Intimate combination of low- and high-resolution image data: I. Real-space PET and (1)H(2)O MRI, PETAMRI

Evaluation of novel genetic algorithm generated schemes for positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image fusion

The use and benefits of a multimodality approach in the context of breast cancer imaging are discussed. Fusion techniques that allow multiple images to be viewed simultaneously are discussed. Many of these fusion techniques rely on the use of color tables. A genetic algorithm that generates color tables that have desired properties such as satisfying the order principle, the rows, and columns principle, have perceivable uniformity and have maximum contrast is introduced. The generated 2D color tables can be used for displaying fused datasets. The advantage the proposed method has over other techniques is the ability to consider a much larger set of possible color tables, ensuring that the best one is found. We asked radiologists to perform a set of tasks reading fused PET/MRI breast images obtained using eight different fusion techniques. This preliminary study clearly demonstrates the need and benefit of a joint display by estimating the inaccuracies incurred when using a side-by-side display. The study suggests that the color tables generated by the genetic algorithm are good choices for fusing MR and PET images. It is interesting to note that popular techniques such as the Fire/Gray and techniques based on the HSV color space, which are prevalent in the literature and clinical practice, appear to give poorer performance.

Fusion viewer: a new tool for fusion and visualization of multimodal medical data sets

A new application, Fusion Viewer, available for free, has been designed and implemented with a modular object-oriented design. The viewer provides both traditional and novel tools to fuse 3D data sets such as CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), and SPECT (single photon emission tomography) of the same subject, to create maximum intensity projections (MIP) and to adjust dynamic range. In many situations, it is desirable and advantageous to acquire biomedical images in more than one modality. For example, PET can be used to acquire functional data, whereas MRI can be used to acquire morphological data. In some situations, a side-by-side comparison of the images provides enough information, but in most of the cases it may be necessary to have the exact spatial relationship between the modalities presented to the observer. To accomplish this task, the images need to first be registered and then combined (fused) to create a single image. In this paper, we discuss the options for performing such fusion in the context of multimodal breast imaging. Additionally, a novel spline-based dynamic range technique is presented in detail. It has the advantage of obtaining a high level of contrast in the intensity range of interest without discarding the intensity information outside of this range while maintaining a user interface similar to the standard window/level windowing procedure.

Magnetic field and tissue dependencies of human brain longitudinal1H2O relaxation in vivo

Brain water proton (1H2O) longitudinal relaxation time constants (T1) were obtained from three healthy individuals at magnetic field strengths (B0) of 0.2 Tesla (T), 1.0T, 1.5T, 4.0T, and 7.0T. A 5-mm midventricular axial slice was sampled using a modified Look-Locker technique with 1.5 mm in-plane resolution, and 32 time points post-adiabatic inversion. The results confirmed that for most brain tissues, T1 values increased by more than a factor of 3 between 0.2T and 7T, and over this range were well fitted by T1 (s)=0.583(B0)0.382, T1(s)=0.857(B0)0.376, and T1(s)=1.35(B0)0.340 for white matter (WM), internal GM, and blood 1H2O, respectively. The ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 1H2O T1 value did not change with B0, and its average value (standard deviation (SD)) across subjects and magnetic fields was 4.3 (+/-0.2) s. The tissue 1/T1 values at each field were well correlated with the macromolecular mass fraction, and to a lesser extent tissue iron content. The field-dependent increases in 1H2O T1 values more than offset the well-known decrease in typical MRI contrast reagent (CR) relaxivity, and simulations predict that this leads to lower CR concentration detection thresholds with increased magnetic field.

Pharmaco-thermodynamics of deuterium-induced oedema in living rat brain via1H2O MRI: implications for boron neutron capture therapy of malignant brain tumours

In addition to its common usage as a tracer in metabolic and physiological studies, deuterium possesses anti-tumoural activity and confers protection against gamma-irradiation. A more recent interest in deuterium emanates from the search for alternatives capable of improving neutron penetrance whilst reducing healthy tissue radiation dose deposition in boron neutron capture therapy of malignant brain tumours. Despite this potential clinical application, deuterium induces brain oedema, which is detrimental to neutron capture therapy. In this study, five adult male rats were titrated with deuterated drinking water while brain oedema was monitored via water proton magnetic resonance imaging. This report concludes that deuterium, as well as deuterium-induced brain oedema, possesses a uniform brain bio-distribution. At a steady-state blood fluid deuteration value of 16%, when the deuterium isotope fraction in drinking water was 25%, a mean oedematous volume change of 9 +/- 2% (p-value <0.001) was observed in the rat brain-this may account for neurological and behavioural abnormalities found in mammals drinking highly deuterated water. In addition to characterizing the pharmaco-thermodynamics of deuterium-induced oedema, this report also estimates the impact of oedema on thermal neutron enhancement and effective dose reduction factors using simple linear transport calculations. While body fluid deuteration enhances thermal neutron flux penetrance and reduces dose deposition, oedema has the opposite effect because it increases the volume of interest, e.g., the brain volume. Thermal neutron enhancement and effective dose reduction factors could be reduced by as much as approximately 10% in the presence of a 9% water volume increase (oedema).

SMART-PET: multimodality white matter imaging and display without loss of quantitative information

PURPOSE

To improve analysis of cerebral white matter (WM) in fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (PET) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A multimodality analysis technique (segmented MRI and registered Talairach-transformed PET [SMART-PET]) was used for quantitative assessment of WM metabolism. Data processing included Talairach transformation of three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subsequent automated segmentation and coregistration to normalized PET images. Color model transformations were used for combined display: the hue saturation value color model was regarded as a three-dimensional data matrix, integrating quantitative voxel data of both modalities. The technique was applied in normal subjects and in patients suffering from different WM diseases. Regional analysis was performed to classify metabolic impairment on a five-point scale.

RESULTS

Using SMART-PET, a considerable gain in image contrast for WM was achieved in all cases. In the normal subjects, WM metabolism was shown to be homogeneously unimpaired. Sum scores of regional analysis revealed metabolic WM changes in all patients. Extent of WM hypometabolism exceeded the extent of the lesions as delineated by MRI signal changes.

CONCLUSION

The potential of the method for further elucidation of the role of WM diseases in brain dysfunction in patients is discussed.

Regional differences in intramyocellular lipids in humans observed by in vivo 1H-MR spectroscopic imaging

Regional differences in the content of intramyocellular lipids (IMCL), extramyocellular lipids, and total creatine (TCr) were quantified in soleus (S), tibialis posterior (TP), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles in humans using in vivo 1H proton spectroscopic imaging at 4 T. Improved spatial resolution (0.25-ml nominal voxel resolution) made it feasible to measure IMCL in S, TP, and TA simultaneously in vivo. The most significant regional difference was found in the content of IMCL compared with extramyocellular lipids or TCr. The concentrations of TCr were found to be 29-32 mmol/kg, with little regional variation. IMCL content was measured to be 4.8 +/- 1.6 mmol/kg tissue wt in S, 2.8 +/- 1.3 mmol/kg tissue wt in TP, and 1.6 +/- 0.9 mmol/kg tissue wt in TA in the order of S > TP > TA (P < 0.05). It is likely that these IMCL values are consistent with the known fiber types of these muscles, with S having the greatest fraction of type I (slow-twitch, oxidative) fibers and TA having a large fraction of type IIb (fast-twitch, glycolytic) fibers.

Determination of the MRI contrast agent concentration time course in vivo following bolus injection: effect of equilibrium transcytolemmal water exchange

For bolus-tracking studies, it is commonly assumed that CR concentration bears a linear relationship with the measured (usually longitudinal) (1)H(2)O relaxation rate constant, R*(1) identical with(T(1) *)(-1). This requires that equilibrium transcytolemmal water exchange be in the fast exchange limit (FXL). However, though systems remain in fast exchange, the FXL will not usually obtain. Here, the consequences are considered: 1) the measurement of R(1) * itself can be affected, 2) the resultant non-linear [CR]-dependence causes significant error by assuming FXL, 3) the thermodynamic [CR] (based on the space in which CR is actually distributed) can be determined, 4) transcytolemmal water permeability may be estimated, and 5) the pharmacokinetic parameters can be factored. For a 30-sec, 0.17 mmol/kg dose of GdDTPA(2-), the FXL assumption underestimates the [CR] maximum in rat thigh muscle by a factor of almost two. Similar results are obtained for a rat brain GS-9L gliosarcoma tumor model.

PURR-TURBO: a novel pulse sequence for longitudinal relaxographic imaging

A novel pulse sequence based on a segmented phase-encoding scheme for measuring the longitudinal relaxation time (T(1)) value of an NMR signal in an imaging context is introduced. This pulse sequence is a hybrid version of the "single-shot" and "one-shot" inversion recovery (IR) snapshot-FLASH methods. These are also known as "multipoint" IR techniques. The new sequence presented here collects multiple k-space rows at each time point during magnetization recovery, rather than the entire dataset (as in a "single-shot" method) or just one row (as in a "one-shot" method). Thus, it reduces the scanning time without significant sacrifice of the small sampling time advantage of the one-shot IR snapshot-FLASH methods. Furthermore, this approach does not require a high-performance gradient system. Here, we demonstrate that a single slice human brain (1)H(2)O T(1) map with a nominal in-plane resolution of less than (1 mm)2can be obtained at 4 T in about 4 min. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.