one of two brain diseases such as meningioma and cysts SNR for each patient's image of brain MRI were calculated by using Image J. Differences of SNR among two brain diseases were tested by SPSS Statistics21 ANOVA test for there was statistical significance (p < 0.05). We have analysis socio-demographical variables, SNR according to sequence disease, 95% confidence according to SNR of sequence and difference in a mean of SNR. Meningioma results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T1CE, T2 and T1, FLAIR. Cysts results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T2 and T1, T1CE and FLAIR. SNR of MRI sequences of the brain would be useful to classify disease. Therefore, this study will contribute to evaluate brain diseases, and be a fundamental to enhancing the accuracy of CAD development

Statistical approach of measurement of signal to noise ratio in according to change pulse sequence on brain MRI meningioma and cyst images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eul Kyu [Inje Paik University Hospital Jeo-dong, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Kwan Woo [Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hoi Woun [The Baekseok Culture University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Seo Goo [The Soonchunhyang University, Asan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ki Won [Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gang-dong, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Son, Soon Yong [The Wonkwang Health Science University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Min, Jung Whan; Son, Jin Hyun [The Shingu University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

The purpose of this study was to needed basis of measure MRI CAD development for signal to noise ratio (SNR) by pulse sequence analysis from region of interest (ROI) in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast. We examined images of brain MRI contrast enhancement of 117 patients, from January 2005 to December 2015 in a University-affiliated hospital, Seoul, Korea. Diagnosed as one of two brain diseases such as meningioma and cysts SNR for each patient's image of brain MRI were calculated by using Image J. Differences of SNR among two brain diseases were tested by SPSS Statistics21 ANOVA test for there was statistical significance (p < 0.05). We have analysis socio-demographical variables, SNR according to sequence disease, 95% confidence according to SNR of sequence and difference in a mean of SNR. Meningioma results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T1CE, T2 and T1, FLAIR. Cysts results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T2 and T1, T1CE and FLAIR. SNR of MRI sequences of the brain would be useful to classify disease. Therefore, this study will contribute to evaluate brain diseases, and be a fundamental to enhancing the accuracy of CAD development.

Elemental imaging of MRI contrast agents: benchmarking of LA-ICP-MS to MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugh, J.A.T. [University of Sheffield, Centre for Analytical Sciences, Sheffield (United Kingdom); University of Sheffield, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Cox, A.G.; McLeod, C.W. [University of Sheffield, Centre for Analytical Sciences, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Bunch, J. [University of Birmingham, School of Chemistry, Birmingham (United Kingdom); Writer, M.J.; Hart, S.L. [UCL Institute of Child Health, Wolfson Centre for Gene Therapy of Childhood Disease, London (United Kingdom); Bienemann, A.; White, E. [University of Bristol, School of Clinical Sciences, Southmead Hospital, Bristol (United Kingdom); Bell, J. [Hammersmith Hospital, Metabolic and Molecular Imaging Group, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London (United Kingdom)

2012-06-15

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been used to map the spatial distribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (Gd-based) in histological sections in order to explore synergies with in vivo MRI. Images from respective techniques are presented for two separate studies namely (1) convection enhanced delivery of a Gd nanocomplex (developmental therapeutic) into rat brain and (2) convection enhanced delivery, with co-infusion of Magnevist (commercial Gd contrast agent) and Carboplatin (chemotherapy drug), into pig brain. The LA technique was shown to be a powerful compliment to MRI not only in offering improved sensitivity, spatial resolution and signal quantitation but also in giving added value regarding the fate of administered agents (Gd and Pt agents). Furthermore simultaneous measurement of Fe enabled assignment of an anomalous contrast enhancement region in rat brain to haemorrhage at the infusion site. (orig.)

EEG-informed fMRI analysis during a hand grip task: estimating the relationship between EEG rhythms and the BOLD signal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta eSclocco

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, an increasing interest has arisen in investigating the relationship between the electrophysiological and hemodynamic measurements of brain activity, such as EEG and (BOLD fMRI. In particular, changes in BOLD have been shown to be associated with changes in the spectral profile of neural activity, rather than with absolute power. Concurrently, recent findings showed that different EEG rhythms are independently related to changes in the BOLD signal: therefore, it would be important to distinguish between the contributions of the different EEG rhythms to BOLD fluctuations when modeling the relationship between the two signals. Here we propose a method to perform EEG-informed fMRI analysis, in which the EEG regressors take into account both the changes in the spectral profile and the rhythms distinction. We applied it to EEG-fMRI data during a hand grip task in healthy subjects, and compared the results with those obtained by two existing models found in literature. Our results showed that the proposed method better captures the correlations between BOLD signal and EEG rhythms modulations, identifying task-related, well localized activated volumes. Furthermore, we showed that including among the regressors also EEG rhythms not primarily involved in the task enhances the performance of the analysis, even when only correlations with BOLD signal and specific EEG rhythms are explored.

Patellofemoral instability: Quantitative evaluation of predisposing factors by MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noha Mohamed Osman, M.D.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the contribution of MRI in evaluating patellofemoral instability (PFI and to compare the underlying predisposing factors between the study and control groups. Materials and methods: We enrolled knee MRI scans of 38 patients with lateral patellar dislocation (LPD and 38 control subjects. All MRI scans were examined for LPD and patellofemoral joint (PFJ morphological abnormalities. The lateral trochlear inclination angle, sulcus angle and trochlear depth were the MR measures for trochlear dysplasia (TD, patellar height ratio was used for evaluation of patella alta, the patellar tilt angle, and the tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG distance were also measured. Results: MRI confirmed PFI in 84.2% of study group and detected abnormal PFJ morphological factors in all cases. The prevalences and mean values of all MR parameters showed significant differences (p < 0.001 between the study and control groups. MR parameters for TD had the highest sensitivity of 57.9%, while the TT-TG distance was the most specific 97.4% for PFI. The prevalence of combined PFJ abnormal morphological factors was 36.8% in the study group. Conclusion: MRI was useful in quantitative measuring of the predisposing factors contributing to PFI resulting in significant difference in all MR parameters between the study and control groups.

Temperature and SAR measurement errors in the evaluation of metallic linear structures heating during MRI using fluoroptic (registered) probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattei, E [Department of Technologies and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome (Italy); Triventi, M [Department of Technologies and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome (Italy); Calcagnini, G [Department of Technologies and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome (Italy); Censi, F [Department of Technologies and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome (Italy); Kainz, W [Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD (United States); Bassen, H I [Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD (United States); Bartolini, P [Department of Technologies and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome (Italy)

2007-03-21

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the error associated with temperature and SAR measurements using fluoroptic (registered) temperature probes on pacemaker (PM) leads during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We performed temperature measurements on pacemaker leads, excited with a 25, 64, and 128 MHz current. The PM lead tip heating was measured with a fluoroptic (registered) thermometer (Luxtron, Model 3100, USA). Different contact configurations between the pigmented portion of the temperature probe and the PM lead tip were investigated to find the contact position minimizing the temperature and SAR underestimation. A computer model was used to estimate the error made by fluoroptic (registered) probes in temperature and SAR measurement. The transversal contact of the pigmented portion of the temperature probe and the PM lead tip minimizes the underestimation for temperature and SAR. This contact position also has the lowest temperature and SAR error. For other contact positions, the maximum temperature error can be as high as -45%, whereas the maximum SAR error can be as high as -54%. MRI heating evaluations with temperature probes should use a contact position minimizing the maximum error, need to be accompanied by a thorough uncertainty budget and the temperature and SAR errors should be specified.

Indeterminate findings on oncologic PET/CT: What difference dose PET/MRI make?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fraum, Tyler J.; Fowler, Kathryn J.; McConathy, Jonathan; Dehdashti, Farokh [Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis (United States)

2016-12-15

, the definitive PET/MRI interpretation proved correct. These 12 patients underwent six additional diagnostic studies to clarify the initial indeterminate PET/CT findings. In the remaining 13 of 31 cases with indeterminate findings on both PET/CT and PET/MRI, common reasons for uncertainty included the inability to distinguish reactive from malignant lymphadenopathy (4/13) and local recurrence from treatment effect (2/13). Indeterminate PET/CT findings can result in equivocal reads and additional diagnostic studies. PET/MRI may reduce the rate of indeterminate findings by facilitating better tumor staging, FDG activity localization, and lesion characterization. In our study, PET/MRI resulted in more definitive imaging interpretations with high accuracy. PET/MRI also showed potential in reducing the number of additional diagnostic studies prompted by PET/CT findings. Our results suggest that whole-body PET/MRI provides certain diagnostic advantages over PET/CT, promotes more definitive imaging interpretations, and may improve the overall clinical utility of PET.

Indeterminate findings on oncologic PET/CT: What difference dose PET/MRI make?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraum, Tyler J.; Fowler, Kathryn J.; McConathy, Jonathan; Dehdashti, Farokh

2016-01-01

definitive PET/MRI interpretation proved correct. These 12 patients underwent six additional diagnostic studies to clarify the initial indeterminate PET/CT findings. In the remaining 13 of 31 cases with indeterminate findings on both PET/CT and PET/MRI, common reasons for uncertainty included the inability to distinguish reactive from malignant lymphadenopathy (4/13) and local recurrence from treatment effect (2/13). Indeterminate PET/CT findings can result in equivocal reads and additional diagnostic studies. PET/MRI may reduce the rate of indeterminate findings by facilitating better tumor staging, FDG activity localization, and lesion characterization. In our study, PET/MRI resulted in more definitive imaging interpretations with high accuracy. PET/MRI also showed potential in reducing the number of additional diagnostic studies prompted by PET/CT findings. Our results suggest that whole-body PET/MRI provides certain diagnostic advantages over PET/CT, promotes more definitive imaging interpretations, and may improve the overall clinical utility of PET

Longitudinal diffusion MRI for treatment response assessment: Preliminary experience using an MRI-guided tri-cobalt 60 radiotherapy system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yingli; Cao, Minsong; Sheng, Ke; Gao, Yu; Chen, Allen; Kamrava, Mitch; Lee, Percy; Agazaryan, Nzhde; Lamb, James; Thomas, David; Low, Daniel; Hu, Peng

2016-03-01

To demonstrate the preliminary feasibility of a longitudinal diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) strategy for assessing patient response to radiotherapy at 0.35 T using an MRI-guided radiotherapy system (ViewRay). Six patients (three head and neck cancer, three sarcoma) who underwent fractionated radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. A 2D multislice spin echo single-shot echo planar imaging diffusion pulse sequence was implemented on the ViewRay system and tested in phantom studies. The same pulse sequence was used to acquire longitudinal diffusion data (every 2-5 fractions) on the six patients throughout the entire course of radiotherapy. The reproducibility of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements was assessed using reference regions and the temporal variations of the tumor ADC values were evaluated. In diffusion phantom studies, the ADC values measured on the ViewRay system matched well with reference ADC values with ViewRay MRI. Larger patient cohort studies are warranted to correlate the longitudinal diffusion measurements to patient outcomes. Such an approach may enable response-guided adaptive radiotherapy.

A Technique for Generating Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI)

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Wendy; Ren, Lei; Cai, Jing; Zhang, You; Chang, Zheng; Yin, Fang-Fang

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a technique to generate on-board volumetric-cine MRI (VC-MRI) using patient prior images, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI. Methods One phase of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation is used as patient prior images. 3 major respiratory deformation patterns of the patient are extracted from 4D-MRI based on principal-component-analysis. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI. The deformation field is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by the data fidelity constraint using the acquired on-board single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from four real liver cancer patients. The accuracy of the estimated VC-MRI was quantitatively evaluated using Volume-Percent-Difference(VPD), Center-of-Mass-Shift(COMS), and target tracking errors. Effects of acquisition orientation, region-of-interest(ROI) selection, patient breathing pattern change and noise on the estimation accuracy were also evaluated. Results Image subtraction of ground-truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground-truth with prior image. Agreement between profiles in the estimated and ground-truth VC-MRI was achieved with less than 6% error for both XCAT and patient data. Among all XCAT scenarios, the VPD between ground-truth and estimated lesion volumes was on average 8.43±1.52% and the COMS was on average 0.93±0.58mm across all time-steps for estimation based on the ROI region in the sagittal cine images. Matching to ROI in the sagittal view achieved better accuracy when there was substantial breathing pattern change. The technique was robust against noise levels up to SNR=20. For patient data, average tracking errors were less than 2 mm in all directions for all patients. Conclusions Preliminary studies demonstrated the

Simulated radiographic bone and joint modeling from 3D ankle MRI: feasibility and comparison with radiographs and 2D MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordeck, Shaun M. [University of Texas Southwestern Medical College, Dallas, TX (United States); University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Dallas, TX (United States); Koerper, Conrad E.; Adler, Aaron [University of Texas Southwestern Medical College, Dallas, TX (United States); Malhotra, Vidur; Xi, Yin [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Dallas, TX (United States); Liu, George T. [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery, Dallas, TX (United States); Chhabra, Avneesh [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Dallas, TX (United States); University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery, Dallas, TX (United States)

2017-05-15

The purpose of this work is to simulate radiographs from isotropic 3D MRI data, compare relationship of angle and joint space measurements on simulated radiographs with corresponding 2D MRIs and real radiographs (XR), and compare measurement times among the three modalities. Twenty-four consecutive ankles were included, eight males and 16 females, with a mean age of 46 years. Segmented joint models simulating radiographs were created from 3D MRI data sets. Three readers independently performed blinded angle and joint space measurements on the models, corresponding 2D MRIs, and XRs at two time points. Linear mixed models and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was ascertained, with p values less than 0.05 considered significant. Simulated radiograph models were successfully created in all cases. Good agreement (ICC > 0.65) was noted among all readers across all modalities and among most measurements. Absolute measurement values differed between modalities. Measurement time was significantly greater (p < 0.05) on 2D versus simulated radiographs for most measurements and on XR versus simulated radiographs (p < 0.05) for nearly half the measurements. Simulated radiographs can be successfully generated from 3D MRI data; however, measurements differ. Good inter-reader and moderate-to-good intra-reader reliability was observed and measurements obtained on simulated radiograph models took significantly less time compared to measurements with 2D and generally less time than XR. (orig.)

MRI Primer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldendorf, W.; Oldendorf, W. Jr.

1991-01-01

Designed for studies, radiologists, and clinicians at all levels of training, this book provides a basic introduction to the principles, physics, and instrumentation of magnetic resonance imaging. The fundamental concepts that are essential for the optimal clinical use of MRI are thoroughly explained in easily accessible terms. To facilitate the reader's comprehension, the material is presented nonmathematically, using no equations and a minimum of symbols and abbreviations. MRI Primer presents a clear account of the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance and the use of gradient magnetic fields to create clinically useful images of cross-sectional slices. Close attention is given to the magnetization vector as a means of expressing nuclear behavior, the role of T 1 and T 2 weighing in imaging, the use of contrast agents, and the pulse sequences most often used in clinical practice, as well as to the relative capabilities and limitations of MRI and CT. The basic hardware components of an MRI scanner are described in detail. Sample MRI scans illustrate how MRI characterizes tissue. An appendix provides a brief introduction to quantum processes in MRI

Quantum correlations and distinguishability of quantum states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spehner, Dominique [Université Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, Institut Fourier, F-38000 Grenoble, France and Laboratoire de Physique et Modélisation des Milieux Condensés, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2014-07-15

A survey of various concepts in quantum information is given, with a main emphasis on the distinguishability of quantum states and quantum correlations. Covered topics include generalized and least square measurements, state discrimination, quantum relative entropies, the Bures distance on the set of quantum states, the quantum Fisher information, the quantum Chernoff bound, bipartite entanglement, the quantum discord, and geometrical measures of quantum correlations. The article is intended both for physicists interested not only by collections of results but also by the mathematical methods justifying them, and for mathematicians looking for an up-to-date introductory course on these subjects, which are mainly developed in the physics literature.

Quantum correlations and distinguishability of quantum states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spehner, Dominique

2014-01-01

A survey of various concepts in quantum information is given, with a main emphasis on the distinguishability of quantum states and quantum correlations. Covered topics include generalized and least square measurements, state discrimination, quantum relative entropies, the Bures distance on the set of quantum states, the quantum Fisher information, the quantum Chernoff bound, bipartite entanglement, the quantum discord, and geometrical measures of quantum correlations. The article is intended both for physicists interested not only by collections of results but also by the mathematical methods justifying them, and for mathematicians looking for an up-to-date introductory course on these subjects, which are mainly developed in the physics literature

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and sonography in patients receiving primary chemotherapy for breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montemurro, Filippo; Aglietta, Massimo; Martincich, Laura; Rosa, Giovanni De; Cirillo, Stefano; Marra, Vincenzo; Regge, Daniele; Biglia, Nicoletta; Sismondi, Piero; Gatti, Marco

2005-01-01

We compared dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and sonography (US) for monitoring tumour size in 21 patients with breast cancer undergoing primary chemotherapy (PCT) followed by surgery. The correlation between DCE-MRI and US measurements of tumour size, defined as the product of the two major diameters, was 0.555 (P=0.009), 0.782 (P 2 , P 2 , P=0.009). After PCT, the median tumour size measured by the two techniques was similar (256 vs 289 mm 2 for DCE-MRI and US, respectively, P=0.859). The correlation with the histopathological major tumour diameter was 0.824 (P<0.001) and 0.705 (P<0.001) for post-treatment DCE-MRI and US, respectively. Measurements of the final major tumour diameter by DCE-MRI tended to be more precise, including cases achieving a pathological complete response. Randomized trials are warranted to establish the clinical impact of the initial discrepancy in tumour size estimates between DCE-MRI and US, and the trend towards a better definition of the final tumour size provided by DCE-MRI in this clinical setting. (orig.)

State-Space Analysis of Granger-Geweke Causality Measures with Application to fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Solo, Victor

2016-05-01

The recent interest in the dynamics of networks and the advent, across a range of applications, of measuring modalities that operate on different temporal scales have put the spotlight on some significant gaps in the theory of multivariate time series. Fundamental to the description of network dynamics is the direction of interaction between nodes, accompanied by a measure of the strength of such interactions. Granger causality and its associated frequency domain strength measures (GEMs) (due to Geweke) provide a framework for the formulation and analysis of these issues. In pursuing this setup, three significant unresolved issues emerge. First, computing GEMs involves computing submodels of vector time series models, for which reliable methods do not exist. Second, the impact of filtering on GEMs has never been definitively established. Third, the impact of downsampling on GEMs has never been established. In this work, using state-space methods, we resolve all these issues and illustrate the results with some simulations. Our analysis is motivated by some problems in (fMRI) brain imaging, to which we apply it, but it is of general applicability.

Quantitative rotating frame relaxometry methods in MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilani, Irtiza Ali; Sepponen, Raimo

2016-06-01

Macromolecular degeneration and biochemical changes in tissue can be quantified using rotating frame relaxometry in MRI. It has been shown in several studies that the rotating frame longitudinal relaxation rate constant (R1ρ ) and the rotating frame transverse relaxation rate constant (R2ρ ) are sensitive biomarkers of phenomena at the cellular level. In this comprehensive review, existing MRI methods for probing the biophysical mechanisms that affect the rotating frame relaxation rates of the tissue (i.e. R1ρ and R2ρ ) are presented. Long acquisition times and high radiofrequency (RF) energy deposition into tissue during the process of spin-locking in rotating frame relaxometry are the major barriers to the establishment of these relaxation contrasts at high magnetic fields. Therefore, clinical applications of R1ρ and R2ρ MRI using on- or off-resonance RF excitation methods remain challenging. Accordingly, this review describes the theoretical and experimental approaches to the design of hard RF pulse cluster- and adiabatic RF pulse-based excitation schemes for accurate and precise measurements of R1ρ and R2ρ . The merits and drawbacks of different MRI acquisition strategies for quantitative relaxation rate measurement in the rotating frame regime are reviewed. In addition, this review summarizes current clinical applications of rotating frame MRI sequences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SU-E-J-198: Out-Of-Field Dose and Surface Dose Measurements of MRI-Guided Cobalt-60 Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, J; Agazaryan, N; Cao, M; Low, D; Thomas, D; Yang, Y

2015-01-01

Purpose: To measure quantities of dosimetric interest in an MRI-guided cobalt radiotherapy machine that was recently introduced to clinical use. Methods: Out-of-field dose due to photon scatter and leakage was measured using an ion chamber and solid water slabs mimicking a human body. Surface dose was measured by irradiating stacks of radiochromic film and extrapolating to zero thickness. Electron out-of-field dose was characterized using solid water slabs and radiochromic film. Results: For some phantom geometries, up to 50% of Dmax was observed up to 10 cm laterally from the edge of the beam. The maximum penetration was between 1 and 2 mm in solid water, indicating an electron energy not greater than approximately 0.4 MeV. Out-of-field dose from photon scatter measured at 1 cm depth in solid water was found to fall to less than 10% of Dmax at a distance of 1.2 cm from the edge of a 10.5 × 10.5 cm field, and less that 1% of Dmax at a distance of 10 cm from field edge. Surface dose was measured to be 8% of Dmax. Conclusion: Surface dose and out-of-field dose from the MRIguided cobalt radiotherapy machine was measured and found to be within acceptable limits. Electron out-of-field dose, an effect unique to MRI-guided radiotherapy and presumed to arise from low-energy electrons trapped by the Lorentz force, was quantified. Dr. Low is a member of the scientific advisory board of ViewRay, Inc

A Distinguish Attack on COSvd Cipher

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Ali Orumiehchi ha; R. Mirghadri

2007-01-01

The COSvd Ciphers has been proposed by Filiol and others (2004). It is a strengthened version of COS stream cipher family denoted COSvd that has been adopted for at least one commercial standard. We propose a distinguish attack on this version, and prove that, it is distinguishable from a random stream. In the COSvd Cipher used one S-Box (10×8) on the final part of cipher. We focus on S-Box and use weakness this S-Box for distinguish attack. In addition, found a leak on HNLL that the sub s-bo...

Safety work with MRI devices in medicine