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Lutz M, Aigner CS, Flassbeck S, Krueger F, Gatefait CGF, Kolbitsch C, Silemek B, Seifert F, Schaeffter T, Schmitter S. B1-MRF: Large dynamic range MRF-based absolute B 1 + mapping in the human body at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:2473-2490. [PMID: 39133639 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to map the transmit magnetic field (B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ ) in the human body at 7T using MR fingerprinting (MRF), with a focus on achieving high accuracy and precision across a large dynamic range, particularly at low flip angles (FAs). METHODS A FLASH-based MRF sequence (B1-MRF) with highB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ sensitivity was developed. Phantom and in vivo abdominal imaging were performed at 7T, and the results were compared with established reference methods, including a slow but precise preparation-based method (PEX), saturated TurboFLASH (satTFL), actual flip angle imaging (AFI) and Bloch-Siegert shift (BSS). RESULTS The MRF signal curve was highly sensitive toB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ , while T1 sensitivity was comparatively low. The phantom experiment showed good agreement ofB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ to PEX for a T1 range of 204-1691 ms evaluated at FAs from 0° to 70°. Compared to the references, a dynamic range increase larger than a factor of two was determined experimentally. In vivo liver scans showed a strong correlation between B1-MRF, satTFL, and RPE-AFI in a low body mass index (BMI) subject (18.1 kg/m2). However, in larger BMI subjects (≥25.5 kg/m2), inconsistencies were observed in lowB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ regions for satTFL and RPE-AFI, while B1-MRF still provided consistent results in these regions. CONCLUSION B1-MRF provides accurate and preciseB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ maps over a wide range of FAs, surpassing the capabilities of existing methods in the FA range < 60°. Its enhanced sensitivity at low FAs is advantageous for various applications requiring preciseB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ estimates, potentially advancing the frontiers of ultra-high field (UHF) body imaging at 7T and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Lutz
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Flassbeck
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Felix Krueger
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Berk Silemek
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Seifert
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaeffter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center Digital Future, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Šiurytė P, Tourais J, Zhang Y, Coletti C, van de Steeg-Henzen C, Mandija S, Tao Q, Henningsson M, Weingärtner S. Preparation-based B 1 + mapping in the heart using Bloch-Siegert shifts. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:2596-2606. [PMID: 39044620 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop and evaluate a robust cardiacB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ mapping sequence at 3 T, using Bloch-Siegert shift (BSS)-based preparations. METHODS A longitudinal magnetization preparation module was designed to encode| B 1 + | $$ \mid {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+}\mid $$ . After magnetization tip-down, off-resonant Fermi pulses, placed symmetrically around two refocusing pulses, induced BSS, followed by tipping back of the magnetization. Bloch simulations were used to optimize refocusing pulse parameters and to assess the mapping sensitivity. Relaxation-inducedB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ error was simulated for variousT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ /T 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ times. The effective mapping range was determined in phantom experiments, and| B 1 + | $$ \mid {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+}\mid $$ maps were compared to the conventional BSS method and subadiabatic hyperbolic-secant 8 (HS8) pulse-sensitized method. CardiacB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ maps were acquired in healthy subjects, and evaluated for repeatability and imaging plane intersection consistency. The technique was modified for three-dimensional (3D) acquisition of the whole heart in a single breath-hold, and compared to two-dimensional (2D) acquisition. RESULTS Simulations indicate that the proposed preparation can be tailored to achieve high mapping sensitivity across variousB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ ranges, with maximum sensitivity at the upperB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ range.T 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ /T 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ -induced bias did not exceed 5.2% $$ \% $$ . Experimentally reproducedB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ sensitization closely matched simulations forB 1 + ≥ 0 . 3 B 1 , max + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+}\ge 0.3{\mathrm{B}}_{1,\max}^{+} $$ (mean difference 0.031± $$ \pm $$ 0.022, compared to 0.018± $$ \pm $$ 0.025 in the HS8-sensitized method), and showed 20-fold reduction in the standard deviation of repeated scans, compared with conventional BSSB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ mapping, and an equivalent 2-fold reduction compared with HS8-sensitization. Robust cardiacB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ map quality was obtained, with an average test-retest variability of 0.027± $$ \pm $$ 0.043 relative to normalizedB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ magnitude, and plane intersection bias of 0.052± $$ \pm $$ 0.031. 3D acquisitions showed good agreement with 2D scans (mean absolute deviation 0.055± $$ \pm $$ 0.061). CONCLUSION BSS-based preparations enable robust and tailorable 2D/3D cardiacB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ mapping at 3 T in a single breath-hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Šiurytė
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Joao Tourais
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chiara Coletti
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Stefano Mandija
- Department of Radiotherapy, Division of Imaging & Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Markus Henningsson
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Weingärtner
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- HollandPTC, Delft, The Netherlands
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Thomson EL, Powell E, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CAM, Parker GJM. Quantification of water exchange across the blood-brain barrier using noncontrast MR fingerprinting. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:1392-1403. [PMID: 38725240 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE A method is proposed to quantify cerebral blood volume (v b $$ {v}_b $$ ) and intravascular water residence time (τ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ ) using MR fingerprinting (MRF), applied using a spoiled gradient echo sequence without the need for contrast agent. METHODS An in silico study optimized an acquisition protocol to maximize the sensitivity of the measurement tov b $$ {v}_b $$ andτ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ changes. Its accuracy in the presence of variations inT 1 , t $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,t} $$ ,T 1 , b $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b} $$ , andB 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ was evaluated. The optimized protocol (scan time of 19 min) was then tested in a exploratory healthy volunteer study (10 volunteers, mean age 24± $$ \pm $$ 3, six males) at 3 T with a repeat scan taken after repositioning to allow estimation of repeatability. RESULTS Simulations show that assuming literature values forT 1 , b $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b} $$ andT 1 , t $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,t} $$ , no variation inB 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ , while fitting onlyv b $$ {v}_b $$ andτ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ , leads to large errors in quantification ofv b $$ {v}_b $$ andτ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ , regardless of noise levels. However, simulations also show that matchingT 1 , t $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,t} $$ ,T 1 , b $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b} $$ ,B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ ,v b $$ {v}_b $$ andτ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ , simultaneously is feasible at clinically achievable noise levels. Across the healthy volunteers, all parameter quantifications fell within the expected literature range. In addition, the maps show good agreement between hemispheres suggesting physiologically relevant information is being extracted. Expected differences between white and gray matterT 1 , t $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,t} $$ (p < 0.0001) andv b $$ {v}_b $$ (p < 0.0001) are observed,T 1 , b $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b} $$ andτ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ show no significant differences, p = 0.4 and p = 0.6, respectively. Moderate to excellent repeatability was seen between repeat scans: mean intra-class correlation coefficient ofT 1 , t : 0 . 91 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,t}:0.91 $$ ,T 1 , b : 0 . 58 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b}:0.58 $$ ,v b : 0 . 90 $$ {v}_b:0.90 $$ , andτ b : 0 . 96 $$ {\tau}_b:0.96 $$ . CONCLUSION We demonstrate that regional simultaneous quantification ofv b $$ {v}_b $$ ,τ b $$ {\tau}_b $$ ,T 1 , b , T 1 , t $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1,b},{T}_{1,t} $$ , andB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ using MRF is feasible in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Thomson
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Powell
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Claudia A M Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, London, UK
- Department of Brain & Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Geoff J M Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, London, UK
- Bioxydyn Limited, Manchester, UK
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Zhu Y, Wang G, Gu Y, Zhao W, Lu J, Zhu J, MacAskill CJ, Dupuis A, Griswold MA, Ma D, Flask CA, Yu X. 3D MR fingerprinting for dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging of whole mouse brain. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 39164799 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantitative MRI enables direct quantification of contrast agent concentrations in contrast-enhanced scans. However, the lengthy scan times required by conventional methods are inadequate for tracking contrast agent transport dynamically in mouse brain. We developed a 3D MR fingerprinting (MRF) method for simultaneous T1 and T2 mapping across the whole mouse brain with 4.3-min temporal resolution. METHOD We designed a 3D MRF sequence with variable acquisition segment lengths and magnetization preparations on a 9.4T preclinical MRI scanner. Model-based reconstruction approaches were employed to improve the accuracy and speed of MRF acquisition. The method's accuracy for T1 and T2 measurements was validated in vitro, while its repeatability of T1 and T2 measurements was evaluated in vivo (n = 3). The utility of the 3D MRF sequence for dynamic tracking of intracisternally infused gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) in the whole mouse brain was demonstrated (n = 5). RESULTS Phantom studies confirmed accurate T1 and T2 measurements by 3D MRF with an undersampling factor of up to 48. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRF scans achieved a spatial resolution of 192 × 192 × 500 μm3 and a temporal resolution of 4.3 min, allowing for the analysis and comparison of dynamic changes in concentration and transport kinetics of intracisternally infused Gd-DTPA across brain regions. The sequence also enabled highly repeatable, high-resolution T1 and T2 mapping of the whole mouse brain (192 × 192 × 250 μm3) in 30 min. CONCLUSION We present the first dynamic and multi-parametric approach for quantitatively tracking contrast agent transport in the mouse brain using 3D MRF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuran Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Guanhua Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yuning Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Walter Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jiahao Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Junqing Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Christina J MacAskill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrew Dupuis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark A Griswold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Dan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Chris A Flask
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Zhu Y, Wang G, Gu Y, Zhao W, Lu J, Zhu J, MacAskill CJ, Dupuis A, Griswold MA, Ma D, Flask CA, Yu X. 3D MR Fingerprinting for Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Imaging of Whole Mouse Brain. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2405.00513v2. [PMID: 38745701 PMCID: PMC11092875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Purpose Quantitative MRI enables direct quantification of contrast agent concentrations in contrast-enhanced scans. However, the lengthy scan times required by conventional methods are inadequate for tracking contrast agent transport dynamically in mouse brain. We developed a 3D MR fingerprinting (MRF) method for simultaneous T1 and T2 mapping across the whole mouse brain with 4.3-min temporal resolution. Method We designed a 3D MRF sequence with variable acquisition segment lengths and magnetization preparations on a 9.4T preclinical MRI scanner. Model-based reconstruction approaches were employed to improve the accuracy and speed of MRF acquisition. The method's accuracy for T1 and T2 measurements was validated in vitro, while its repeatability of T1 and T2 measurements was evaluated in vivo (n=3). The utility of the 3D MRF sequence for dynamic tracking of intracisternally infused Gd-DTPA in the whole mouse brain was demonstrated (n=5). Results Phantom studies confirmed accurate T1 and T2 measurements by 3D MRF with an undersampling factor up to 48. Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRF scans achieved a spatial resolution of 192 ✕ 192 ✕ 500 μm3 and a temporal resolution of 4.3 min, allowing for the analysis and comparison of dynamic changes in concentration and transport kinetics of intracisternally infused Gd-DTPA across brain regions. The sequence also enabled highly repeatable, high-resolution T1 and T2 mapping of the whole mouse brain (192 ✕ 192 ✕ 250 μm3) in 30 min. Conclusion We present the first dynamic and multi-parametric approach for quantitatively tracking contrast agent transport in the mouse brain using 3D MRF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuran Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Guanhua Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yuning Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Walter Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jiahao Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Junqing Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Christina J. MacAskill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrew Dupuis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark A. Griswold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Dan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Chris A. Flask
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Versteeg E, Liu H, van der Heide O, Fuderer M, van den Berg CAT, Sbrizzi A. High SNR full brain relaxometry at 7T by accelerated MR-STAT. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:226-235. [PMID: 38326909 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain (MR-STAT) framework for fast, high SNR relaxometry at 7T. METHODS To deploy MR-STAT on 7T-systems, we designed optimized flip-angles using the BLAKJac-framework that incorporates the SAR-constraints. Transmit RF-inhomogeneities were mitigated by including a measuredB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ -map in the reconstruction. Experiments were performed on a gel-phantom and on five volunteers to explore the robustness of the sequence and its sensitivity toB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ inhomogeneities. The SNR-gain at 7T was explored by comparing phantom and in vivo results to MR-STAT at 3T in terms of SNR-efficiency. RESULTS The higher SNR at 7T enabled two-fold acceleration with respect to current 2D MR-STAT protocols at lower field strengths. The resulting scan had whole-brain coverage, with 1 x 1 x 3 mm3 resolution (1.5 mm slice-gap) and was acquired within 3 min including theB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ -mapping. AfterB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ -correction, the estimated T1 and T2 in a phantom showed a mean relative error of, respectively, 1.7% and 4.4%. In vivo, the estimated T1 and T2 in gray and white matter corresponded to the range of values reported in literature with a variation over the subjects of 1.0%-2.1% (WM-GM) for T1 and 4.3%-5.3% (WM-GM) for T2. We measured a higher SNR-efficiency at 7T (R = 2) than at 3T for both T1 and T2 with, respectively, a 4.1 and 2.3 times increase in SNR-efficiency. CONCLUSION We presented an accelerated version of MR-STAT tailored to high field (7T) MRI using a low-SAR flip-angle train and showed high quality parameter maps with an increased SNR-efficiency compared to MR-STAT at 3T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Versteeg
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hongyan Liu
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar van der Heide
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Miha Fuderer
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A T van den Berg
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Sbrizzi
- Computational Imaging Group, Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Lancione M, Cencini M, Scaffei E, Cipriano E, Buonincontri G, Schulte RF, Pirkl CM, Buchignani B, Pasquariello R, Canapicchi R, Battini R, Biagi L, Tosetti M. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting-based myelin water fraction mapping for the assessment of white matter maturation and integrity in typical development and leukodystrophies. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5114. [PMID: 38390667 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
A quantitative biomarker for myelination, such as myelin water fraction (MWF), would boost the understanding of normative and pathological neurodevelopment, improving patients' diagnosis and follow-up. We quantified the fraction of a rapidly relaxing pool identified as MW using multicomponent three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) to evaluate white matter (WM) maturation in typically developing (TD) children and alterations in leukodystrophies (LDs). We acquired DTI and 3D MRF-based R1, R2 and MWF data of 15 TD children and 17 LD patients (9 months-12.5 years old) at 1.5 T. We computed normative maturation curves in corpus callosum and corona radiata and performed WM tract profile analysis, comparing MWF with R1, R2 and fractional anisotropy (FA). Normative maturation curves demonstrated a steep increase for all tissue parameters in the first 3 years of age, followed by slower growth for MWF while R1, R2R2 and FA reached a plateau. Unlike FA, MWF values were similar for regions of interest (ROIs) with different degrees of axonal packing, suggesting independence from fiber bundle macro-organization and higher myelin specificity. Tract profile analysis indicated a specific spatial pattern of myelination in the major fiber bundles, consistent across subjects. LD were better distinguished from TD by MWF rather than FA, showing reduced MWF with respect to age-matched controls in both ROI-based and tract analysis. In conclusion, MRF-based MWF provides myelin-specific WM maturation curves and is sensitive to alteration due to LDs, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for WM disorders. As MRF allows fast simultaneous acquisition of relaxometry and MWF, it can represent a valuable diagnostic tool to study and follow up developmental WM disorders in children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo Cencini
- Pisa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Emilio Cipriano
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Roberta Battini
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Bieri O, Weidensteiner C, Ganter C. Robust T 2 estimation with balanced steady state free precession. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:2257-2265. [PMID: 38411351 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a novel signal representation for balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) displaying its T2 independence on B1 and on magnetization transfer (MT) effects. METHODS A signal model for bSSFP is developed that shows only an explicit dependence (up to a scaling factor) on E2 (and, therefore, T2) and a novel parameter c (with implicit dependence on the flip angle and E1). Moreover, it is shown that MT effects, entering the bSSFP signal via a binary spin bath model, can be captured by a redefinition of T1 and, therefore, leading to modification of E1, resulting in the same signal model. Various sets of phase-cycled bSSFP brain scans (different flip angles, different TR, different RF pulse durations, and different number of phase cycles) were recorded at 3 T. The parameters T2 (E2) and c were estimated using a variable projection (VARPRO) method and Monte-Carlo simulations were performed to assess T2 estimation precision. RESULTS Initial experiments confirmed the expected independence of T2 on various protocol settings, such as TR, the flip angle, B1 field inhomogeneity, and the RF pulse duration. Any variation (within the explored range) appears to directly affect the estimation of the parameter c only-in agreement with theory. CONCLUSION BSSFP theory predicts an extraordinary feature that all MT and B1-related variational aspects do not enter T2 estimation, making it a potentially robust methodology for T2 quantification, pending validation against existing standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bieri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Division of Radiological Physics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Weidensteiner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Division of Radiological Physics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carl Ganter
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Hamilton JI, Lima da Cruz G, Rashid I, Walker J, Rajagopalan S, Seiberlich N. Deep image prior cine MR fingerprinting with B 1 + spin history correction. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:2010-2027. [PMID: 38098428 PMCID: PMC10950517 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a deep image prior (DIP) reconstruction for B1 + -corrected 2D cine MR fingerprinting (MRF). METHODS The proposed method combines low-rank (LR) modeling with a DIP to generate cardiac phase-resolved parameter maps without motion correction, employing self-supervised training to enforce consistency with undersampled spiral k-space data. Two implementations were tested: one approach (DIP) for cine T1 , T2 , and M0 mapping, and a second approach (DIP with effective B1 + estimation [DIP-B1]) that also generated an effective B1 + map to correct for errors due to RF transmit inhomogeneities, through-plane motion, and blood flow. Cine MRF data were acquired in 14 healthy subjects and four reconstructions were compared: LR, low-rank motion-corrected (LRMC), DIP, and DIP-B1. Results were compared to diastolic ECG-triggered MRF, MOLLI, and T2 -prep bSSFP. Additionally, bright-blood and dark-blood images calculated from cine MRF maps were used to quantify ventricular function and compared to reference cine measurements. RESULTS DIP and DIP-B1 outperformed other cine MRF reconstructions with improved noise suppression and delineation of high-resolution details. Within-segment variability in the myocardium (reported as the coefficient of variation for T1 /T2 ) was lowest for DIP-B1 (2.3/8.3%) followed by DIP (2.7/8.7%), LRMC (3.5/10.5%), and LR (15.3/39.6%). Spatial homogeneity improved with DIP-B1 having the lowest intersegment variability (2.6/4.1%). The mean bias in ejection fraction was -1.1% compared to reference cine scans. CONCLUSION A DIP reconstruction for 2D cine MRF enabled cardiac phase-resolved mapping of T1 , T2 , M0 , and the effective B1 + with improved noise suppression and precision compared to LR and LRMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse I. Hamilton
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Imran Rashid
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jonathan Walker
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sanjay Rajagopalan
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nicole Seiberlich
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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10
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Cencini M, Lancione M, Pasquariello R, Peretti L, Pirkl CM, Schulte RF, Buonincontri G, Arduino A, Zilberti L, Biagi L, Tosetti M. Fast high-resolution electric properties tomography using three-dimensional quantitative transient-state imaging-based water fraction estimation. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5039. [PMID: 37714527 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to develop a fast and robust high-resolution technique for clinically feasible electrical properties tomography based on water content maps (wEPT) using Quantitative Transient-state Imaging (QTI), a multiparametric transient state-based method that is similar to MR fingerprinting. Compared with the original wEPT implementation based on standard spin-echo acquisition, QTI provides robust electrical properties quantification towards B1 + inhomogeneities and full quantitative relaxometry data. To validate the proposed approach, 3D QTI data of 12 healthy volunteers were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner. QTI-provided T1 maps were used to compute water content maps of the tissues using an empirical relationship based on literature ex-vivo measurements. Assuming that electrical properties are modulated mainly by tissue water content, the water content maps were used to derive electrical conductivity and relative permittivity maps. The proposed technique was compared with a conventional phase-only Helmholtz EPT (HH-EPT) acquisition both within whole white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid masks, and within different white and gray matter subregions. In addition, QTI-based wEPT was retrospectively applied to four multiple sclerosis adolescent and adult patients, compared with conventional contrast-weighted imaging in terms of lesion delineation, and quantitatively assessed by measuring the variation of electrical properties in lesions. Results obtained with the proposed approach agreed well with theoretical predictions and previous in vivo findings in both white and gray matter. The reconstructed maps showed greater anatomical detail and lower variability compared with standard phase-only HH-EPT. The technique can potentially improve delineation of pathology when compared with conventional contrast-weighted imaging and was able to detect significant variations in lesions with respect to normal-appearing tissues. In conclusion, QTI can reliably measure conductivity and relative permittivity of brain tissues within a short scan time, opening the way to the study of electric properties in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cencini
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Luca Zilberti
- Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), Torino, Italy
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11
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Wang K, Doneva M, Meineke J, Amthor T, Karasan E, Tan F, Tamir JI, Yu SX, Lustig M. High-fidelity direct contrast synthesis from magnetic resonance fingerprinting. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2116-2129. [PMID: 37332200 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This work was aimed at proposing a supervised learning-based method that directly synthesizes contrast-weighted images from the Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) data without performing quantitative mapping and spin-dynamics simulations. METHODS To implement our direct contrast synthesis (DCS) method, we deploy a conditional generative adversarial network (GAN) framework with a multi-branch U-Net as the generator and a multilayer CNN (PatchGAN) as the discriminator. We refer to our proposed approach as N-DCSNet. The input MRF data are used to directly synthesize T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images through supervised training on paired MRF and target spin echo-based contrast-weighted scans. The performance of our proposed method is demonstrated on in vivo MRF scans from healthy volunteers. Quantitative metrics, including normalized root mean square error (nRMSE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), learned perceptual image patch similarity (LPIPS), and Fréchet inception distance (FID), were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and compare it with others. RESULTS In-vivo experiments demonstrated excellent image quality with respect to that of simulation-based contrast synthesis and previous DCS methods, both visually and according to quantitative metrics. We also demonstrate cases in which our trained model is able to mitigate the in-flow and spiral off-resonance artifacts typically seen in MRF reconstructions, and thus more faithfully represent conventional spin echo-based contrast-weighted images. CONCLUSION We present N-DCSNet to directly synthesize high-fidelity multicontrast MR images from a single MRF acquisition. This method can significantly decrease examination time. By directly training a network to generate contrast-weighted images, our method does not require any model-based simulation and therefore can avoid reconstruction errors due to dictionary matching and contrast simulation (code available at:https://github.com/mikgroup/DCSNet).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- International Computer Science Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ekin Karasan
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Fei Tan
- Bioengineering, UC Berkeley-UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jonathan I Tamir
- Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Stella X Yu
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- International Computer Science Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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12
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Tourais J, Ploem T, van Zadelhoff TA, van de Steeg-Henzen C, Oei EHG, Weingartner S. Rapid Whole-Knee Quantification of Cartilage Using T 1, T 2*, and T RAFF2 Mapping With Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2023; 70:3197-3205. [PMID: 37227911 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2023.3280115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) holds great promise for the early detection of cartilage deterioration. Here, a Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) framework is proposed for comprehensive and rapid quantification of T1, T2*, and TRAFF2 with whole-knee coverage. METHODS A MRF framework was developed to achieve quantification of Relaxation Along a Fictitious Field in the 2nd rotating frame of reference ( TRAFF2) along with T1 and T2*. The proposed sequence acquires 65 measurements of 25 high-resolution slices, interleaved with 7 inversion pulses and 40 RAFF2 trains, for whole-knee quantification in a total acquisition time of 3:25 min. Comparison with reference T1, T2*, and TRAFF2 methods was performed in phantom and in seven healthy subjects at 3 T. Repeatability (test-retest) with and without repositioning was also assessed. RESULTS Phantom measurements resulted in good agreement between MRF and the reference with mean biases of -54, 2, and 5 ms for T1, T2*, and TRAFF2, respectively. Complete characterization of the whole-knee cartilage was achieved for all subjects, and, for the femoral and tibial compartments, a good agreement between MRF and reference measurements was obtained. Across all subjects, the proposed MRF method yielded acceptable repeatability without repositioning ( R2 ≥ 0.94) and with repositioning ( R2 ≥ 0.57) for T1, T2*, and TRAFF2. SIGNIFICANCE The short scan time combined with the whole-knee coverage makes the proposed MRF framework a promising candidate for the early assessment of cartilage degeneration with quantitative MRI, but further research may be warranted to improve repeatability after repositioning and assess clinical value in patients.
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13
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Zibetti MVW, De Moura HL, Keerthivasan MB, Regatte RR. Optimizing variable flip angles in magnetization-prepared gradient-echo sequences for efficient 3D-T1ρ mapping. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:1465-1483. [PMID: 37288538 PMCID: PMC10524308 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To optimize the choice of the flip angles of magnetization-prepared gradient-echo sequences for improved accuracy, precision, and speed of 3D-T1ρ mapping. METHODS We propose a new optimization approach for finding variable flip-angle values that improve magnetization-prepared gradient-echo sequences used for 3D-T1ρ mapping. This new approach can improve the accuracy and SNR, while reducing filtering effects. We demonstrate the concept in the three different versions of the magnetization-prepared gradient-echo sequences that are typically used for 3D-T1ρ mapping and evaluate their performance in model agarose phantoms (n = 4) and healthy volunteers (n = 5) for knee joint imaging. We also tested the optimization with sequence parameters targeting faster acquisitions. RESULTS Our results show that optimized variable flip angle can improve the accuracy and the precision of the sequences, seen as a reduction of the mean of normalized absolute difference from about 5%-6% to 3%-4% in model phantoms and from 15%-16% to 11%-13% in the knee joint, and improving SNR from about 12-28 to 22-32 in agarose phantoms and about 7-14 to 13-17 in healthy volunteers. The optimization can also compensate for the loss in quality caused by making the sequence faster. This results in sequence configurations that acquire more data per unit of time with SNR and mean of normalized absolute difference measurements close to its slower versions. CONCLUSION The optimization of the variable flip angle can be used to increase accuracy and precision, and to improve the speed of the typical imaging sequences used for quantitative 3D-T1ρ mapping of the knee joint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V W Zibetti
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hector L. De Moura
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ravinder R. Regatte
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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14
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Qian E, Poojar P, Fung M, Jin Z, Vaughan JT, Shrivastava D, Gultekin D, Fernandes T, Geethanath S. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting based thermometry (MRFT): application to ex vivoimaging near DBS leads. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:17NT01. [PMID: 37489867 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/acea54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the first work ofT1-based magnetic resonance thermometry using magnetic resonance fingerprinting (dubbed MRFT). We compared temperature estimation of MRFT with proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) thermometry onex vivobovine muscle. We demonstrated MRFT's feasibility in predicting temperature onex vivobovine muscles with deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead.B0maps generated from MRFT were compared with gold standardB0maps near the DBS lead. MRFT and PRFS estimated temperatures were compared in the presence of motion. All experiments were performed on a 3 Tesla whole-body GE Premier system with a 21-channel receive head coil (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). Four fluoroptic probes were used to measure the temperature at the center of a cold muscle (probe 1), the room temperature water bottle (probe 2), and the center and periphery of the heated muscle (probes 3 and 4). We selected regions of interest (ROIs) around the location of the probes and used simple linear regression to generate the temperature sensitivity calibration equations that convertT1maps and Δsmaps to temperature maps. We then repeated the same setup and compared MRFT and PRFS thermometry temperature estimation with gold standard probe measurements. For the MRFT experiment on DBS lead, we taped the probe to the tip of the DBS lead and used a turbo spin echo sequence to induce heating near the lead. We selected ROIs around the tip of the lead to compare MRFT temperature estimation with probe measurements and compared with PRFS temperature estimation. Vendor-suppliedB0mapping sequence was acquired to compare with MRFT-generatedB0maps. We found strong linear relationships (R2> 0.958) betweenT1and temperature and Δsand temperatures in our temperature sensitivity calibration experiment. MRFT and PRFS thermometry both accurately predict temperature (RMSE < 1.55 °C) compared to probe measurements. MRFT estimated temperature near DBS lead has a similar trend as the probe temperature. BothB0maps show inhomogeneities around the lead. MRFT estimated temperature is less sensitive to motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enlin Qian
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Pavan Poojar
- Accessible MR Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Dept. of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Maggie Fung
- GE Healthcare, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zhezhen Jin
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - John Thomas Vaughan
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Devashish Shrivastava
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - David Gultekin
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Tiago Fernandes
- Accessible MR Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Dept. of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- ISR - Lisboa/LARSyS and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sairam Geethanath
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Accessible MR Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Dept. of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
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15
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Li T, Wang J, Yang Y, Glide-Hurst CK, Wen N, Cai J. Multi-parametric MRI for radiotherapy simulation. Med Phys 2023; 50:5273-5293. [PMID: 36710376 PMCID: PMC10382603 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important imaging modality in the field of radiotherapy (RT) in the past decade, especially with the development of various novel MRI and image-guidance techniques. In this review article, we will describe recent developments and discuss the applications of multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) in RT simulation. In this review, mpMRI refers to a general and loose definition which includes various multi-contrast MRI techniques. Specifically, we will focus on the implementation, challenges, and future directions of mpMRI techniques for RT simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Li
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jihong Wang
- Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yingli Yang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong Univeristy School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- SJTU-Ruijing-UIH Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Carri K Glide-Hurst
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ning Wen
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong Univeristy School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- SJTU-Ruijing-UIH Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- The Global Institute of Future Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Cai
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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16
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Gaur S, Panda A, Fajardo JE, Hamilton J, Jiang Y, Gulani V. Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting: A Review of Clinical Applications. Invest Radiol 2023; 58:561-577. [PMID: 37026802 PMCID: PMC10330487 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is an approach to quantitative magnetic resonance imaging that allows for efficient simultaneous measurements of multiple tissue properties, which are then used to create accurate and reproducible quantitative maps of these properties. As the technique has gained popularity, the extent of preclinical and clinical applications has vastly increased. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of currently investigated preclinical and clinical applications of MRF, as well as future directions. Topics covered include MRF in neuroimaging, neurovascular, prostate, liver, kidney, breast, abdominal quantitative imaging, cardiac, and musculoskeletal applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Gaur
- Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Ananya Panda
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Jesse Hamilton
- Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Yun Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Vikas Gulani
- Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
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17
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Huang BS, Hsieh CY, Chai WY, Lin Y, Huang YL, Lu KY, Chiang HJ, Schulte RF, Lin CYE, Lin G. Comparing Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) and the MAGiC Sequence for Simultaneous T1 and T2 Quantitative Measurements in the Female Pelvis: A Prospective Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2147. [PMID: 37443541 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the potential of magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF), an emerging quantitative MRI technique, in measuring relaxation values of female pelvic tissues compared to the conventional magnetic resonance image compilation (MAGiC) sequence. The study included 32 female patients who underwent routine pelvic MRI exams using anterior and posterior array coils on a 3T clinical scanner. Our findings demonstrated significant correlations between MRF and MAGiC measured T1 and T2 values (p < 0.0001) for various pelvic tissues, including ilium, femoral head, gluteus, obturator, iliopsoas, erector spinae, uterus, cervix, and cutaneous fat. The tissue contrasts generated from conventional MRI and synthetic MRF also showed agreement in bone, muscle, and uterus for both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. This study highlights the strengths of MRF in providing simultaneous T1 and T2 mapping. MRF offers distinct tissue contrast and has the potential for accurate diagnosis of female pelvic diseases, including tumors, fibroids, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Additionally, MRF shows promise in monitoring disease progression or treatment response. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of MRF in the field of female pelvic organ imaging and suggests that it could be a valuable addition to the clinical practice of pelvic MRI exams. Further research is needed to establish the clinical utility of MRF and to develop standardized protocols for its implementation in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Syuan Huang
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yi Hsieh
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Medical Imaging Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yen Chai
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | - Yenpo Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ling Huang
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ying Lu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Medical Imaging Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ju Chiang
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Gigin Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Medical Imaging Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
- Clinical Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, 5 Fuhsing St., Guishan, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan
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18
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Cartesian vs radial MR-STAT: An efficiency and robustness study. Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 99:7-19. [PMID: 36709010 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
MR Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain ("MR-STAT") is quantitative MR technique in which multiple quantitative parameters are estimated from a single short scan by solving a large-scale non-linear optimization problem. In this work we extended the MR-STAT framework to non-Cartesian gradient trajectories. Cartesian MR-STAT and radial MR-STAT were compared in terms of time-efficiency and robustness in simulations, gel phantom measurements and in vivo measurements. In simulations, we observed that both Cartesian and radial MR-STAT are highly robust against undersampling. Radial MR-STAT does have a lower spatial encoding power because the outer corners of k-space are never sampled. However, especially in T2, this is compensated by a higher dynamic encoding power that comes from sampling the k-space center with each readout. In gel phantom measurements, Cartesian MR-STAT was observed to be robust against overfitting whereas radial MR-STAT suffered from high-frequency artefacts in the parameter maps at later iterations. These artefacts are hypothesized to be related to hardware imperfections and were (partially) suppressed with image filters. The time-efficiencies were higher for Cartesian MR-STAT in all vials. In-vivo, the radial reconstruction again suffered from overfitting artefacts. The robustness of Cartesian MR-STAT over the entire range of experiments may make it preferable in a clinical setting, despite radial MR-STAT resulting in a higher T1 time-efficiency in white matter.
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19
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Heesterbeek DGJ, Koolstra K, van Osch MJP, van Gijzen MB, Vos FM, Nagtegaal MA. Mitigating undersampling errors in MR fingerprinting by sequence optimization. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:2076-2087. [PMID: 36458688 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a method for MR Fingerprinting (MRF) sequence optimization that takes both the applied undersampling pattern and a realistic reference map into account. METHODS A predictive model for the undersampling error leveraging on perturbation theory was exploited to optimize the MRF flip angle sequence for improved robustness against undersampling artifacts. In this framework parameter maps from a previously acquired MRF scan were used as reference. Sequences were optimized for different sequence lengths, smoothness constraints and undersampling factors. Numerical simulations and in vivo measurements in eight healthy subjects were performed to assess the effect of the performed optimization. The optimized MRF sequences were compared to a conventionally shaped flip angle pattern and an optimized pattern based on the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRB). RESULTS Numerical simulations and in vivo results demonstrate that the undersampling errors can be suppressed by flip angle optimization. Analysis of the in vivo results show that a sequence optimized for improved robustness against undersampling with a flip angle train of length 400 yielded significantly lower median absolute errors in T 1 : 5 . 6 % ± 2 . 9 % and T 2 : 7 . 9 % ± 2 . 3 % compared to the conventional ( T 1 : 8 . 0 % ± 1 . 9 % , T 2 : 14 . 5 % ± 2 . 6 % ) and CRB-based ( T 1 : 21 . 6 % ± 4 . 1 % , T 2 : 31 . 4 % ± 4 . 4 % ) sequences. CONCLUSION The proposed method is able to optimize the MRF flip angle pattern such that significant mitigation of the artifacts from strong k-space undersampling in MRF is achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G J Heesterbeek
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.,Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Koolstra
- LKEB of the Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias J P van Osch
- C.J. Gorter MRI center of the Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martin B van Gijzen
- Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Franciscus M Vos
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn A Nagtegaal
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.,C.J. Gorter MRI center of the Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Wicaksono KP, Fushimi Y, Nakajima S, Sakata A, Okuchi S, Hinoda T, Oshima S, Otani S, Tagawa H, Urushibata Y, Nakamoto Y. Accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of T 1 and T 2 relaxation times measurement by 3D magnetic resonance fingerprinting with different dictionary resolutions. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:2895-2904. [PMID: 36422648 PMCID: PMC10017611 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09244-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements by three-dimensional magnetic resonance fingerprinting (3D MRF) using various dictionary resolutions. METHODS The ISMRM/NIST phantom was scanned daily for 10 days in two 3 T MR scanners using a 3D MRF sequence reconstructed using four dictionaries with varying step sizes and one dictionary with wider ranges. Thirty-nine healthy volunteers were enrolled: 20 subjects underwent whole-brain MRF scans in both scanners and the rest in one scanner. ROI/VOI analyses were performed on phantom and brain MRF maps. Accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility metrics were calculated. RESULTS In the phantom study, all dictionaries showed high T1 linearity to the reference values (R2 > 0.99), repeatability (CV < 3%), and reproducibility (CV < 3%) with lower linearity (R2 > 0.98), repeatability (CV < 6%), and reproducibility (CV ≤ 4%) for T2 measurement. The volunteer study demonstrated high T1 reproducibility of within-subject CV (wCV) < 4% by all dictionaries with the same ranges, both in the brain parenchyma and CSF. Yet, reproducibility was moderate for T2 measurement (wCV < 8%). In CSF measurement, dictionaries with a smaller range showed a seemingly better reproducibility (T1, wCV 3%; T2, wCV 8%) than the much wider range dictionary (T1, wCV 5%; T2, wCV 13%). Truncated CSF relaxometry values were evident in smaller range dictionaries. CONCLUSIONS The accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of 3D MRF across various dictionary resolutions were high for T1 and moderate for T2 measurements. A lower-resolution dictionary with a well-defined range may be adequate, thus significantly reducing the computational load. KEY POINTS • A lower-resolution dictionary with a well-defined range may be sufficient for 3D MRF reconstruction. • CSF relaxation times might be underestimated due to truncation by the upper dictionary range. • Dictionary with a higher upper range might be advisable, especially for CSF evaluation and elderly subjects whose perivascular spaces are more prominent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Pandu Wicaksono
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Fushimi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Nakajima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Akihiko Sakata
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sachi Okuchi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takuya Hinoda
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sonoko Oshima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sayo Otani
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tagawa
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | | | - Yuji Nakamoto
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
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21
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Moinian S, Vegh V, Reutens D. Towards automated in vivo parcellation of the human cerebral cortex using supervised classification of magnetic resonance fingerprinting residuals. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1550-1565. [PMID: 35483706 PMCID: PMC9977388 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate parcellation of the cerebral cortex in an individual is a guide to its underlying organization. The most promising in vivo quantitative magnetic resonance (MR)-based microstructural cortical mapping methods are yet to achieve a level of parcellation accuracy comparable to quantitative histology. METHODS We scanned 6 participants using a 3D echo-planar imaging MR fingerprinting (EPI-MRF) sequence on a 7T Siemens scanner. After projecting MRF signals to the individual-specific inflated model of the cortical surface, normalized autocorrelations of MRF residuals of vertices of 8 microstructurally distinct areas (BA1, BA2, BA4a, BA6, BA44, BA45, BA17, and BA18) from 3 cortical regions were used as feature vector inputs into linear support vector machine (SVM), radial basis function SVM (RBF-SVM), random forest, and k-nearest neighbors supervised classification algorithms. The algorithms' prediction performance was compared using: (i) features from each vertex or (ii) features from neighboring vertices. RESULTS The neighborhood-based RBF-SVM classifier achieved the highest prediction score of 0.85 for classification of MRF residuals in the central region from a held-out participant. CONCLUSIONS We developed an automated method of cortical parcellation using a combination of MR fingerprinting residual analysis and machine learning classification. Our findings provide the basis for employing unsupervised learning algorithms for whole-cortex structural parcellation in individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Moinian
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Viktor Vegh
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David Reutens
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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22
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Gatefait CGF, Ellison SLR, Nyangoma S, Schmitter S, Kolbitsch C. Optimisation of data acquisition towards continuous cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting applications. Phys Med 2023; 105:102514. [PMID: 36608390 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.102514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Assess and optimise acquisition parameters for continuous cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF). METHODS Different acquisition schemes (flip angle amplitude, lobe size, T2-preparation pulses) for cardiac MRF were assessed in simulations and phantom and demonstrated in one healthy volunteer. Three different experimental designs were evaluated using central composite and fractional factorial designs. Relative errors for T1 and T2 were calculated for a wide range of realistic T1 and T2 value combinations. The effect of different designs on the accuracy of T1 and T2 was assessed using response surface modelling and Cohen's f calculations. RESULTS Larger flip angle amplitudes lead to an improvement of T2 accuracy and precision for simulations and phantom experiments. Similar effects could also be shown qualitatively in in-vivo scans. Accuracy and precision of T1 were robust to different design parameters with improved values for faster flip angle variation. Cohen's f showed that T2-preparation pulses influence the accuracy of T2. The number of pulses used is the most important parameter. Without T2-preparation pulses, RMSE were 3.0 ± 8.09 % for T1 and 16.24 ± 14.47 % for T2. Using those pulses reduced the RMSE to 2.3 ± 8.4 % for T1 and 14.11 ± 13.46 % for T2. Nonetheless, even if the improvement is significant, RMSE are still too high for reliable quantification. CONCLUSION In contrast to previous study using triggered MRF sequences using < 30° flip angles, large flip angle amplitudes led to better results for continuous cardiac MRF sequences. T2-preparation pulse can improve the accuracy of T2 estimation but lead to longer scan times.
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23
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Velasco C, Fletcher TJ, Botnar RM, Prieto C. Artificial intelligence in cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:1009131. [PMID: 36204566 PMCID: PMC9530662 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1009131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a fast MRI-based technique that allows for multiparametric quantitative characterization of the tissues of interest in a single acquisition. In particular, it has gained attention in the field of cardiac imaging due to its ability to provide simultaneous and co-registered myocardial T1 and T2 mapping in a single breath-held cardiac MRF scan, in addition to other parameters. Initial results in small healthy subject groups and clinical studies have demonstrated the feasibility and potential of MRF imaging. Ongoing research is being conducted to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and robustness of cardiac MRF. However, these improvements usually increase the complexity of image reconstruction and dictionary generation and introduce the need for sequence optimization. Each of these steps increase the computational demand and processing time of MRF. The latest advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including progress in deep learning and the development of neural networks for MRI, now present an opportunity to efficiently address these issues. Artificial intelligence can be used to optimize candidate sequences and reduce the memory demand and computational time required for reconstruction and post-processing. Recently, proposed machine learning-based approaches have been shown to reduce dictionary generation and reconstruction times by several orders of magnitude. Such applications of AI should help to remove these bottlenecks and speed up cardiac MRF, improving its practical utility and allowing for its potential inclusion in clinical routine. This review aims to summarize the latest developments in artificial intelligence applied to cardiac MRF. Particularly, we focus on the application of machine learning at different steps of the MRF process, such as sequence optimization, dictionary generation and image reconstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Velasco
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Carlos Velasco
| | - Thomas J. Fletcher
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - René M. Botnar
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Intelligent Healthcare Engineering, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Prieto
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Intelligent Healthcare Engineering, Santiago, Chile
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24
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Ogier AC, Bustin A, Cochet H, Schwitter J, van Heeswijk RB. The Road Toward Reproducibility of Parametric Mapping of the Heart: A Technical Review. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:876475. [PMID: 35600490 PMCID: PMC9120534 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.876475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Parametric mapping of the heart has become an essential part of many cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging exams, and is used for tissue characterization and diagnosis in a broad range of cardiovascular diseases. These pulse sequences are used to quantify the myocardial T1, T2, T2*, and T1ρ relaxation times, which are unique surrogate indices of fibrosis, edema and iron deposition that can be used to monitor a disease over time or to compare patients to one another. Parametric mapping is now well-accepted in the clinical setting, but its wider dissemination is hindered by limited inter-center reproducibility and relatively long acquisition times. Recently, several new parametric mapping techniques have appeared that address both of these problems, but substantial hurdles remain for widespread clinical adoption. This review serves both as a primer for newcomers to the field of parametric mapping and as a technical update for those already well at home in it. It aims to establish what is currently needed to improve the reproducibility of parametric mapping of the heart. To this end, we first give an overview of the metrics by which a mapping technique can be assessed, such as bias and variability, as well as the basic physics behind the relaxation times themselves and what their relevance is in the prospect of myocardial tissue characterization. This is followed by a summary of routine mapping techniques and their variations. The problems in reproducibility and the sources of bias and variability of these techniques are reviewed. Subsequently, novel fast, whole-heart, and multi-parametric techniques and their merits are treated in the light of their reproducibility. This includes state of the art segmentation techniques applied to parametric maps, and how artificial intelligence is being harnessed to solve this long-standing conundrum. We finish up by sketching an outlook on the road toward inter-center reproducibility, and what to expect in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustin C. Ogier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurelien Bustin
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Centre de Recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, Bordeaux, France
- Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, Avenue de Magellan, Pessac, France
| | - Hubert Cochet
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Centre de Recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, Bordeaux, France
- Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, Avenue de Magellan, Pessac, France
| | - Juerg Schwitter
- Cardiac MR Center, Cardiology Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruud B. van Heeswijk
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Ruud B. van Heeswijk
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25
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Cao P, Wang Z, Liu C, Li T, Hui E, Cai J. Motion-resolved and free-breathing liver MRF. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 91:69-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Barbieri M, Lee PK, Brizi L, Giampieri E, Solera F, Castellani G, Hargreaves BA, Testa C, Lodi R, Remondini D. Circumventing the curse of dimensionality in magnetic resonance fingerprinting through a deep learning approach. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4670. [PMID: 35088466 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a rapidly developing approach for fast quantitative MRI. A typical drawback of dictionary-based MRF is an explosion of the dictionary size as a function of the number of reconstructed parameters, according to the "curse of dimensionality", which determines an explosion of resource requirements. Neural networks (NNs) have been proposed as a feasible alternative, but this approach is still in its infancy. In this work, we design a deep learning approach to MRF using a fully connected network (FCN). In the first part we investigate, by means of simulations, how the NN performance scales with the number of parameters to be retrieved in comparison with the standard dictionary approach. Four MRF sequences were considered: IR-FISP, bSSFP, IR-FISP-B1 , and IR-bSSFP-B1 , the latter two designed to be more specific for B1+ parameter encoding. Estimation accuracy, memory usage, and computational time required to perform the estimation task were considered to compare the scalability capabilities of the dictionary-based and the NN approaches. In the second part we study optimal training procedures by including different data augmentation and preprocessing strategies during training to achieve better accuracy and robustness to noise and undersampling artifacts. The study is conducted using the IR-FISP MRF sequence exploiting both simulations and in vivo acquisitions. Results demonstrate that the NN approach outperforms the dictionary-based approach in terms of scalability capabilities. Results also allow us to heuristically determine the optimal training strategy to make an FCN able to predict T1 , T2 , and M0 maps that are in good agreement with those obtained with the original dictionary approach. k-SVD denoising is proposed and found to be critical as a preprocessing step to handle undersampled data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Barbieri
- Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, California, United States
| | - Philip K Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, California, United States
| | - Leonardo Brizi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrico Giampieri
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Gastone Castellani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Brian A Hargreaves
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, California, United States
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, California, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, California, United States
| | - Claudia Testa
- Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy
| | - Raffaele Lodi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniel Remondini
- Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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27
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Fujita S, Cencini M, Buonincontri G, Takei N, Schulte RF, Fukunaga I, Uchida W, Hagiwara A, Kamagata K, Hagiwara Y, Matsuyama Y, Abe O, Tosetti M, Aoki S. Simultaneous relaxometry and morphometry of human brain structures with 3D magnetic resonance fingerprinting: a multicenter, multiplatform, multifield-strength study. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:729-739. [PMID: 35271703 PMCID: PMC9890456 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Relaxation times and morphological information are fundamental magnetic resonance imaging-derived metrics of the human brain that reflect the status of the underlying tissue. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) enables simultaneous acquisition of T1 and T2 maps inherently aligned to the anatomy, allowing whole-brain relaxometry and morphometry in a single scan. In this study, we revealed the feasibility of 3D MRF for simultaneous brain structure-wise morphometry and relaxometry. Comprehensive test-retest scan analyses using five 1.5-T and three 3.0-T systems from a single vendor including different scanner types across 3 institutions demonstrated that 3D MRF-derived morphological information and relaxation times are highly repeatable at both 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Regional cortical thickness and subcortical volume values showed high agreement and low bias across different field strengths. The ability to acquire a set of regional T1, T2, thickness, and volume measurements of neuroanatomical structures with high repeatability and reproducibility facilitates the ability of longitudinal multicenter imaging studies to quantitatively monitor changes associated with underlying pathologies, disease progression, and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Fujita
- Corresponding author: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 12-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Matteo Cencini
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy,IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Issei Fukunaga
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wataru Uchida
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Koji Kamagata
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Hagiwara
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Matsuyama
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Abe
- Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michela Tosetti
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy,IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
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28
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Gu Y, Wang L, Yang H, Wu Y, Kim K, Zhu Y, Androjna C, Zhu X, Chen Y, Zhong K, Yu X. Three-dimensional high-resolution T 1 and T 2 mapping of whole macaque brain at 9.4 T using magnetic resonance fingerprinting. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2901-2913. [PMID: 35129226 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantitative T1 and T2 mapping in non-human primates with whole-brain coverage is challenged by the requirement of sub-millimeter resolution and the inhomogeneity of the transmit magnetic field (B1 + ) covering a large field of view. The goal of the current study is to develop a magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) method for simultaneous T1 and T2 mapping of the entire macaque brain within feasible scan time. METHODS A three-dimensional (3D) MRF sequence with both inversion- and T2 -preparation modules was developed and evaluated on a 9.4 T preclinical scanner. Data acquisition used a 3D stack-of-spirals trajectory, with undersampling along both the in-plane and the through-plane directions. The effect of B1 + inhomogeneity was accounted for by matching the acquired fingerprint to a dictionary simulated with the B1 + factors measured from a separate scan. In vitro and ex vivo studies were performed to evaluate the accuracy and the undersampling capacity of the MRF method. The application of the MRF method for in vivo, brain-wide T1 and T2 mapping was demonstrated on macaques at 4, 6, and 12 years of age. RESULTS The MRF method enabled highly repeatable T1 and T2 mapping at high spatial resolution (0.35 × 0.35 × 1 mm3 ) with an acceleration factor of 24. In vivo studies showed significant age-related T2 reduction in deep gray nuclei including the globus pallidus, the putamen, and the caudate nucleus. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the first MRF study for brain-wide, multi-parametric quantification in non-human primates with sub-millimeter resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuning Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lulu Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Hongyi Yang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,School of Graduate Studies, Science Island Branch, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yun Wu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Kihwan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yuran Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Charlie Androjna
- Center for Preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Kai Zhong
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Biomedical Engineering Department, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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29
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Qian E, Poojar P, Vaughan JT, Jin Z, Geethanath S. Tailored Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting for simultaneous non-synthetic and quantitative imaging: A repeatability study. Med Phys 2022; 49:1673-1685. [PMID: 35084744 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The goals of this study include: (a) generating tailored magnetic resonance fingerprinting (TMRF) based non-synthetic imaging; (b) assessing the repeatability of TMRF and deep learning-based mapping of in vitro ISMRM/NIST phantom and in vivo brain data of healthy human subjects. METHODS We have acquired qualitative images obtained from the vendor-supplied gold standard, MRF (synthetic), and TMRF (non-synthetic) on one representative healthy human brain. We also acquired thirty datasets on the ISMRM/NIST phantom for the in vitro repeatability study on a GE Discovery 3T MR750w scanner using the TMRF sequence. We compared T1 and T2 maps generated from thirty ISMRM/NIST phantom datasets to the spin-echo (SE) based gold standard (GS) method as part of the in vitro repeatability study. R-squared coefficient of determination in a simple linear regression and Bland-Altman analysis were computed for thirty datasets of ISMRM/NIST phantom to assess the accuracy of in vitro quantitative TMRF data. The repeatability of T1 and T2 estimates by TMRF was evaluated by calculating the standard deviation (SD) divided by the average of thirty datasets for each sphere, respectively. We acquired ten volunteers for the in vivo repeatability study on the same scanner using the same TMRF sequence. These volunteers were imaged five times with two runs per repetition, resulting in one hundred in vivo datasets. Five contrasts, T1 and T2 maps of ten human volunteers acquired over five repetitions, were evaluated in the in vivo repeatability study. We computed the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal intensities, T1 and T2 relaxation times in white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM). RESULTS The synthetic images generated from MRF show partial volume and flow artifacts compared to non-synthetic images obtained from TMRF images and the gold standard. in vitro studies show that TMRF estimates have less than 5% variations except sphere 14 in the T2 array (6.36%). TMRF and spin-echo relaxometry measurements were strongly correlated; R2 values were 0.9958 and 0.9789 for T1 and T2 estimates, respectively. Based on the ICC values, SNR, mean intensity values, and relaxation times of WM and GM for the in vivo studies were consistent. T1 and T2 values of WM and GM were similar to previously published values. The mean ± SD of T1 and T2 for WM for ten subjects and five repeats are 992 ± 41 ms and 99 ± 6 ms, while the corresponding values for T1 and T2 for GM are 1598 ± 73 ms and 152 ± 14 ms. CONCLUSION TMRF and deep learning-based reconstruction produce repeatable, non-synthetic multi-contrast images and parametric maps simultaneously. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enlin Qian
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Pavan Poojar
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - John Thomas Vaughan
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Zhezhen Jin
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sairam Geethanath
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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30
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Feasibility of Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting on Aging MRI Hardware. Tomography 2021; 8:10-21. [PMID: 35076600 PMCID: PMC8788417 DOI: 10.3390/tomography8010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of performing magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) on older and lower-performance MRI hardware as a means to bring advanced imaging to the aging MRI install base. Phantom and in vivo experiments were performed on a 1.5T Siemens Aera (installed 2015) and 1.5T Siemens Symphony (installed 2002). A 2D spiral MRF sequence for simultaneous T1/T2/M0 mapping was implemented on both scanners with different gradient trajectories to accommodate system specifications. In phantom, for T1/T2 values in a physiologically relevant range (T1: 195-1539 ms; T2: 20-267 ms), scanners had strong correlation (R2 > 0.999) with average absolute percent difference of 8.1% and 10.1%, respectively. Comparison of the two trajectories on the newer scanner showed differences of 2.6% (T1) and 10.9% (T2), suggesting a partial explanation of the observed inter-scanner bias. Inter-scanner agreement was better when the same trajectory was used, with differences of 6.0% (T1) and 4.0% (T2). Intra-scanner coefficient of variation (CV) of T1 and T2 estimates in phantom were <2.0% and in vivo were ≤3.5%. In vivo inter-scanner white matter CV was 4.8% (T1) and 5.1% (T2). White matter measurements on the aging scanner after two months were consistent, with differences of 1.9% (T1) and 3.9% (T2). In conclusion, MRF is feasible on an aging MRI scanner and required only changes to the gradient trajectory.
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Coronado R, Cruz G, Castillo-Passi C, Tejos C, Uribe S, Prieto C, Irarrazaval P. A Spatial Off-Resonance Correction in Spirals for Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2021; 40:3832-3842. [PMID: 34310296 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2021.3100293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In MR Fingerprinting (MRF), balanced Steady-State Free Precession (bSSFP) has advantages over unbalanced SSFP because it retains the spin history achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and scan efficiency. However, bSSFP-MRF is not frequently used because it is sensitive to off-resonance, producing artifacts and blurring, and affecting the parametric map quality. Here we propose a novel Spatial Off-resonance Correction (SOC) approach for reducing these artifacts in bSSFP-MRF with spiral trajectories. SOC-MRF uses each pixel's Point Spread Function to create system matrices that encode both off-resonance and gridding effects. We iteratively compute the inverse of these matrices to reduce the artifacts. We evaluated the proposed method using brain simulations and actual MRF acquisitions of a standardized T1/T2 phantom and five healthy subjects. The results show that the off-resonance distortions in T1/T2 maps were considerably reduced using SOC-MRF. For T2, the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) was reduced from 17.3 to 8.3% (simulations) and from 35.1 to 14.9% (phantom). For T1, the NRMS was reduced from 14.7 to 7.7% (simulations) and from 17.7 to 6.7% (phantom). For in-vivo, the mean and standard deviation in different ROI in white and gray matter were significantly improved. For example, SOC-MRF estimated an average T2 for white matter of 77ms (the ground truth was 74ms) versus 50 ms of MRF. For the same example the standard deviation was reduced from 18 ms to 6ms. The corrections achieved with the proposed SOC-MRF may expand the potential applications of bSSFP-MRF, taking advantage of its better SNR property.
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32
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Statton BK, Smith J, Finnegan ME, Koerzdoerfer G, Quest RA, Grech-Sollars M. Temperature dependence, accuracy, and repeatability of T 1 and T 2 relaxation times for the ISMRM/NIST system phantom measured using MR fingerprinting. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:1446-1460. [PMID: 34752644 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Before MR fingerprinting (MRF) can be adopted clinically, the derived quantitative values must be proven accurate and repeatable over a range of T1 and T2 values and temperatures. Correct assessment of accuracy and precision as well as comparison between measurements can only be performed when temperature is either controlled or corrected for. The purpose of this study was to investigate the temperature dependence of T1 and T2 MRF values and evaluate the accuracy and repeatability of temperature-corrected relaxation values derived from a B1 -corrected MRF-fast imaging with steady-state precession implementation using 2 different dictionary sizes. METHODS The International Society of MR in Medicine/National Institute of Standards and Technology phantom was scanned using an MRF sequence of 2 different lengths, a variable flip angle T1 , and a multi-echo spin echo T2 at 14 temperatures ranging from 15°C to 28°C and investigated with a linear regression model. Temperature-corrected accuracy was evaluated by correlating T1 and T2 times from each MRF dictionary with reference values. Repeatability was assessed using the coefficient of variation, with measurements taken over 30 separate sessions. RESULTS There was a statistically significant fit of the model for MRF-derived T1 and T2 and temperature (p < 0.05) for all the spheres with a T1 > 500 ms. Both MRF methods showed a strong linear correlation with reference values for T1 (R2 = 0.996) and T2 (R2 = 0.982). MRF repeatability for T1 values was ≤1.4% and for T2 values was ≤3.4%. CONCLUSION MRF demonstrated relaxation times with a temperature dependence similar to that of conventional mapping methods. Temperature-corrected T1 and T2 values from both dictionaries showed adequate accuracy and excellent repeatability in this phantom study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben K Statton
- Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joely Smith
- Department of Imaging, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mary E Finnegan
- Department of Imaging, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rebecca A Quest
- Department of Imaging, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Grech-Sollars
- Department of Medical Physics, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, United Kingdom.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is increasingly being used to evaluate brain development and differentiate normal and pathologic tissues in children. MRF can provide reliable and accurate intrinsic tissue properties, such as T1 and T2 relaxation times. MRF is a powerful tool in evaluating brain disease in pediatric population. MRF is a new quantitative MR imaging technique for rapid and simultaneous quantification of multiple tissue properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Che Hung
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006 Old Clinic, CB#7510, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 Mason Farm Road, Marsico Hall, suite 1200, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Pew-Thian Yap
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006 Old Clinic, CB#7510, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 Mason Farm Road, Marsico Hall, suite 1200, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006 Old Clinic, CB#7510, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 Mason Farm Road, Marsico Hall, suite 1200, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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Guenthner C, Amthor T, Doneva M, Kozerke S. A unifying view on extended phase graphs and Bloch simulations for quantitative MRI. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21289. [PMID: 34711847 PMCID: PMC8553818 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00233-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative MRI methods and learning-based algorithms require exact forward simulations. One critical factor to correctly describe magnetization dynamics is the effect of slice-selective RF pulses. While contemporary simulation techniques correctly capture their influence, they only provide final magnetization distributions, require to be run for each parameter set separately, and make it hard to derive general theoretical conclusions and to generate a fundamental understanding of echo formation in the presence of slice-profile effects. This work aims to provide a mathematically exact framework, which is equally intuitive as extended phase graphs (EPGs), but also considers slice-profiles through their natural spatial representation. We show, through an analytical, hybrid Bloch-EPG formalism, that the spatially-resolved EPG approach allows to exactly predict the signal dependency on off-resonance, spoiling moment, microscopic dephasing, and echo time. We also demonstrate that our formalism allows to use the same phase graph to simulate both gradient-spoiled and balanced SSFP-based MR sequences. We present a derivation of the formalism and identify the connection to existing methods, i.e. slice-selective Bloch, slice-selective EPG, and the partitioned EPG. As a use case, the proposed hybrid Bloch-EPG framework is applied to MR Fingerprinting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Guenthner
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Philips Research, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | | | - Sebastian Kozerke
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Moinian S, Vegh V, O'Brien K, Reutens D. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting residual signals can disassociate human grey matter regions. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:313-329. [PMID: 34697684 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02402-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The importance of accurate structural discrimination of the human grey matter regions has motivated the development of observer-independent reproducible methods that account for inter-individual architectonic variations. We introduce a non-invasive statistical residual analysis framework, employing unique tissue-specific magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) signals after adjusting for the effect of T1 and T2* MR relaxometry parameters (here termed MRF residuals). A 7 T Siemens MR scanner was used to acquire MRF signals, quantitative transmit magnetic field (B1+) maps and T1-weighted anatomical images of eleven cortical areas (5L, 5M, 5Ci, 7A, 7P, 7PC, hIP3, BA2, BA4a, BA4p and BA6) from six female participants. MRF residual signal for each voxel was calculated as the difference between the actual and best matching MRF signal evolutions from a precomputed MRF dictionary covering a range of T1, T2* and B1+ values. To compare MRF residuals between regions of interest, normalised autocorrelation was used as a shape-based statistical signal characterisation method and the Euclidean distance between autocorrelation profiles of residuals was used to measure the interareal dissimilarity. In the eleven cortical areas in both cerebral hemispheres of six participants, the proposed MRF residual analysis consistently showed interareal dissimilarity profiles that concorded with histological studies, indicating that MRF residuals potentially contain tissue microstructural information. MRF residual signals provide additional area-specific information that is complementary to the MR relaxometry-based (T1, T2*) information used previously for distinguishing microstructural differences between human cerebral cortex regions in vivo. The proposed approach led to more accurate identification of structural variations across cortical areas of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Moinian
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Viktor Vegh
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kieran O'Brien
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd, 153 Campbell Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - David Reutens
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Building 57, Research Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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36
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Chen Y, Lu L, Zhu T, Ma D. Technical overview of magnetic resonance fingerprinting and its applications in radiation therapy. Med Phys 2021; 49:2846-2860. [PMID: 34633687 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is an emerging imaging technique for rapid and simultaneous quantification of multiple tissue properties. The technique has been developed for quantitative imaging of different organs. The obtained quantitative measures have the potential to improve multiple steps of a typical radiotherapy workflow and potentially further improve integration of magnetic resonance imaging guided clinical decision making. In this review paper, we first provide a technical overview of the MRF method from data acquisition to postprocessing, along with recent development in advanced reconstruction methods. We further discuss critical aspects that could influence its usage in radiation therapy, such as accuracy and precision, repeatability and reproducibility, geometric distortion, and motion robustness. Finally, future directions for MRF application in radiation therapy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lan Lu
- Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Tong Zhu
- Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Dan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Accuracy and repeatability of QRAPMASTER and MRF-vFA. Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 83:196-207. [PMID: 34506911 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Our purpose is to evaluate bias and repeatability of the quantitative MRI sequences QRAPMASTER, based on steady-state imaging, and variable Flip Angle MRF (MRF-VFA), based on the transient response. Both techniques are assessed with a standardized phantom and five volunteers on 1.5 T and 3 T clinical scanners. All scans were repeated eight times in consecutive weeks. In the phantom, the mean bias±95% confidence interval for T1 values with QRAPMASTER was 10 ± 10% on 1.5 T and 4 ± 13% on 3.0 T. The mean bias for T1 values with MRF-vFA was 21 ± 17% on 1.5 T and 9 ± 9% on 3.0 T. For T2 values the mean bias with QRAPMASTER was 12 ± 3% on 1.5 T and 23 ± 1% on 3.0 T. For T2 values the mean bias with MRF-vFA was 17 ± 1% on 1.5 T and 19 ± 2% on 3.0 T. QRAPMASTER estimated lower T1 and T2 values than MRF-vFA. Repeatability was good with low coefficients of variation (CoV). Mean CoV ± 95% confidence interval for T1 were 3.2 ± 0.4% on 1.5 T and 4.5 ± 0.8% on 3.0 T with QRAPMASTER and 2.7% ± 0.2% on 1.5 T and 2.5 ± 0.2% on 3.0 T with MRF-vFA. For T2 were 3.3 ± 1.9% on 1.5 T and 3.2 ± 0.6% on 3.0 T with QRAPMASTER and 2.0 ± 0.4% on 1.5 T and 5.7 ± 1.0% on 3.0 T with MRF-vFA. The in-vivo T1 and T2 are in the range of values previously reported by other authors. The in-vivo mean CoV ± 95% confidence interval in gray matter were for T1 1.7 ± 0.2% using QRAPMASTER and 0.7 ± 0.5% using MRF-vFA and for T2 were 0.9 ± 0.4% using QRAPMASTER and 2.4 ± 0.5% using MRF-vFA. In white matter were for T1 0.9 ± 0.3% using QRAPMASTER and 1.3 ± 1.1% using MRF-vFA and for T2 were 0.7 ± 0.4% using QRAPMASTER and 2.4 ± 0.4% using MRF-vFA. A GLM analysis showed that the variations in T1 and T2 mainly depend on the field strength and the subject, but not on the follow-up repetition in different days. This confirms the high repeatability of QRAPMASTER and MRF-vFA. In summary, QRAPMASTER and MRF-vFA on both systems were highly repeatable with moderate accuracy, providing results comparable to standard references. While repeatability was similar for both methods, QRAPMASTER was more accurate. QRAPMASTER is a tested commercial product but MRF-vFA is 4.77 times faster, which would ease the inclusion of quantitative relaxometry.
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Mickevicius NJ, Kim JP, Zhao J, Morris ZS, Hurst NJ, Glide-Hurst CK. Toward magnetic resonance fingerprinting for low-field MR-guided radiation therapy. Med Phys 2021; 48:6930-6940. [PMID: 34487357 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The acquisition of multiparametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) is becoming increasingly important for functional characterization of cancer prior to- and throughout the course of radiation therapy. The feasibility of a qMRI method known as magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) for rapid T1 and T2 mapping was assessed on a low-field MR-linac system. METHODS A three-dimensional MRF sequence was implemented on a 0.35T MR-guided radiotherapy system. MRF-derived measurements of T1 and T2 were compared to those obtained with gold standard single spin echo methods, and the impacts of the radiofrequency field homogeneity and scan times ranging between 6 and 48 min were analyzed by acquiring between 1 and 8 spokes per time point in a standard quantitative system phantom. The short-term repeatability of MRF was assessed over three measurements taken over a 10-h period. To evaluate transferability, MRF measurements were acquired on two additional MR-guided radiotherapy systems. Preliminary human volunteer studies were performed. RESULTS The phantom benchmarking studies showed that MRF is capable of mapping T1 and T2 values within 8% and 10% of gold standard measures, respectively, at 0.35T. The coefficient of variation of T1 and T2 estimates over three repeated scans was < 5% over a broad range of relaxation times. The T1 and T2 times derived using a single-spoke MRF acquisition across three scanners were near unity and mean percent errors in T1 and T2 estimates using the same phantom were < 3%. The mean percent differences in T1 and T2 as a result of truncating the scan time to 6 min over the large range of relaxation times in the system phantom were 0.65% and 4.05%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The technical feasibility and accuracy of MRF on a low-field MR-guided radiation therapy device has been demonstrated. MRF can be used to measure accurate T1 and T2 maps in three dimensions from a brief 6-min scan, offering strong potential for efficient and reproducible qMRI for future clinical trials in functional plan adaptation and tumor/normal tissue response assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai J Mickevicius
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Joshua P Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Jiwei Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Zachary S Morris
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Newton J Hurst
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Carri K Glide-Hurst
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Zou L, Liang D, Ye H, Su S, Zhu Y, Liu X, Zheng H, Wang H. Quantitative MR relaxation using MR fingerprinting with fractional-order signal evolution. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2021; 330:107042. [PMID: 34333244 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2021.107042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The fractional-order Bloch equations have been shown to describe a wider range of experimental situations involving heterogeneous, porous, or composite materials. This paper introduces a novel dictionary of quantitative MR fingerprinting generated by signal evolution model with fractional-order Bloch equations to describe magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation. Here, the fractional-order relaxation models are implemented into Bloch equations through phase transitions using EPG simulation. In the phantom experiments, the fractional-order analysis showed smaller root mean squared error (T1: RMSE = 5.21%, T2: RMSE=3.75%) using the proposed method compared to using conventional method. Among the in vivo experiments of human brains, the estimated T1 and T2 values (mean ± SD) were 843 ± 46.3 ms and 70 ± 4.7 ms in white matter, 1323 ± 28.5 ms and 95 ± 3.8 ms in gray matter. So the proposed method can provide well extensions of current MR fingerprinting and has shown potential to apply into the phantom experiments and the in vivo applications to approach the standard methods for quantitative imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixian Zou
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong Liang
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Research Centre for Medical AI, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Huihui Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shi Su
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanjie Zhu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Haifeng Wang
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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40
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A deep learning approach for magnetic resonance fingerprinting: Scaling capabilities and good training practices investigated by simulations. Phys Med 2021; 89:80-92. [PMID: 34352679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
MR fingerprinting (MRF) is an innovative approach to quantitative MRI. A typical disadvantage of dictionary-based MRF is the explosive growth of the dictionary as a function of the number of reconstructed parameters, an instance of the curse of dimensionality, which determines an explosion of resource requirements. In this work, we describe a deep learning approach for MRF parameter map reconstruction using a fully connected architecture. Employing simulations, we have investigated how the performance of the Neural Networks (NN) approach scales with the number of parameters to be retrieved, compared to the standard dictionary approach. We have also studied optimal training procedures by comparing different strategies for noise addition and parameter space sampling, to achieve better accuracy and robustness to noise. Four MRF sequences were considered: IR-FISP, bSSFP, IR-FISP-B1, and IR-bSSFP-B1. A comparison between NN and the dictionary approaches in reconstructing parameter maps as a function of the number of parameters to be retrieved was performed using a numerical brain phantom. Results demonstrated that training with random sampling and different levels of noise variance yielded the best performance. NN performance was at least as good as the dictionary-based approach in reconstructing parameter maps using Gaussian noise as a source of artifacts: the difference in performance increased with the number of estimated parameters because the dictionary method suffers from the coarse resolution of the parameter space sampling. The NN proved to be more efficient in memory usage and computational burden, and has great potential for solving large-scale MRF problems.
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Freitas AC, Gaspar AS, Sousa I, Teixeira RPAG, Hajnal JV, Nunes RG. Improving B 1 + parametric estimation in the brain from multispin-echo sequences using a fusion bootstrap moves solver. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:2426-2440. [PMID: 34231250 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To simultaneously estimate the B 1 + field (along with the T2 ) in the brain with multispin-echo (MSE) sequences and dictionary matching. METHODS T2 mapping provides clinically relevant information such as in the assessment of brain degenerative diseases. It is commonly obtained with MSE sequences, and accuracy can be further improved by matching the MSE signal to a precomputed dictionary of echo-modulation curves. For additional T1 quantification, transmit B 1 + field knowledge is also required. Preliminary work has shown that although simultaneous brain B 1 + estimation along with T2 is possible, it presents a bimodal distribution with the main peak coinciding with the true value. By taking advantage of this, the B 1 + maps are expected to be spatially smooth by applying an iterative method that takes into account each pixel neighborhood known as the fusion bootstrap moves solver (FBMS). The effect of the FBMS on B 1 + accuracy and piecewise smoothness is investigated and different spatial regularization levels are compared. Total variation regularization was used for both B 1 + and T2 simultaneous estimation because of its simplicity as an initial proof-of-concept; future work could explore non edge-preserving regularization independently for B 1 + . RESULTS Improvements in B 1 + accuracy (up to 45.37% and 16.81% B 1 + error decrease) and recovery of spatially homogeneous maps are shown in simulations and in vivo 3.0T brain data, respectively. CONCLUSION Accurate B 1 + estimated values can be obtained from widely available MSE sequences while jointly estimating T2 maps with the use of echo-modulation curve matching and FBMS at no further cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia C Freitas
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andreia S Gaspar
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Sousa
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rui P A G Teixeira
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita G Nunes
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Liu H, van der Heide O, van den Berg CAT, Sbrizzi A. Fast and accurate modeling of transient-state, gradient-spoiled sequences by recurrent neural networks. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4527. [PMID: 33949718 PMCID: PMC8244023 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Fast and accurate modeling of MR signal responses are typically required for various quantitative MRI applications, such as MR fingerprinting. This work uses a new extended phase graph (EPG)-Bloch model for accurate simulation of transient-state, gradient-spoiled MR sequences, and proposes a recurrent neural network (RNN) as a fast surrogate of the EPG-Bloch model for computing large-scale MR signals and derivatives. The computational efficiency of the RNN model is demonstrated by comparisons with other existing models, showing one to three orders of acceleration compared with the latest GPU-accelerated, open-source EPG package. By using numerical and in vivo brain data, two used cases, namely, MRF dictionary generation and optimal experimental design, are also provided. Results show that the RNN surrogate model can be efficiently used for computing large-scale dictionaries of transient-state signals and derivatives within tens of seconds, resulting in several orders of magnitude acceleration with respect to state-of-the-art implementations. The practical application of transient-state quantitative techniques can therefore be substantially facilitated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Liu
- Center for Image SciencesUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Oscar van der Heide
- Center for Image SciencesUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | | | - Alessandro Sbrizzi
- Center for Image SciencesUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
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Khajehim M, Christen T, Tam F, Graham SJ. Streamlined magnetic resonance fingerprinting: Fast whole-brain coverage with deep-learning based parameter estimation. Neuroimage 2021; 238:118237. [PMID: 34091035 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a quantitative MRI (qMRI) framework that provides simultaneous estimates of multiple relaxation parameters as well as metrics of field inhomogeneity in a single acquisition. However, current challenges exist in the forms of (1) scan time; (2) need for custom image reconstruction; (3) large dictionary sizes; (4) long dictionary-matching time. This study aims to introduce a novel streamlined magnetic-resonance fingerprinting (sMRF) framework based on a single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence to simultaneously estimate tissue T1, T2, and T2* with integrated B1+ correction. Encouraged by recent work on EPI-based MRF, we developed a method that combines spin-echo EPI with gradient-echo EPI to achieve T2 in addition to T1 and T2* quantification. To this design, we add simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) acceleration to enable full-brain coverage in a few minutes. Moreover, in the parameter-estimation step, we use deep learning to train a deep neural network (DNN) to accelerate the estimation process by orders of magnitude. Notably, due to the high image quality of the EPI scans, the training process can rely simply on Bloch-simulated data. The DNN also removes the need for storing large dictionaries. Phantom scans along with in-vivo multi-slice scans from seven healthy volunteers were acquired with resolutions of 1.1×1.1×3 mm3 and 1.7×1.7×3 mm3, and the results were validated against ground truth measurements. Excellent correspondence was found between our T1, T2, and T2* estimates and results obtained from standard approaches. In the phantom scan, a strong linear relationship (R = 1-1.04, R2>0.96) was found for all parameter estimates, with a particularly high agreement for T2 estimation (R2>0.99). Similar findings are reported for the in-vivo human data for all of our parameter estimates. Incorporation of DNN results in a reduction of parameter estimation time on the order of 1000 x and a reduction in storage requirements on the order of 2500 x while achieving highly similar results as conventional dictionary matching (%differences of 7.4 ± 0.4%, 3.6 ± 0.3% and 6.0 ± 0.4% error in T1, T2, and T2* estimation). Thus, sMRF has the potential to be the method of choice for future MRF studies by providing ease of implementation, fast whole-brain coverage, and ultra-fast T1/T2/T2* estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Khajehim
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College St Suite 15-701, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
| | - Thomas Christen
- Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, Inserm, Grenoble, France
| | - Fred Tam
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College St Suite 15-701, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Whole-brain 3D MR fingerprinting brain imaging: clinical validation and feasibility to patients with meningioma. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2021; 34:697-706. [PMID: 33945050 PMCID: PMC8421277 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-021-00924-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Purpose MR fingerprinting (MRF) is a MR technique that allows assessment of tissue relaxation times. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical application of this technique in patients with meningioma. Materials and methods A whole-brain 3D isotropic 1mm3 acquisition under a 3.0T field strength was used to obtain MRF T1 and T2-based relaxometry values in 4:38 s. The accuracy of values was quantified by scanning a quantitative MR relaxometry phantom. In vivo evaluation was performed by applying the sequence to 20 subjects with 25 meningiomas. Regions of interest included the meningioma, caudate head, centrum semiovale, contralateral white matter and thalamus. For both phantom and subjects, mean values of both T1 and T2 estimates were obtained. Statistical significance of differences in mean values between the meningioma and other brain structures was tested using a Friedman’s ANOVA test. Results MR fingerprinting phantom data demonstrated a linear relationship between measured and reference relaxometry estimates for both T1 (r2 = 0.99) and T2 (r2 = 0.97). MRF T1 relaxation times were longer in meningioma (mean ± SD 1429 ± 202 ms) compared to thalamus (mean ± SD 1054 ± 58 ms; p = 0.004), centrum semiovale (mean ± SD 825 ± 42 ms; p < 0.001) and contralateral white matter (mean ± SD 799 ± 40 ms; p < 0.001). MRF T2 relaxation times were longer for meningioma (mean ± SD 69 ± 27 ms) as compared to thalamus (mean ± SD 27 ± 3 ms; p < 0.001), caudate head (mean ± SD 39 ± 5 ms; p < 0.001) and contralateral white matter (mean ± SD 35 ± 4 ms; p < 0.001) Conclusions Phantom measurements indicate that the proposed 3D-MRF sequence relaxometry estimations are valid and reproducible. For in vivo, entire brain coverage was obtained in clinically feasible time and allows quantitative assessment of meningioma in clinical practice.
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Shridhar Konar A, Qian E, Geethanath S, Buonincontri G, Obuchowski NA, Fung M, Gomez P, Schulte R, Cencini M, Tosetti M, Schwartz LH, Shukla-Dave A. Quantitative imaging metrics derived from magnetic resonance fingerprinting using ISMRM/NIST MRI system phantom: An international multicenter repeatability and reproducibility study. Med Phys 2021; 48:2438-2447. [PMID: 33690905 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the bias and inherent reliability of the quantitative (T1 and T2 ) imaging metrics generated from the magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) technique using the ISMRM/NIST system phantom in an international multicenter setting. METHOD ISMRM/NIST MRI system phantom provides standard reference T1 and T2 relaxation values (vendor-provided) for each of the 14 vials in T1 and T2 arrays. MRF-SSFP scans repeated over 30 days on GE 1.5 and 3.0 T scanners at three collaborative centers. MRF estimated T1, and T2 values averaged over 30 days were compared with the phantom vendor-provided and spin-echo (SE) based convention gold standard (GS) method. Repeatability and reproducibility were characterized by the within-case coefficient of variation (wCV) of the MRF data acquired over 30 days, along with the biases. RESULT For the wide ranges of MRF estimated T1 values, vials #1-8 (T1 relaxation time between 2033 and 184 ms) exhibited a wCV less than 3% and 4%, respectively, on 3.0 and 1.5 T scanners. T2 values in vials #1-8 (T2 relaxation, 1044-45 ms) have shown wCV to be <7% on both 3.0 and 1.5 T scanners. A stronger linear correlation overall for T1 (R2 = 0.9960 and 0.9963 at center-1 and center-2 on 3.0 T scanner, and R2 = 0.9951 and 0.9988 at center-1 and center-3 on 1.5 T scanner) compared to T2 (R2 = 0.9971 and 0.9972 at center-1 and center-2 on 3.0 T scanner, and R2 = 0.9815 and 0.9754 at center-1 and center-3 on 1.5 T scanner). Bland-Altman (BA) analysis showed MRF based T1 and T2 values were within the limit of agreement (LOA) except for one data point. The mean difference or bias and 95% lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) LOA are reported in the format; mean bias: 95% LB LOA: 95% UB LOA. The biases for T1 values were 21.34: -50.00: 92.69, 21.32: -47.29: 89.94 ms, and for T2 values were -19.88: -42.37: 2.61, -19.06: -43.58: 5.45 ms on 3.0 T scanner at center-1 and center-2, respectively. Similarly, on 1.5 T scanner biases for T1 values were 26.54: -53.41: 106.50, 9.997: -51.94: 71.94 ms, and for T2 values were -23.84: -135.40: 87.76, -37.30: 134.30: 59.73 ms at center-1 and center-3, respectively. Additionally, the correlation between the SE based GS and MRF estimated T1 and T2 values (R2 = 0.9969 and 0.9977) showed a similar trend as we observed between vendor-provided and MRF estimated T1 and T2 values (R2 = 0.9963 and 0.9972). In addition to correlation, BA analysis showed that all the vials are within the LOA between the GS and vendor-provided for the T1 values and except one vial for T2 . All the vials are within the LOA between GS and MRF except one vial in T1 and T2 array. The wCV for reproducibility was <3% for both T1 and T2 values in vials #1-8, for all the 14 vials, wCV calculated for reproducibility was <4% for T1 values and <5% for T2 . CONCLUSION This study shows that MRF is highly repeatable (wCV <4% for T1 and <7% for T2 ) and reproducible (wCV < 3% for both T1 and T2 ) in certain vials (vials #1-8).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaresha Shridhar Konar
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Enlin Qian
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Sairam Geethanath
- Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Guido Buonincontri
- Imago7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, PI, 56128, Italy
| | - Nancy A Obuchowski
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | | | - Pedro Gomez
- Munich School of Bioengineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, BY, 85748, Germany
| | | | - Matteo Cencini
- Imago7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, PI, 56128, Italy
| | - Michela Tosetti
- Imago7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, PI, 56128, Italy
| | - Lawrence H Schwartz
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Amita Shukla-Dave
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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Buonincontri G, Kurzawski JW, Kaggie JD, Matys T, Gallagher FA, Cencini M, Donatelli G, Cecchi P, Cosottini M, Martini N, Frijia F, Montanaro D, Gómez PA, Schulte RF, Retico A, Tosetti M. Three dimensional MRF obtains highly repeatable and reproducible multi-parametric estimations in the healthy human brain at 1.5T and 3T. Neuroimage 2021; 226:117573. [PMID: 33221451 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is highly promising as a quantitative MRI technique due to its accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. Previous studies have found high repeatability and reproducibility of 2D MRF acquisitions in the brain. Here, we have extended our investigations to 3D MRF acquisitions covering the whole brain using spiral projection k-space trajectories. Our travelling head study acquired test/retest data from the brains of 12 healthy volunteers and 8 MRI systems (3 systems at 3 T and 5 at 1.5 T, all from a single vendor), using a study design not requiring all subjects to be scanned at all sites. The pulse sequence and reconstruction algorithm were the same for all acquisitions. After registration of the MRF-derived PD T1 and T2 maps to an anatomical atlas, coefficients of variation (CVs) were computed to assess test/retest repeatability and inter-site reproducibility in each voxel, while a General Linear Model (GLM) was used to determine the voxel-wise variability between all confounders, which included test/retest, subject, field strength and site. Our analysis demonstrated a high repeatability (CVs 0.7-1.3% for T1, 2.0-7.8% for T2, 1.4-2.5% for normalized PD) and reproducibility (CVs of 2.0-5.8% for T1, 7.4-10.2% for T2, 5.2-9.2% for normalized PD) in gray and white matter. Both repeatability and reproducibility improved when compared to similar experiments using 2D acquisitions. Three-dimensional MRF obtains highly repeatable and reproducible estimations of T1 and T2, supporting the translation of MRF-based fast quantitative imaging into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan W Kurzawski
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa, Italy
| | - Joshua D Kaggie
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tomasz Matys
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ferdia A Gallagher
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Cencini
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Graziella Donatelli
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy; U.O. Neuroradiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Cecchi
- U.O. Neuroradiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | - Mirco Cosottini
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy; U.O. Neuroradiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Martini
- U.O.C. Bioingegneria e Ing. Clinica, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Frijia
- U.O.C. Bioingegneria e Ing. Clinica, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Domenico Montanaro
- U.O.C. Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa-Massa, Italy
| | - Pedro A Gómez
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy; Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Michela Tosetti
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy.
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Eck BL, Flamm SD, Kwon DH, Tang WHW, Vasquez CP, Seiberlich N. Cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting: Trends in technical development and potential clinical applications. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 122:11-22. [PMID: 33632415 PMCID: PMC8366914 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative cardiac magnetic resonance has emerged in recent years as an approach for evaluating a range of cardiovascular conditions, with T1 and T2 mapping at the forefront of these developments. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (cMRF) provides a rapid and robust framework for simultaneous quantification of myocardial T1 and T2 in addition to other tissue properties. Since the advent of cMRF, a number of technical developments and clinical validation studies have been reported. This review provides an overview of cMRF, recent technical developments, healthy subject and patient studies, anticipated technical improvements, and potential clinical applications. Recent technical developments include slice profile and pulse efficiency corrections, improvements in image reconstruction, simultaneous multislice imaging, 3D whole-ventricle imaging, motion-resolved imaging, fat-water separation, and machine learning for rapid dictionary generation. Future technical developments in cMRF, such as B0 and B1 field mapping, acceleration of acquisition and reconstruction, imaging of patients with implanted devices, and quantification of additional tissue properties are also described. Potential clinical applications include characterization of infiltrative, inflammatory, and ischemic cardiomyopathies, tissue characterization in the left atrium and right ventricle, post-cardiac transplantation assessment, reduction of contrast material, pre-procedural planning for electrophysiology interventions, and imaging of patients with implanted devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan L Eck
- Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
| | - Scott D Flamm
- Heart and Vascular Institute and Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
| | - Deborah H Kwon
- Heart and Vascular Institute and Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
| | - W H Wilson Tang
- Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
| | - Claudia Prieto Vasquez
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, Westminster Bridge Road, London, UK.
| | - Nicole Seiberlich
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Kiselev VG, Körzdörfer G, Gall P. Toward Quantification: Microstructure and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting. Invest Radiol 2021; 56:1-9. [PMID: 33186141 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a long-standing challenge. We advocate that the origin of the problem is the simplification applied in commonly used models of the MRI signal relation to the target parameters of biological tissues. Two research fields are briefly reviewed as ways to respond to the challenge of quantitative MRI, both experiencing an exponential growth right now. Microstructure MRI strives to build physiology-based models from cells to signal and, given the signal, back to the cells again. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting aims at efficient simultaneous determination of multiple signal parameters. The synergy of these yet disjoined approaches promises truly quantitative MRI with specific target-oriented diagnostic tools rather than universal imaging methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerij G Kiselev
- From the Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg
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Ropella-Panagis K, Seiberlich N. Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting: Basic Concepts and Applications in Molecular Imaging. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00067-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Compressive MRI quantification using convex spatiotemporal priors and deep encoder-decoder networks. Med Image Anal 2020; 69:101945. [PMID: 33421921 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2020.101945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We propose a dictionary-matching-free pipeline for multi-parametric quantitative MRI image computing. Our approach has two stages based on compressed sensing reconstruction and deep learned quantitative inference. The reconstruction phase is convex and incorporates efficient spatiotemporal regularisations within an accelerated iterative shrinkage algorithm. This minimises the under-sampling (aliasing) artefacts from aggressively short scan times. The learned quantitative inference phase is purely trained on physical simulations (Bloch equations) that are flexible for producing rich training samples. We propose a deep and compact encoder-decoder network with residual blocks in order to embed Bloch manifold projections through multi-scale piecewise affine approximations, and to replace the non-scalable dictionary-matching baseline. Tested on a number of datasets we demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed scheme for recovering accurate and consistent quantitative information from novel and aggressively subsampled 2D/3D quantitative MRI acquisition protocols.
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