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Background
To investigate the effects of B\(_1\)-shimming and radiofrequency (RF) parallel transmission (pTX) on the visualization and quantification of the degree of stenosis in a coronary artery phantom using 7 Tesla (7 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Methods
Stenosis phantoms with different grades of stenosis (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%; 5 mm inner vessel diameter) were produced using 3D printing (clear resin). Phantoms were imaged with four different concentrations of diluted Gd-DOTA representing established arterial concentrations after intravenous injection in humans. Samples were centrally positioned in a thorax phantom of 30 cm diameter filled with a custom-made liquid featuring dielectric properties of muscle tissue. MRI was performed on a 7 T whole-body system. 2D-gradient-echo sequences were acquired with an 8-channel transmit 16-channel receive (8 Tx / 16 Rx) cardiac array prototype coil with and without pTX mode. Measurements were compared to those obtained with identical scan parameters using a commercially available 1 Tx / 16 Rx single transmit coil (sTX). To assess reproducibility, measurements (n = 15) were repeated at different horizontal angles with respect to the B0-field.
Results
B\(_1\)-shimming and pTX markedly improved flip angle homogeneity across the thorax phantom yielding a distinctly increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) averaged over a whole slice relative to non-manipulated RF fields. Images without B\(_1\)-shimming showed shading artifacts due to local B\(_1\)\(^+\)-field inhomogeneities, which hampered stenosis quantification in severe cases. In contrast, B\(_1\)-shimming and pTX provided superior image homogeneity. Compared with a conventional sTX coil higher grade stenoses (60% and 80%) were graded significantly (p<0.01) more precise. Mild to moderate grade stenoses did not show significant differences. Overall, SNR was distinctly higher with B\(_1\)-shimming and pTX than with the conventional sTX coil (inside the stenosis phantoms 14%, outside the phantoms 32%). Both full and half concentration (10.2 mM and 5.1 mM) of a conventional Gd-DOTA dose for humans were equally suitable for stenosis evaluation in this phantom study.
Conclusions
B\(_1\)-shimming and pTX at 7 T can distinctly improve image homogeneity and therefore provide considerably more accurate MR image analysis, which is beneficial for imaging of small vessel structures.
Eisenpartikelverstärkte Magnetresonanztomographie bei der Experimentellen-Autoimmun-Neuritis(EAN)
(2006)
In diesem experimentellen Ansatz ist es gelungen, durch Einsatz von eisenhaltigen Kontrastmittel die MRT-Spezifität bei peripheren autoimmunen Nervenentzündungen deutlich zu erhöhen. Es ist gelungen in vivo den zeitlichen Verlauf der Monozyten/Makropahgeninfiltration bei entzündliche Autoimmunerkrankungen des Peripheren Nervensystems zu demonstrieren.
Stoffe mit schnell zerfallendem Magnetresonanz (MR)-Signal sind mit herkömmlichen MR- Sequenzen nicht darstellbar. Solche Stoffe haben meist starke Bindungen, wie im menschlichen Körper beispielsweise Sehnen, Bänder, Knochen oder Zähne. In den letzten Dekaden wurden spezielle Sequenzen mit ultrakurzer Echozeit entwickelt, die Signale von diesen Stoffen messen können. Messungen mit ultrakurzen Echozeiten eröffnen der Kernspintomographie neue Anwendungsgebiete. In dieser Doktorarbeit werden die in der Literatur bekannten Methoden zur Messung mit ultrakurzen Echozeiten untersucht und evaluiert. Es werden zwei neue, in dieser Arbeit entwickelte Ansätze vorgestellt, die es zum Ziel haben, bestehende Probleme der vorhandenen Methoden bei robuster Bildqualität zu lösen, ohne auf Hardwareänderungen am Kernspintomographen angewiesen zu sein. Die ’Gradient Optimized Single Point imaging with Echo time Leveraging’ (GOSPEL) Sequenz ist eine Single-Point-Sequenz, die im Vergleich zu den bekannten Single-Point-Sequenzen eine stark reduzierte Echozeit ermöglicht. Es wird gezeigt, dass dadurch ein deutlich besseres Signalzu-Rausch-Verhältnis (SNR) von Stoffen mit schnell zerfallendem Signal erreicht wird. Das Problem der sehr langen Messzeit bei Single-Point-Verfahren wird mit der ’Pointwise Encoding Time reduction with Radial Acquisition’ (PETRA) Sequenz gelöst. Bei diesem Ansatz wird der k-Raum-Außenbereich radial und das k-Raum-Zentrum single-point-artig abgetastet. Durch die Kombination beider Akquisitionsstrategien ist eine schnelle und robuste Bildgebung mit ultrakurzer Echozeit und ohne Hardwareänderungen möglich. Wie bei anderen Ansätzen sind bei der PETRA-Sequenz die Bildgebungsgradienten zum Anregungszeitpunkt bereites angeschaltet. Es wird untersucht, welchen Einfluss ungewollte Schichtselektionen auf die Bildgebung haben können und ein Korrekturalgorithmus entwickelt, mit dem sich dadurch entstehende Artefakte im Bild beheben lassen. Die Limitationen des Korrekturalgorithmus sowie mögliche Artefakte der PETRA-Sequenz werden untersucht und diskutiert. Erste Anwendungsbeispiele der PETRA-Sequenz bei verschiedenen Feldstärken und Applikationen werden demonstriert. Wie bei anderen Sequenzen mit ultrakurzen Echozeiten sind die Gradientenaktivitäten bei der PETRA- und GOSPEL-Sequenz gering, wodurch die Messung sehr leise sein kann. Lautstärkemessungen zeigen, dass bei Messungen mit der PETRA-Sequenz der Geräuschpegel um nur ein bis fünf dB(A) im Vergleich zum Hintergrundgeräuschpegel steigt. Es wird demonstriert, dass sich dadurch neue Anwendungsgebiete eröffnen könnten. Vergleichsmessungen zwischen einer T1-gewichteten PETRA- und einer MPRAGE-Messung weisen Bilder auf, die in Kontrast, Auflösung, SNR und Messzeit vergleichbar sind. Mit den in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Methoden konnten Probleme bestehender Ansätze gelöst und offene Fragen beantwortet werden. Die Ergebnisse können helfen, Applikationen von Sequenzen mit ultrakurzen Echozeiten in der klinischen Routine weiter zu etablieren.
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries, characterized by the growth of atherosclerotic lesions (plaques). These plaques often develop at inner curvatures of arteries, branchpoints, and bifurcations, where the endothelial wall shear stress is low and oscillatory. In conjunction with other processes such as lipid deposition, biomechanical factors lead to local vascular inflammation and plaque growth. There is also evidence that low and oscillatory shear stress contribute to arterial remodeling, entailing a loss in arterial elasticity and, therefore, an increased pulse-wave velocity. Although altered shear stress profiles, elasticity and inflammation are closely intertwined and critical for plaque growth, preclinical and clinical investigations for atherosclerosis mostly focus on the investigation of one of these parameters only due to the experimental limitations. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been demonstrated to be a potent tool which can be used to provide insights into a large range of biological parameters in one experimental session. It enables the evaluation of the dynamic process of atherosclerotic lesion formation without the need for harmful radiation. Flow-sensitive MRI provides the assessment of hemodynamic parameters such as wall shear stress and pulse wave velocity which may replace invasive and radiation-based techniques for imaging of the vascular
function and the characterization of early plaque development. In combination with inflammation imaging, the analyses and correlations of these parameters could not only significantly advance basic preclinical investigations of atherosclerotic lesion formation and progression, but also the diagnostic clinical evaluation for early identification of high-risk plaques, which are prone to rupture. In this review, we summarize the key applications of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of plaque characteristics through flow sensitive and morphological measurements. The simultaneous measurements of functional and structural parameters will further preclinical research on atherosclerosis and has the potential to fundamentally improve the detection of inflammation and vulnerable plaques in patients.
This expert opinion paper on cardiac imaging after acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) includes a statement of the "Heart and Brain" consortium of the German Cardiac Society and the German Stroke Society. The Stroke Unit-Commission of the German Stroke Society and the German Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) endorsed this paper. Cardiac imaging is a key component of etiological work-up after stroke. Enhanced echocardiographic tools, constantly improving cardiac computer tomography (CT) as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer comprehensive non- or less-invasive cardiac evaluation at the expense of increased costs and/or radiation exposure. Certain imaging findings usually lead to a change in medical secondary stroke prevention or may influence medical treatment. However, there is no proof from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that the choice of the imaging method influences the prognosis of stroke patients. Summarizing present knowledge, the German Heart and Brain consortium proposes an interdisciplinary, staged standard diagnostic scheme for the detection of risk factors of cardio-embolic stroke. This expert opinion paper aims to give practical advice to physicians who are involved in stroke care. In line with the nature of an expert opinion paper, labeling of classes of recommendations is not provided, since many statements are based on expert opinion, reported case series, and clinical experience.
In biological tissue, an accumulation of similarly shaped objects with a susceptibility difference to the surrounding tissue generates a local distortion of the external magnetic field in magnetic resonance imaging. It induces stochastic field fluctuations that characteristically influence proton spin dephasing in the vicinity of these magnetic perturbers. The magnetic field correlation that is associated with such local magnetic field inhomogeneities can be expressed in the form of a dynamic frequency autocorrelation function that is related to the time evolution of the measured magnetization. Here, an eigenfunction expansion for two simple magnetic perturber shapes, that of spheres and cylinders, is considered for restricted spin diffusion in a simple model geometry. Then, the concept of generalized moment analysis, an approximation technique that is applied in the study of (non-)reactive processes that involve Brownian motion, allows deriving analytical expressions of the correlation function for different exponential decay forms. Results for the biexponential decay for both spherical and cylindrical magnetized objects are derived and compared with the frequently used (less accurate) monoexponential decay forms. They are in asymptotic agreement with the numerically exact value of the correlation function for long and short times.
Even as medical data sets become more publicly accessible, most are restricted to specific medical conditions. Thus, data collection for machine learning approaches remains challenging, and synthetic data augmentation, such as generative adversarial networks (GAN), may overcome this hurdle. In the present quality control study, deep convolutional GAN (DCGAN)-based human brain magnetic resonance (MR) images were validated by blinded radiologists. In total, 96 T1-weighted brain images from 30 healthy individuals and 33 patients with cerebrovascular accident were included. A training data set was generated from the T1-weighted images and DCGAN was applied to generate additional artificial brain images. The likelihood that images were DCGAN-created versus acquired was evaluated by 5 radiologists (2 neuroradiologists [NRs], vs 3 non-neuroradiologists [NNRs]) in a binary fashion to identify real vs created images. Images were selected randomly from the data set (variation of created images, 40%-60%). None of the investigated images was rated as unknown. Of the created images, the NRs rated 45% and 71% as real magnetic resonance imaging images (NNRs, 24%, 40%, and 44%). In contradistinction, 44% and 70% of the real images were rated as generated images by NRs (NNRs, 10%, 17%, and 27%). The accuracy for the NRs was 0.55 and 0.30 (NNRs, 0.83, 0.72, and 0.64). DCGAN-created brain MR images are similar enough to acquired MR images so as to be indistinguishable in some cases. Such an artificial intelligence algorithm may contribute to synthetic data augmentation for "data-hungry" technologies, such as supervised machine learning approaches, in various clinical applications.
Global optimization of default phases for parallel transmit coils for ultra-high-field cardiac MRI
(2021)
The development of novel multiple-element transmit-receive arrays is an essential factor for improving B\(_1\)\(^+\) field homogeneity in cardiac MRI at ultra-high magnetic field strength (B\(_0\) > = 7.0T). One of the key steps in the design and fine-tuning of such arrays during the development process is finding the default driving phases for individual coil elements providing the best possible homogeneity of the combined B\(_1\)\(^+\)-field that is achievable without (or before) subject-specific B\(_1\)\(^+\)-adjustment in the scanner. This task is often solved by time-consuming (brute-force) or by limited efficiency optimization methods. In this work, we propose a robust technique to find phase vectors providing optimization of the B-1-homogeneity in the default setup of multiple-element transceiver arrays. The key point of the described method is the pre-selection of starting vectors for the iterative solver-based search to maximize the probability of finding a global extremum for a cost function optimizing the homogeneity of a shaped B\(_1\)\(^+\)-field. This strategy allows for (i) drastic reduction of the computation time in comparison to a brute-force method and (ii) finding phase vectors providing a combined B\(_1\)\(^+\)-field with homogeneity characteristics superior to the one provided by the random-multi-start optimization approach. The method was efficiently used for optimizing the default phase settings in the in-house-built 8Tx/16Rx arrays designed for cMRI in pigs at 7T.
Einführung: Atherosklerose ist eine führende Ursache von Morbidität und Mortalität weltweit. Die ApoE-Knock-Out-Maus (ApoE-/-) ist das wichtigste Tiermodell für das Studium der Atherosklerose und von Interventionen auf diese Erkrankung. Mittels hochaufgelöster Magnet-Resonanz-Bildgebung ist es möglich, eine nicht-invasive in-vivo Gefäß-Charakterisierung bei Mäusen durchzuführen. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Auswirkungen von Sport auf die Gefäßfunktion der Aorta ascendens und abdominalis bei ApoE-/--Mäusen mittels hochaufgelöster MR-Cine-FLASH-Bildgebung untersucht. Methodik und Ergebnisse: 18 ApoE-/--Mäuse mit oder ohne Lipid-reicher „Western Type Diet“ (WTD) führten 4-6 Wochen lang Laufrad-Training durch. Vor Laufrad-Training wurde zweimal (Validität) und nach Laufrad-Training einmal mittels EKG- und Atmungs-getriggerter Magnet-Resonanz-Cine-FLASH-Bildgebung an einem 7-Tesla-Scanner unter Isofluran-Inhalationsnarkose die Compliance von Aorta ascendens und abdominalis gemessen. Aufnahme-Parameter: TR/TE = 4,3/1,4 ms; Field of View (FOV) = 3,0 x 3,0 cm2; Matrixgröße = 256 x 256; Pixel-Größe = (FOV / Matrix) = (30 mm / 256) = 0,0117 mm2; Schichtdicke = 1,0 mm, Auflösung von 0,0137 mm3. Die Resultate wurden verglichen mit 9 Wildtyp-Mäusen vom Stamm C57BL/6J, und mittels der Auswerte-Software Interactive Data Language (IDL) prozessiert. Es zeigten sich gewisse positive Effekte hinsichtlich Compliance der Aorta ascendens durch Sport, die Ergebnisse waren für ApoE-/--Mäuse ohne WTD jedoch wesentlich konsistenter als für ApoE-/--Mäuse mit WTD, wo die Ergebnisse teilweise widersprüchlich erscheinen. Dasselbe gilt für die Aorta abdominalis, die sich zudem in vielen MR-Untersuchungen nicht auswerten ließ, was zu nicht interpretierbaren Ergebnissen führte. Bezüglich der Validität zeigte sich eine sehr hohe Intra-Observer- und Inter-Observer-Übereinstimmung der Ergebnisse, dies zeigte sich auch für Messungen zu zwei Zeitpunkten. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse erscheinen insgesamt kritisch beleuchtet nicht signifikant und zeigen allenfalls Besserungs-Tendenzen für die Compliance der Aorta ascendens und abdominalis bei ApoE-/--Mäusen durch Sport. Weitere MRT-Studien mit höheren Feldstärken und weiterentwickelten MR-Protokollen sind notwendig, um die Aussage dieser Doktorarbeit, dass Atherosklerose bei ApoE-/--Mäusen durch Sport teilweise reversibel ist, zu bestätigen.
Background
Oncolytic virotherapy of tumors is an up-coming, promising therapeutic modality of cancer therapy. Unfortunately, non-invasive techniques to evaluate the inflammatory host response to treatment are rare. Here, we evaluate \(^{19}\)F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which enables the non-invasive visualization of inflammatory processes in pathological conditions by the use of perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions (PFC) for monitoring of oncolytic virotherapy.
Methodology/Principal Findings
The Vaccinia virus strain GLV-1h68 was used as an oncolytic agent for the treatment of different tumor models. Systemic application of PFC emulsions followed by \(^1H\)/\(^{19}\)F MRI of mock-infected and GLV-1h68-infected tumor-bearing mice revealed a significant accumulation of the \(^{19}\)F signal in the tumor rim of virus-treated mice. Histological examination of tumors confirmed a similar spatial distribution of the \(^{19}\)F signal hot spots and \(CD68^+\)-macrophages. Thereby, the \(CD68^+\)-macrophages encapsulate the GFP-positive viral infection foci. In multiple tumor models, we specifically visualized early inflammatory cell recruitment in Vaccinia virus colonized tumors. Furthermore, we documented that the \(^{19}\)F signal correlated with the extent of viral spreading within tumors.
Conclusions/Significance
These results suggest \(^{19}\)F MRI as a non-invasive methodology to document the tumor-associated host immune response as well as the extent of intratumoral viral replication. Thus, \(^{19}\)F MRI represents a new platform to non-invasively investigate the role of the host immune response for therapeutic outcome of oncolytic virotherapy and individual patient response.