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Resting-state fMRI study on altered spontaneous brain activity of Parkinson^{^,}s disease patients with and without rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveRapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson^{^,}s disease (PD) and an important prognostic factor. This study analyzed the degree centrality (DC) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values among three groups of PD patients with and without RBD, as well as the healthy control group, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the brain functional activity characteristics and RBD-specific brain regions of PD patients with RBD (PD-RBD), and to explore the pathological mechanism of RBD occurrence. Materials and MethodsThe study analyzed data from 20 PD patients with RBD (PD-RBD group), 40 PD patients without RBD (PD-nonRBD group), and 44 healthy controls (HC group), three groups of participants underwent magnetic resonance scanning. DC and ALFF values were calculated to measure brain activity. ResultsThe results showed that the brain regions most affected by DC values were the right anterior central gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, cerebellum, and middle frontal gyrus (P<0.05, FDR-corrected). The left parahippocampal gyrus, cuneiform lobe, and lingual gyrus were the main regions affected by ALFF values (P<0.05, FDR-corrected). Further analysis revealed that PD-RBD patients had an increased DC value in the right middle frontal gyrus compared to PD-nonRBD patients (t=4.02, P=0.007, FDR-corrected), while the DC value of the left precuneus decreased (t=5.30, P=0.009, FDR-corrected). Compared to the control group, PD-RBD patients had increased DC values in the left superior frontal gyrus, cerebellum, right superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus (P<0.05, FDR-corrected), while the DC values of the left anterior central gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus were decreased (P<0.05, FDR-corrected). The ALFF value of the right cuneus was also reduced (P<0.05, FDR-corrected). ConclusionsThese findings suggest that PD-RBD patients have unique imaging features on DC and ALFF, especially, functional abnormalities in the right middle frontal gyrus and left anterior cuneiform lobe may be closely related to the occurrence of RBD in PD patients.

Correlation between cortical atrophy and cognitive function in pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the change pattern of cerebral cortex in pre-diabetes (PDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its relationship with cognitive function, and explore the early image markers of abnormal blood glucose metabolism. Materials and MethodsThis study included 48 normal controls (NC), 30 PDM subjects and 96 T2DM patients. Cognitive function test, clinical biochemical examination and high-resolution 3D-T1WI magnetic resonance were performed. The morphological analysis based on voxel and surface was carried out using CAT12 software, and the cortical structural parameters such as the volume of brain gray matter, cortical thickness and sulcus depth were obtained, and the differences among the three groups were compared. The threshold of P<0.05 and FWE correction were used for multiple comparison and correction. ResultsCompared to NC, the gray matter volume of right frontal inferior orbital gyrus and left postcentral gyrus of PDM subjects decreased, and the brain gray matter atrophy in T2DM patients, especially the right superior temporal gyrus, right frontal inferior orbital gyrus, the right middle temporal gyrus and the left postcentral gyrus (P<0.05, FWE corrected). Thickness of right prefrontal cortex decreased in T2DM patients (P<0.05, FWE corrected). In the subjects with abnormal blood glucose metabolism, the whole brain gray matter volume is negatively correlated with HOMA-IR (r=-0.227, P=0.012, uncorrected) and Trail Making Test A (r=-0.250, P=0.001, FDR corrected), and positively correlated with the number span-backward (r=0.267, P=0.003, FDR corrected). Cortical thickness was negatively correlated with hemoglobin A_1c (r=-0.181, P=0.040, uncorrected) and postprandial blood glucose at 2 hours (r=-0.272, P=0.020, uncorrected), and positively correlated with postprandial insulin (r=0.236, P=0.010, uncorrected) and HOMA 2-B (r=0.207, P=0.022, uncorrected). ConclusionsIn this study, it was found that there was gray matter atrophy in pre-diabetes and global gray matter atrophy in T2DM patients, which was related to attention and working memory function. Therefore, cortical atrophy may be an early imaging marker of diabetes-related brain injury. This suggests that prediabetes subjects should also strictly control blood sugar, and early intervention is beneficial to prevent cognitive impairment and improve prognosis.

The relationship between the abnormality of multilayer networks and emotional impairments in sudden sensorineural hearing loss patients with migraine

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) with migraine and emotional impairments using multilayer neural network technology. Materials and MethodsWe recruited 41 SSNHL with migraine patients and 47 healthy controls in this study. And all participants underwent evaluation of hearing abilities, migraine, neuropsychological assessments, as well resting-state functional brain imaging. Multilayer network analysis was computed to identify dynamic changes in brain global networks. Graph theoretical network analysis (GRETNA) was used to process blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) data, and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to calculate the correlation between functional MRI data and emotional impairments. ResultsThe two groups were well matched in age, sex and education level. The mean hearing thresholds of both ears in SSNHL patients with migraine were significantly higher than healthy controls. Moreover, the scores of anxiety and depression were significantly higher in otologic migraine patients. There was no significant difference in overall modularity between the patients and healthy controls. But significant differences of network switching rates in the right Rolandic operculum and middle cingulate cortex (MCC), left cuneus and inferior occipital gyrus (P<0.005, false discovery rate correction) were observed. Additionally, the conversion rate of MCC was negatively correlated with depression in SSNHL patients with migraine group (r=-0.41, P=0.008). ConclusionsThe decrease of switching rate in SSNHL patients with migraine is closely related to depression, which helps to elucidate the neuropathological basis of emotional impairments induced by SSNHL with migraine.

Brain structure and functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) of some brain regions in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and MethodsThe study included 29 patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment (C-) and 30 patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment (C+). We performed psychological cognitive testing, structural and resting functional MRI (fMRI) scans respectively. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze GMV, and the regions with volumetric variation were selected as regions of interest interest (ROI) for whole-brain FC analysis. ResultsCompared with the C- group, patients with C+ had reduced GMV in the left middle occipital gyrus (MNI: X, Y, Z=-10.5, -105.0, 0.0) and the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (MNI: X, Y, Z=15.0, -103.5, -1.5). With the left middle occipital gyrus as the seed point, the FC with the temporal pole: superior temporal gyrus (MNI: X, Y, Z=63, 3, -3) and the left superior temporal gyrus (MNI: X, Y, Z=-54, -12, 3) was weakened. With the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex as the seed point, the FC with the left lingual gyrus (MNI: X, Y, Z=-33, -87, -15) was weakened. There was no significant correlation between GMV and FC values and psychological cognitive outcomes in C+ patients. ConclusionsAfter chemotherapy, the volume of gray matter in some brain regions of breast cancer patients is changed, and FCs with multiple brain regions are impaired, which may be one of the neuropathological bases of cognitive, emotional and behavioral disorders.

Predictive effect of resting state whole brain voxel level functional connectivity analysis on cognitive level of patients with mild cognitive impairment associated with cerebral small vessel disease

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveThe resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) sequence at the voxel level was used to explore the mechanism of early cognitive impairment in patients with mild cognitive impairment associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD-MCI) and analyze its correlation with clinical neuropsychology indicators. Materials and MethodsTwenty-one subjects who met the diagnostic criteria of CSVD-MCI by routine MRI were screened, and 20 healthy control (HC) subjects matched with their age, gender and years of education were selected. All subjects received rs-fMRI, and calculated the value of degree centrality (DC), the peak Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) coordinates of the two groups with significantly different DC values were used as seed points for functional connectivity (FC) analysis with other voxels in the whole brain, correlation analysis was performed between DC and FC values and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores in brain regions with differences in brain function between the two groups, to further analyze the correlation between CSVD total load score and MoCA score, and CSVD total load score and each cognitive domain score. ResultsCompared with the HC group, the left medial superior frontal gyrus/left anterior cingulate gyrus, left angular gyrus/left supramarginal gyrus, right medial superior frontal gyrus/right middle frontal gyrus, left cerebellum and right cerebellum DC values of the CSVD-MCI group were reduced, and the FC values of the left anterior cingulate gyrus, left middle inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral precuneus, and bilateral middle cingulate gyrus were reduced. There was a significant negative correlation between white matter high signal score, CSVD total load score, and MoCA score (r_s=-0.461, P=0.036; r_s=-0.458, P=0.037); the total load score of CSVD was negatively correlated with visual space and executive function scores (r_s=-0.473, P=0.030), but not significantly correlated with other cognitive domain scores. In the CSVD-MCI group, the FC value of left anterior cingulate cortex and right precuneus was significantly positively correlated with MoCA score (r=0.565, P=0.018). ConclusionsConventional MRI can display characteristic imaging lesions of CSVD, while rs-fMRI sequence can early detect reduced DC and FC in brain regions. The CSVD score and DC, FC are significantly correlated with clinical neuropsychological scores, and can serve as potential imaging markers for CSVD-MCI patients, revealing the potential mechanism of cognitive decline.

The value of DWI-based fractal dimension in evaluating the clinical efficacy of 3D printing technology for gliomas after surgery

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether personalized 3D printing technology can improve the clinical outcomes of surgically treated glioma patients using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)-based FD. Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 136 cases of patients with pathologically confirmed gliomas in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2023, of which 32 cases were in the experimental group, in which the personalized 3D printing technology was used preoperatively; the remaining patients were in the control group, in which conventional craniotomy was performed. The boundaries around the operated area were manually outlined on DWI maps one week after surgery, and the FD was measured after drawing binary maps. Using the median FD to group the control group, we compared whether there was a difference in surgical condition, pain level, neurological deficit, prognosis, and ability to perform daily life between patients with high and low FD in the control group; and explored whether the personalized 3D printing technology affected the FD of the edematous trauma and whether it would further improve the clinical outcome of the patients. ResultsThe degree of pain (t=-13.228, P<0.001) and the degree of nerve defect (t=-2.627, P=0.008) in the high FD group were higher than those in the low FD group, and the activities of daily living (t=4.821, P<0.001) and prognosis (t=-3.058, P=0.003) were worse than those in the low FD group. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that FD could effectively distinguish the above four scores of patients. The use of personalized 3D printing technology before operation can reduce the FD of patients with edema zone, reduce the degree of nerve defect and improve the ability of daily living, but it has no obvious effect on improving the prognosis and pain in the operation area. ConclusionsPersonalized 3D printing technology can effectively reduce the FD of the oedema band in the surgical area of patients and reduce nerve damage, which is worthy of clinical application.

Application of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to predict IDH genotype of adult diffuse glioma

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo evaluate the differences of tumors with different isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene states by using the quantitative parameters of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NOODI) and to explore the clinical application value of NOODI in genotyping of adult-type diffuse glioma (ADG). Materials and MethodsFifty-one patients with adult diffuse glioma (IDH mutant 21 cases, IDH wild type 30 cases) were collected. Routine scanning and multi-shell diffusion scanning were performed before operation, and four quantitative parameter maps were obtained after image preprocessing and post-processing. All patients underwent conventional scan and multi-shell diffusion scan before operation. Four quantitative parametric maps were obtained after image preprocessing and post-processing. The 3D-Slicer was used to delineate the regions of interest in tumor solid areas, peritumoral edema areas, and contralateral normal white matter areas, compared the differences between groups with different IDH status. FeAture Explorer (FAE) software was used to construct the prediction model, and multiple pipeline combinations were considered during the development of the prediction model, including 1 data dimensionality reduction method (Pearson^{^,}s correlation coefficient), 4 feature selection methods (multivariate analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis test, recursive feature elimination and Relief algorithm) and 4 linear classifiers (support vector machine, linear discriminant analysis, logistic regression and logistic regression with LASSO regularization term), with a total of 16 pipelines. The comparisons between models were using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The final model was evaluated by integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclssification improvement (NRI) index and leave-one-out cross-validation. ResultsThe age of IDH wild-type group was higher than that of IDH mutant group (P=0.001). Only the orientation dispersion index (ODI) of IDH wild-type group was lower than that of IDH mutant group (P=0.019), and there was no difference among other parameter groups. The contralateral white matter area and edema area had the highest and lowest intra-cellular volume fraction (ICVF) values, respectively (P<0.05). The comprehensive model constructed by linear discriminant analysis has the highest diagnostic efficiency, and the area under ROC curve is 0.835 (95% CI: 0.703-0.941). It is higher than the age of single use [0.773 (95% CI: 0.624-0.894)] and ODI [0.695 (95% CI: 0.538-0.845)]. The IDI and NRI prove that the final model has the highest diagnostic performance (all P<0.001). Decision curve analysis and calibration curve prove the clinical net benefit of the final model and the distribution closest to the real data (Brier score is 0.163). ConclusionsThe quantitative parameters of NODDI can be used to describe the microenvironment differences of ADG. The final model can effectively predict the different IDH gene states of ADG, and the diagnostic efficiency of the composite model is better than that of the single model.

Value of three-dimensional arterial spin labeling in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo assess the diagnostic efficacy of three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) for thyroid nodules. Materials and MethodsA total of 207 patients who underwent thyroid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital＆Shenzhen Hospital from November 2021 to April 2023 were included in this study, among which 74 patients had normal unilateral thyroid glands. The 3D-pCASL sequence was acquired along the horizontal axis with a post-labeling delay (PLD) time set at 1525 ms, and the labeling plane was positioned at the origin of the left common carotid artery. Blood flow (BF) measurements of both normal thyroid glands and thyroid nodules were obtained using AW 4.7 workstation. The t-test or non-parametric test was employed for between-group comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and calculation of area under the curve (AUC) were performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of BF in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules, as well as to compare papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with non-papillary thyroid carcinoma (non-PTC). ResultsThere was no significant difference in BF between male and female (P>0.05). The average BF of the normal lateral lobe of the thyroid was (162.73±24.24) mL/(100 g·min). A total of 235 thyroid nodules were observed in 207 patients (44 benign and 191 malignant). BF of malignant nodules was significantly higher than that of benign nodules, and the difference was statistically significant (left lobe t=6.607 and right lobe t =5.590, both P<0.001). The cut-off value of BF for differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules was 177.96 mL/(100 g·min), the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 73.1%, 93.7% and 89.4%, respectively (AUC=0.861). There was no significant difference in BF between PTC and non-PTC (t=1.578, P=0.124). Conclusions3D-pCASL technology has great value in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and its quantitative value BF has limited value in differentiating different pathological types of thyroid cancer.

Study on the ability to grade the risk of cervical spondylotic myelopathy by using machine learning model based on MRI radiomics

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the value of machine learning (ML) model based on MRI radiomics features in grading the risk of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Materials and MethodsThis retrospective study included 317 patients diagnosed with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score they were divided into mild CSM group (193 patients) and moderate-severe CSM group (124 patients). Spinal cord in the transverse T2-weighted MR images were manually sketched to generate a region of interest (ROI) and extract radiomics features. The Z-Score standardization were used to unify metrics. The Pearson correlation coefficients (PCC) and recursive feature elimination (RFE) were used to reduce the dimension and select the feature. Various ML algorithms including logistic regression (LR), adaboost (AB), native bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM) were used to build ML models. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the model. ResultsA total of 15 radiomics salient features were selected to build models, SVM (training set AUC vs. test set AUC: 0.833 vs. 0.813) and LR (0.831 vs. 0.812) have good grading ability and are more stable among the four classifiers, there were no statistically significant differences between the models. AB classifier has the best grading ability in the training group (AUC=0.984) but poor grading ability in the test group (AUC=0.725), The AB classifier model has lower stabilization than SVM and LR classifier model. ConclusionsML model based on MRI radiomics has good risk grading ability for CSM, which can provide certain reference value for clinical preoperative diagnosis.

Study on quantitative assessment of left ventricular dysfunction in patients with COPD by cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo quantitatively evaluate the global and segmental subclinical myocardial dysfunction of the left ventricle in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT). Materials and MethodsA total of 47 COPD patients (including 25 males and 22 females) with an average age of 47.26±4.66 who have met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in our hospital from October 2021 to February 2023 are retrospective collected. Twenty-eight COPD patients showed no significant abnormalities in the coronary arteries, while 19 COPD patients had mild coronary artery stenosis (stenosis rate<50%). In the meantime, 30 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and smoking habits (including 17 males and 13 females) with an average age of 47.47±4.42 were included as the normal control group. All participants underwent 3.0 T CMR examination to analyze the differences between the COPD group and the normal control group in left ventricular conventional cardiac function, the peak strain (PS) in all directions (radial, circumferential and longitudinal) of the global and segmental myocardium. Due to the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in COPD patients, we conducted subgroup analysis on the global and segmental PS in all directions of the left ventricle in patients with normal coronary arteries and mild coronary stenosis. Independent sample t-test was used to compare data between two groups that follow a normal distribution. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the data between the two groups that did not conform to the normal distribution. The χ² test was used for gender comparison between the two groups. ResultsThe left ventricular PS of the global, middle segment and basal segment in all directions in COPD group was lower than that in the normal control group (all P<0.05), the apical segment radial and longitudinal PS were significantly lower than that in the normal control group, and there was no significant difference in the apical segment circumferential PS compared with that in the normal control group (P=0.268). In subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference in the left ventricle PS of the global, apical segment, middle segment and basal segment in all directions between COPD patients with mild coronary artery stenosis and those with normal coronary arteries (all P>0.05). ConclusionsThe use of CMR-FT can quantitatively evaluate the global and segmental subclinical myocardial dysfunction of the left ventricle in COPD patients, and its myocardial injury is caused by COPD itself. CMR-FT is expected to provide imaging basis for early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of diseases.

Value of CMR radiomics combined with clinical factors in predicting hypertrophic cardiomyopathy complicated by ventricular arrhythmias

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the value of radiomics features of myocardium in different regions based on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and related clinical factors in predicting hypertrophic cardiomyopathy complicated by ventricular arrhythmias. Materials and MethodsThe CMR images and clinical data of 122 patients diagnosed with HCM from January 1, 2018 to May 31, 2023 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. According to the results of 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram (24 h DCG), the patients were divided into a VAs combined group (40 cases) and a VAs uncombined group (82 cases). All subjects were divided into a training set and a test set according to a ratio of 7∶3. The training set was used to build the model, and the test set was used to evaluate the model efficacy. The left ventricular short axis unenhanced bright blood cine sequence from mitral valve level to apex was selected. On the basis of end-diastolic wall thickness , the myocardium of HCM patients was divided into hypertrophic regions and non-hypertrophic regions. At the end of ventricular diastole in all layers of left ventricular short axis myocardium, the delineation of areas of interest and the extraction of radiomics features of the whole ventricular wall myocardium, the myocardium in hypertrophic regions and non-hypertrophic regions were performed. Mann-Whitney U test, recursive feature elimination method and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to screen the radiomics features, construct the radiomics model, establish the radiomics label and calculate the radiomics score. The clinical risk factors were screened by logistic regression analysis to establish the clinical factor model, and combined model which based on clinical risk factors and radiomcs features was constructed. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, area under the curve (AUC) and DeLong test were used to evaluate and compare the predictive power of models. The combined model was visualized by using a nomogram, and the fitting degree of the combined model was evaluated by Hosmer-Lemeshow test (H-L test) and calibration curve. The clinical practicability of the combined model was observed through decision curve analysis. ResultsIn the training set, the AUC values of the combined model of the left ventricular non-hypertrophic region (AUC=0.89), combined model of the left ventricular hypertrophic region (AUC=0.98), combined model of the left ventricular whole myocardium (AUC=0.98) were higher than those of the radiomics model of left ventricular non-hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.74) and the radiomics model of left ventricular hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.85) and the radiomics model of left ventricular whole myocardium (AUC=0.86) (P<0.05) were higher than clinical factor model (AUC value=0.81) (P<0.05). The AUC value of the combined model of left ventricular non-hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.89) was lower than that of the combined model of left ventricular hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.98) and the combined model of left ventricular whole myocardium (AUC=0.98) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the AUC value between the combined model of left ventricular hypertrophy and the combined model of left ventricular whole myocardium (P>0.05). In the test set, the AUC value of the radiomics model of left ventricular non-hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.75) was lower than that of the combined model of left ventricular whole myocardium (AUC=0.93) and the combined model of left ventricular hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.95) (P<0.05). The AUC of the combined model of left ventricular hypertrophic regions myocardium (AUC=0.95) was higher than that of the combined model of left ventricular non-hypertrophy regions myocardium (AUC=0.80) (P<0.05). ConclusionsThe model based on the radiomics features of myocardium in different regions of CMR and related clinical factors has important value in predicting the risk of HCM patients complicated by VAs.

Predictive value of multimodal MRI histology for mediastinal lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo construct radiomic models utilizing conventional MRI sequences to assess and compare their effectiveness in predicting mediastinal lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and MethodsPreoperative MRI data from 90 patients diagnosed with NSCLC at the First People^{^,}s Hospital of Nantong between October 2012 and May 2022 were retrospectively collected. Based on the surgical pathology results, these patients were categorized into two groups: lymph node metastasis-positive (52 cases) and negative (38 cases). The patients were allocated into a training set and a test set using a complete randomization method, with a ratio of 7∶3. Additionally, data from 31 patients at the First People^{^,}s Hospital of Yancheng were used for external validation, consisting of 9 positive cases and 22 negative cases. Radiologists used layer-by-layer semi-automated delineation of the primary lesions, radiomics features were extracted from axial T1WI, T2WI, high b-value diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images, and selected the best method for dimensionality reduction among the feature screening methods, such as ANOVA F-value, Linear models penalized with the L1 norm, Tree-Based, etc., by the hyperparameter search. Eleven models were established, including logistic regression (LR), Gaussian naive Bayes (Gaussian NB), random forest (RF), and Support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), etc. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for each model. ResultsDT, LR, and SVM models all performed well in different sequences. The SVM model based on T2WI images had the best performance, with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98, 0.98, and 0.72 for the training, test, and external validation sets, respectively, and with accuracies of 96%, 67%, and 61%, sensitivities of 88%, 67%, and 55%, and specificities of 100%, 67%, and 78%, respectively. ConclusionsMRI-based radiomics is valuable in identifying mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC, with the SVM model based on T2WI images showing the best performance.

Value of multimodal radiomics nomogram in predicting axillary lymph node metastasis in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast before surgery

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of multimodal radiomics nomogram in predicting axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast before surgery. Materials and MethodsThe clinical and imaging data of 224 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast confirmed by surgical pathology in our hospital from January 2019 to June 2023 were retrospectively collected. Firstly, the maximum level of the lesion of the T2WI image and the second phase of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and the mammography (MG) of the same lesion were selected to delineate the region of interest, and the characteristics of the lesion area of interest were extracted. According to the ratio of 7∶3, the samples were randomly divided into 156 cases in the training set and 68 cases in the test set, and the feature dimensionality reduction screening was carried out by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, 5 kinds of machine learning classifiers [support vector machine (SVM)、K nearest neighbors (KNN)、extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)、logistic regression (LR)、randomforest (RF)] were selected to build a multimodal radiomics model, and the classifier with the best prediction performance was selected to establish MRI and mammography models. Univariate logistic regression was used to screen clinical high-risk factors and construct a clinical model. Finally, Radiomics score combined with clinical high-risk factors was selected to construct an electromics nomogram model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the efficacy of the model in predicting the ALN status of breast cancer patients, and the clinical practicability of the prediction model was evaluated by using the fitting ability of the calibration curve to evaluate the decision curve. ResultsFinally, 14 optimal radiomics features were obtained. The AUC value of the five machine learning classifiers in the test set ranged from 0.764-0.864, and the AUC value of SVM was the highest (0.864). Lymph node palpation (P<0.001) and MRI_ALN (P=0.005) were independent risk factors for ALN metastasis. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the nomogram model training set were 0.941, 90.7%, 88.9% and 88.5%, respectively. The test sets were 0.926, 84.4%, 86.1%, and 85.3%, respectively. ConclusionsThe nomogram model has important value in predicting ALN status before surgery, and can assist in the formulation of scientific and effective clinical diagnosis and treatment plans.

The value of whole-volume ADC histogram analysis combined with ADC value in preoperatively prediction of tumor deposits in rectal cancer

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the value of tumoral whole-volume apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram parameters combined with ADC value in preoperative prediction of tumor deposits (TDs) in rectal cancer. Materials and MethodsThe clinical and radiological data of 111 patients with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer who underwent preoperative rectal MRI examinations from June 2016 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were grouped as TDs-positive group (n=30) and TDs-negative group (n=81) according to the pathological results. ROI was manually delineated on each slice of the tumor on the ADC images and histogram parameterswere obtained, including the ADC_10%, ADC_90%, maximum value (ADC_max), minimum value (ADC_min), mean value (ADC_mean), median value (ADC_median), kurtosis, and skewness. And the ADC value of the largest level of the tumor was measured. The differences in ADC value and ADC histogram parameters between the two groups were compared. A combined model was constructed based on factors with statistically significant differences using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to analyze the predictive performance of ADC value, whole-volume ADC histogram parameters, and the combined model. DeLong test was used to compare the differences of AUCs. ResultsThe ADC value, ADC_10%, ADC_90%, ADC_max, ADC_mean, ADC_median, and kurtosis were statistically different between the TDs-positive and TDs-negative groups (P<0.05). ADC_90% had the highest predictive performance with an AUC of 0.778 (sensitivity, 80.0%; specificity, 65.4%). The diagnostic performance of the combined model (AUC, 0.940; sensitivity, 86.7%; specificity, 93.8%) was superior to that of ADC value alone (AUC, 0.645) and whole-volume ADC histogram parameters (AUC ranging from 0.649 to 0.778) (P<0.05). ConclusionsWhole-volume ADC histogram parameters and the ADC value of the largest level of tumor can be used for preoperative prediction of TDs in rectal cancer, and the combined model can improve the predictive performance.

Predicting malignancy of PI-RADS 4-5 lesions with radiomics features based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveThis study was aimed to distinguish benign and malignant prostate lesions prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 4-5 scored using multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) combined with imaging radiomics, and to construct a diagnostic model for predicting malignancy of prostate lesions scored PI-RADS 4-5. Materials and MethodsClinical, pathological and imaging data of patients who underwent prostate mpMRI examination and scored PI-RADS 4-5 in our hospital from January 2018 to June 2021 were retrospectively collected. A total of 135 patients were enrolled, including 64 benign and 71 malignant cases. They were then randomly divided into training set (n=95, 45 benign cases, 50 malignant cases) and test set (n=40, 19 benign cases, 21 malignant cases). Different radiomics models were used for identification. ResultsHigher apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and lower total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) concentration were observed in benign group. ADC values in benign and malignant groups were (0.791±0.149) and (0.612±0.110) ×10^-3 mm²/s, respectively, with cut-off value of 0.712×10^-3 mm²/s, area under the curve (AUC) values in training set and test set were 0.870 and 0.772, respectively. The AUC of radiomics model based on mpMRI [ADC, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T2WI] in training set and test set was 0.942 and 0.850, respectively. The AUC of multimodal radiomics model combined ADC value and radiomics score (Radscore) in the training set and test set was 0.952 and 0.842, respectively. ConclusionsTraditional mpMRI parameters combined with imaging features did great job in identifying benign and malignant prostate PI-RADS 4-5 lesions, which shows immense potential in further clinical practice by assisting the formulation of subsequent individual treatment strategies.

Feasibility study of the MAGiC technique for quantitative assessment of primary osteoporosis

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo evaluate the application value of magnetic resonance image compilation (MAGiC) sequence in primary osteoporosis. Materials and MethodsProspectively recruited health screening volunteers who completed a low-dose chest CT scans between May 2023 and September 2023. All volunteers voluntarily underwent routine lumbar MRI and MAGiC sequence scans. The average bone mineral density (BMD) value of the lumbar spine based on low-dose chest CT, the VBQ value based on conventional T1-weighted imaging, and the VBQ-magic, average T1 relaxation time (T1av), average T2 relaxation time (T2av), average proton density (PDav) values based on MAGiC T1-weighted imaging were measured, and the body mass index (BMI) value was calculated. Patients were categorized into a normal bone group (63 cases), a bone loss group (43 cases), and an osteoporosis group (22 cases) based on the osteoporosis diagnostic criteria of lumbar quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Multiple group comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test. Pairwise comparisons were conducted using either LSD test or Wilcoxon test. The correlations between each parameter and BMD were examined using Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of single and combined parameters for bone loss and osteoporosis. ResultsThe differences in age, VBQ, VBQ-magic, T1av, T2av, and PDav values among the three groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). The VBQ-magic values for the normal bone group, bone loss group, and osteoporosis group were 2.92 (2.71, 3.11), 3.16 (2.87, 3.40), and 3.37 (3.19, 3.53), respectively, the differences between each pair of groups were statistically significant (P≤0.009). The T1av values were 622.80 (554.80, 692.00) ms, 565.40 (538.00, 599.20) ms, and 560.50 (515.80, 586.55) ms, respectively, the differences between the normal bone group and the bone loss group, as well as the osteoporosis group, were statistically significant (P=0.001 for both). The T2av values were (75.40±6.06) ms, (77.05±5.95) ms, and (84.79±5.36) ms, respectively, the differences among the normal bone group, bone loss group, and osteoporosis group were statistically significant (P<0.001 for both). The PDav value of the normal bone group was less than that of the bone loss group and osteoporosis group (P=0.007, 0.043). There was a moderate correlation between VBQ-magic, T1av, and BMD values (r=-0.524, 0.403), while T2av and PDav showed a weak correlation with BMD values (r=-0.365, -0.224). The areas under the curve (AUC) for VBQ-magic, T1av, and VBQ-magic+T1av in distinguishing bone loss were 0.772, 0.702, and 0.782, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of VBQ-magic alone and combined with T1av showed no statistically significant difference from VBQ (P>0.05). The AUCs for VBQ-magic, T2av, and VBQ-magic+T2av in distinguishing osteoporosis were 0.810, 0.867, and 0.803, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of VBQ-magic alone and combined with T2av showed no statistically significant difference from VBQ (P>0.05). ConclusionsThe VBQ scoring based on MAGiC T1-weighted images and the T1 and T2 values have a certain predictive ability for bone loss and osteoporosis, providing new diagnostic methods and reference indices for osteoporosis.

Experimental MRI study of targeting Rho-associated protein kinase 1 to detect plaques in atherosclerosis

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo observe the expression of Rho-kinase (ROCK) 1 in atherosclerotic plaques, to synthesize a ROCK1-targeted probe and characterize it, then explore its ability to visualize atherosclerotic plaques. Materials and MethodsThe ROCK1 antibody was coupled with ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to prepare the targeting probe (Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1), which was characterized and analyzed. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE^-/-) mice were fed with high-fat diet and five mice were selected randomly at 10, 16, 22, 28, and 34 weeks, respectively, to measure weight. The expression and activity of ROCK1 were observed by ROCK1 immunostaining and western blot. ApoE^-/- mice fed for 34 weeks were divided into two groups, one group (n=10) was injected with Fe₃O₄@PEG, the other group (n=10) was injected with Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and 8 h and 16 h after injection of the nanoprobe, and the signal intensity of plaques was calculated by Image J software. Abdominal aortic specimens were analyzed by pathology. ResultsFe₃O₄@PEG and Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 were uniformly dispersed in aqueous solution, and the hydrated particle sizes were (27.06±1.52) nm and (30.52±2.95) nm, respectively. The Zeta potential was (-35.18±0.31) mV and (-16.60±3.26) mV, respectively. Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 could reduce the phagocytosis and clearance of macrophages, was non-toxic within a certain concentration range, and maintains immune activity. The saturation magnetization (0.0868 T) and T2 relaxation rate (162.3 mM^-1s^-1) indicated that Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 had good magnetic sensitivity. With advancing atherosclerosis, the expression of ROCK1 increased (r=0.959, P<0.001). The activity of ROCK1 in abdominal aorta of ApoE^-/- mice was higher than that of C57BL/6 mice (0.30±0.02 vs. 0.24±0.02, P<0.01). The results of magnetic resonance imaging showed that compared with plain scan (the plaque signal of Fe₃O₄@PEG group and Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 group were 8.25±1.39 and 7.81±3.22, respectively). After the injection of the probe, the plaque signal of the two groups decreased. Compared with the Fe₃O₄@PEG group, the plaque signal of the target probe Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 group decreased more significantly (8 h, 5.37±1.79 vs. 3.91±2.26, P=0.001; 16 h, 6.68±2.39 vs. 4.61±2.80, P=0.001). Prussian blue staining revealed the deposition of nanoprobes within the plaques, corresponding to the positive areas of immunohistochemistry. ConclusionsROCK1 is highly expressed and active in atherosclerotic plaques. Fe₃O₄@PEG-ROCK1 may be used as an effective magnetic resonance contrast-enhancing agent for the non-invasive detection of atherosclerotic plaques to promote the visual detection of plaques.

Relationship between CSF inflow into the cerebral glymphatic system of AD mice and age: A visualization study based on 9.4 T DCE-MRI

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflow into the cerebral glymphatic system (GS) in Alzheimer^{^,}s disease (AD) model mice at different ages via 9.4 T dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI, in order to elucidate the alterations through the cerebral GS clearance with age, and the role of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in the cerebral GS clearance. Materials and MethodsAPP/PS1 AD mice and wild-type (WT) mice aged 2, 4, 6, and 8 months were included in a total of 8 groups, with 1 mouse in each group. After injection of gadolinium contrast agent Gadopentate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) into the cerebellomedullary cistern, the first DCE-MRI scan was completed at 30 minutes, followed by collection every 15 minutes until a total of 8 imaging scans were completed. Subsequently, AQP4 inhibitor N-(1, 3, 4-thiadiazole) nicotinamide (TGN-020) was used to treat WT mice aged 2 months before DCE scanning. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression changes of AQP4 and β-amyloid protein with increasing age. ResultsIn the early stage of AD of the APP/PS1 mouse model, it was observed that with increasing age, amyloid protein gradually accumulated, and mean signal intensity of CSF inflow showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. At 4 to 6 months of age, the deposition rate of β-amyloid protein was slow, corresponding to the highest mean signal intensity of CSF inflow at corresponding age (CSF inflow at 4 months old, 2 711.67±1 270.25; CSF inflow at 6 months old, 2 632.25±729.65). Meanwhile, AQP4 exhibited a decreasing polarization degree with increasing age. Subsequently, after treatment with AQP4 inhibitor TGN-020, a decrease in mean signal intensity of CSF inflow was observed in the GS (from 3 578.08±1 199.95 to 1 655.42±377.96; P=0.06). ConclusionsIn the early stage of AD disease (before 8 months of age), the utilization of the cerebral GS is more pronounced in 6-month-old mice, which may serve as a window period for AD treatment. AQP4 plays an important role in the cerebral GS and may be a breakthrough point for studying and treating AD.

Experimental study on expression of TGF-β1 in fibrotic myocardium of rat by magnatic resonance targeted imaging

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) expression by constructing superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles that carry transforming growth factor-β1 antibody (TGF-β1). Materials and MethodsForty male SD rats were selected, of which 30 were modeled by isoprenaline subcutaneous injection, while the other 10 were used as healthy controls. Myocardial fibrosis modeling was evaluated by ultrasound. The 30 successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the experimental group, simple control group, and blank control group. A TGF-β1 targeting probe (USPIO-anti-TGF-β1) was constructed and injected into experimental rats through the tail vein. The simple control and blank control groups were injected with the same dose of simple USPIO and normal saline. T2^* weighted imaging was performed after 12 hours of injection to observe the change in myocardial signal intensity in the three groups. After MRI was completed, rat myocardium was taken as a specimen for pathological analysis. Independent-samples t test was used to analyze the changes of MRI signals before and after injection. ResultsStable USPIO-anti-TGF-β1 probes were successfully prepared. MRI showed that the myocardial signal of rats in the experimental group remained uniform before administration. No significant low signal areas were observed. After 12 hours of administration, the subendocardial myocardium could be seen in the area of signal reduction. There was a significant difference in the relative signal strength of the two groups (0.72±0.12 vs. 0.62±0.10, P<0.01); There was no significant decrease in myocardial signal between the simple control group and the blank control group before and after administration (0.73±0.12 vs. 0.71±0.12, P＝0.81; 0.70±0.13 vs. 0.74±0.13, P=0.52). Masson staining showed that the area of myocardial fibrosis in the experimental group was consistent with the area of signal reduction shown by the MRI after administration. Immunohistochemistry showed positive expression of TGF-β1 in the myocardial fibrosis region. Prussian blue staining showed the deposition of iron particles in cardiomyocytes, which confirmed the presence of the USPIO-anti-TGF-β1 probe. ConclusionsUSPIO-anti-TGF-β1 probe can target magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial fibrosis, providing unprecedented ideas for the early diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis, providing experimental basis for monitoring of TGF-β1 expression and the selection and evaluation of anti fibrosis therapies.

7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of left ventricular function improvement in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau environment following sodium selenite administration: A preliminary study

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo assess the improvement of sodium selenite (SE) on left ventricular function after pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a high-altitude hypoxic environment using cardiac magnetic resonance tissue tracking (CMR-TT). At the same time, the potential mechanism of SE improving left ventricular function after PAH was preliminarily explored. Materials and MethodsForty-six male SD rats were relocated overland from Chengdu (altitude 500 m) to the Plateau Animal Laboratory in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province (altitude 4250 m) the day following their acquisition. Subsequently, they were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group (n=10), a model group treated with monocrotaline (MCT) (MCT group, n=20), and a treatment group (SE group, n=16). After being raised in a hypoxic environment for 28 weeks, both the MCT and SE groups of rats were administered a one-time intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg MCT to establish the PAH model, whereas the control group received an equivalent volume of saline injection. One week later, rats in the SE group were treated with 0.7 mg/kg of SE via oral gavage for a continuous period of one month, while the control group and MCT group were kept on routine feeding. Upon completion of the intervention, the rats were transported back to Chengdu where 8 rats from each of the three groups were randomly selected for CMR imaging to assess left ventricular function, strain, and T2 relaxation time. After completing the CMR scan, heart tissue and blood samples are collected from the rat for respective pathological and biochemical analysis. ResultsCompared with control group, MCT group of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (61.36%±4.50%) and left ventricular global circumferential strain (LVGCS) (-19.81%±0.84%) were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). However, LVEF (75.29%±5.67%), left ventricular global radial strain (LVGRS) (42.90%±5.94%), and LVGCS (-21.43%±1.33%) were significantly higher in the SE group compared with the MCT group (all P<0.05). The results showed that SE treatment improved left ventricular function after PAH. The levels of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the control and MCT groups were statistically significant [control group vs. MCT group: (16 544.38±3 734.02) U/mL vs. (9 974.00±900.80) U/mL, P<0.05], serum malondialdehyde (MDA) increased in MCT group compared to control group [MCT group vs. control group: 9.00 (7.60, 13.20) μmol/L vs. 3.86 (3.60, 6.20) μmol/L, P<0.01], suggesting that the antioxidant capacity of rats in MCT group decreased. After SE intervention, rats in the SE group exhibited increased serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) ( 292.60±44.38) U/mL and GSH-Px (17 843.26±3 585.44) U/mL as well as decreased MDA levels [5.37 (5.10, 6.20) μmol/L] (all P<0.05). The apoptosis staining showed that the relative fluorescence intensity of the left ventricle of MCT was significantly higher compared with that of control group (P<0.001), whereas SE treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the relative fluorescence intensity of apoptosis staining in the SE group compared with that of the MCT group (P<0.001). ConclusionsThe CMR-TT technique enables the quantitative evaluation of left ventricular functional abnormalities following pulmonary arterial hypertension. SE can improve left ventricular function after PAH in hypoxic environment, which may be related to increasing antioxidant capacity and alleviating left ventricular cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Application of head enhanced T1WI sequences based on deep learning reconstruction technology in the transformation of pituitary neuroendocrine neoplasms

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the imaging quality of head T1WI enhanced sequences based on deep learning reconstruction (DL Recon) and conventional T1WI enhanced sequences in pituitary neuroendocrine tumor lesions. Materials and MethodsFifty patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumor undergoing enhanced head MRI scan were prospectively collected, and customized T1WI (experimental group) and conventional T1WI (control group) axial scanning were performed after injection of contrast agent. In the experimental group, two sets of images were assigned, the DL-treated images were assigned as group A, the original images without DL treatment were assigned as group B, and the control group was assigned as group C.The signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of images in gray matter, white matter and focal area of each group were compared and analyzed, and the overall quality and diagnostic confidence of images were analyzed by two diagnostic physicians. ResultsThe T1WI scanning time (42 s) of the experimental group was shorter than that of the traditional T1WI scanning time (76 s).The SNR gray matter, SNR white matter and SNR lesions in group A were significantly higher than those in groups B and C (P<0.001); CNR gray matter/white matter and CNR lesion/white matter in group A were higher than those in groups B and C (P<0.001); the overall image quality scores of group A (5 vs. 3 and 4) were significantly higher than those of groups B and C (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in diagnostic confidence (P<0.05). ConclusionsIn the imaging of pituitary neuroendocrine tumor, the head T1WI enhanced sequence based on DL reconstruction technology has better image quality and the same diagnostic confidence compared with the conventional T1WI enhanced sequence with shorter scanning time.

Optimization of artificial intelligence-assisted compressed sensing sequences for cerebral and carotid 3D-TOF-MRA

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveBy comparing the application of different acceleration factors (AF) in parallel imaging (PI), compressed sensing (CS), and artificial intelligence-compressed sensing (ACS) techniques for three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D-TOF-MRA) in the cerebral and carotid region, to select an optimized acceleration factor for ACS. Materials and MethodsTwenty-four healthy volunteers were prospectively recruited and underwent cerebral and carotid 3D-TOF-MRA scanning with AF of 3 in PI (PI 3), 4 and 6 in CS (CS 4 and CS 6), and 4, 6, 8 and 10 in ACS (ACS 4, ACS 6, ACS 8 and ACS 10). Scan durations were: PI 3=8 min 40 s; CS 4=6 min 38 s; CS 6=4 min 9 s; ACS 4=5 min 24 s; ACS 6=4 min 30 s; ACS 8=4 min 13 s; ACS 10=3 min 24 s. Regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated in bilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) at M1 segment, bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) at C4 segment, five levels below the bifurcation of the carotid artery in bilateral common carotid artery (CCA), and temporal white matter at the same level as MCA and ICA, with the sternocleidomastoid muscle at the same level as CCA serving as the background region. Signal intensity (SI) and standard deviation (SD) were recorded to calculate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Image quality was assessed using four-point and five-point scales for overall image quality, intracranial arteries, and major neck arteries. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to compare the consistency of objective evaluations between two radiologists and within the same radiologist, while Kappa test was employed to compare the consistency of subjective evaluations. If consistency was satisfactory, objective and subjective ratings from one radiologist were selected for subsequent analysis. One-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare overall differences in objective and subjective ratings, with post hoc tests conducted for statistically significant differences. ResultsCompared with PI, there were statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in SNR_L-MCA of ACS 4-ACS 8, CNR_L-MCA of ACS 8 and ACS 10, CNR_R-MCA of ACS 4, ACS 6, and ACS 10, SNR_R-MCA, SNR_L-CCA, CNR_L-CCA of ACS 4-ACS 10, SNR_R-CCA, CNR_R-CCA, compared with PI 3, all of which were higher than PI 3. Compared with CS, statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in SNR_R-MCA, CNR_L-MCA, and CNR_R-MCA of ACS 4-ACS 10, SNR_L-MCA, SNR_L-CCA, SNR_R-CCA, CNR_L-CCA, CNR_R-CCA of ACS 4-ACS 8, compared with CS 4, as well as SNR_L-MCA, SNR_R-MCA, CNR_L-MCA, CNR_R-MCA, SNR_L-ICA, SNR_R-ICA, CNR_L-ICA, SNR_L-CCA, SNR_R-CCA, CNR_L-CCA, CNR_R-CCAof ACS 4-ACS 10, compared with CS 6, all of which were superior to CS 4 and CS 6. In pairwise comparisons among ACS, SNR_L-MCA of ACS 8 was higher than ACS 10 (P<0.05), SNR_R-CCAand CNR_R-CCA of ACS 8 and ACS 10 were both higher than ACS4 (P<0.05), while other differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Except for the images of the carotid arteries, subjective scoring results showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between ACS 4-ACS 10 and CS 6, all of which were superior to CS 6. ConclusionsCompared with PI and CS, ACS has shorter scanning time and better image quality. ACS 8 is the optimal sequence, with a 51% reduction in scanning time compared with PI 3.

Research on multi-source cardiac image segmentation method based on modal interaction learning

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo establish an artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning network for multimodal cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) image segmentation and improve the Dice coefficient. Materials and MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on a publicly available dataset from the 2019 multi-sequence cardiac CMR segmentation challenge, which contains CMR image data of 45 patients including balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) modality, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) modality, and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) modality. A new dual-stream U-shaped network framework was constructed to achieve segmentation of cardiac MR images in both bSSFP and LGE modalities, as well as bSSFP and T2WI modalities. During the encoding phase, unregistered images of each modality were alternately fed into their respective branches for feature learning. The obtained feature maps were then fed into a shared layer for the interaction and supplementation of multi-modal information, and the shared features were finally separated and fed into their respective branches for decoding and output. Validation experiments were conducted on the 2019 multi-sequence CMR segmentation challenge dataset using five-fold cross-validation. The proposed model^{^,}s performance was evaluated using the Dice coefficient, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to test the differences between the models. ResultsIn the segmentation experiments of bSSFP and LGE modalities, the proposed method showed a significant improvement in average Dice coefficient compared to the traditional UNet model and the latest Swin-Unet model for the bSSFP modality (P<0.001). For the LGE modality, the average Dice coefficient was significantly improved compared to the traditional UNet model (P<0.001), and there was some improvement compared to the Swin-Unet model (P=0.001) and the dual-stream UNet model (P=0.021). In the segmentation experiments of bSSFP and T2WI modalities, the proposed method demonstrates a significant improvement in average Dice coefficient for the bSSFP modality compared to the UNet model, Swin-Unet model, and dual-stream UNet model (P<0.001). For the T2WI modality, the average Dice coefficient was significantly improved compared to the UNet model (P<0.001) and showed improvement compared to the Swin-Unet model (P=0.025). ConclusionsThe proposed dual-stream U-shaped network framework provides an effective method for multi-modal segmentation of CMR images and improves the Dice coefficient for bSSFP and LGE modalities, as well as bSSFP and T2WI modalities. It effectively addresses the large anatomical differences and grayscale inconsistencies between multi-modal cardiac MR images, thereby enhancing the model^{^,}s generalization ability.

Application of implantable medical devices in magnetic resonance imaging examination and clinical recommendations

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ObjectiveTo investigate the application status of implantable medical devices in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination and put forward clinical suggestions. Materials and MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional investigation, using convenient sampling method. Relying on the Nursing Group of Radiology Society of Chinese Medical Association, an electronic questionnaire was distributed to nurses engaged in imaging nursing from February to March 2023 by asking questions. In this study, the clinical application of MRI examination of compatible, implant material devices, implant materials, magnetic field strength, implantation time and scanning time were investigated. After data collection, Excel 2016 software was used for data analysis. Frequency and percentage (%) were used for descriptive statistical analysis of counting data. ResultsA total of 227 hospitals in 28 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government have filled in valid questionnaires. The investigation on the clinical application of nine types of implantable medical devices showed that more than 75.00% hospitals require the signature of patients or their families before examination, 81.01% hospitals require the signature of clinicians who implant compatible pacemakers, and 77.85% hospitals require to carry instructions. Among them, artificial joints, cardiac stents and orthopedic internal fixators were the most allowed or partially allowed hospitals, accounting for 87.22%, 86.79% and 81.05%, respectively. The number of hospitals allowed or partially allowed for MRI examination of cochlear implant was the least, accounting for 31.28%. Except for the infusion port, the proportion of other eight types of implantable medical device hospitals requiring scanning magnetic field ≤1.5 T was between 64.71% and 83.15%. The proportion of limited implantation time >3 weeks was between 63.01% and 92.96%. The proportion of limited scanning time ≤15 min was between 28.32% and 39.44%. ConclusionsAt present, there were different clinical applications and clinical adaptation conditions of nine types of implantable medical devices in domestic hospitals. Establishing a unified and homogeneous clinical safety assessment and clinical application standard in China has certain guiding significance for clinical safety screening and judgment of nurses in imaging department.

Application of multi-contrast quantitative MR imaging in central nervous system

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Multi-contrast quantitative MRI is one of the most popular MRI techniques who have been made many advances in the research of neuroimaging, mainly including the imagings based on magnetic resonance image compilation (MAGiC) sequence, multiple parametric (MTP) synthetic sequence and strategically acquired gradient echo (STAGE) sequence, etc. They can obtain multiple contrast and quantitative images in a single scan, and the scanning time is significantly shorter than that of the conventional MRI. At the same time, as a three-dimensional sequence, MTP synthetic sequence integrates a variety of current advanced technologies to ensure high signal-to-noise ratio and high resolution of the images. This article reviews the principle and research progress in the central nervous system, advantages and limitations of multi-contrast quantitative MRI, aiming to provide reference for interested scholars and promote its further research and clinical application.

Research progress of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging in children with symptomatic epilepsy

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Children with epilepsy are a group that is particularly vulnerable to developing brain damage due to the developmental stage of the central nervous system. The causes of epilepsy in children are more complex and diverse, and the symptoms can take various forms. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can reduce the damage to the child^{^,}s cerebral cortex, and maximize the brain function. According to whether there is obvious convulsions, epilepsy can be divided into convulsions and non-convulsions. Convulsions are easier to diagnose than non-convulsions, which can lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment. To confirm a diagnosis, it is necessary to use electroencephalography, which generates or exhibits rhythmic electrical discharges. With the continuous development of imaging techniques, it has become possible to identify the causes of epilepsy and locate the seizure foci more accurately and precisely. Additionally, functional imaging techniques have made it possible to early assess the changes in brain function during the early stage of epilepsy. In this article, we reviewed the research progress and clinical application of MRI and its fusion with positron emission tomography (PET) in children with symptomatic epilepsy in recent, the aim is to provide reference and reference for the related research in the future.

Research progress of magnetic resonance imaging in amygdala of major depressive disorder

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental disorder, mainly characterized by depression, loss of interest and pleasure, and suicidal tendencies. The amygdala is one of the key regions for emotional processing and regulation and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MDD. The application of magnetic resonance imaging technology has revealed changes in the structure, function and metabolism of the amygdala in patients with MDD, which has important clinical significance for the early diagnosis, disease monitoring and efficacy evaluation of MDD. Therefore, this article will review relevant research on different magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the amygdala in MDD, aiming to contribute to the thorough understanding of MDD^{^,}s pathological mechanisms and the advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Research progress of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating cerebellar development in preterm infants

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Preterm infants are defined as newborns born at a gestational age of less than 37 weeks. Although most preterm infants do not have obvious brain structural damage, there is still a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the later stage. The specific mechanism is not clear, which may be caused by premature birth disrupting the normal brain development process. In recent years, studies on the brain development of preterm infants mainly focus on the cerebrum, the cerebellum also plays an important role in coordinating motor, learning and cognitive functions, but there are relatively few studies on the cerebellar development of preterm infants. MRI is an imaging technique that can provide information about brain volume, function and metabolism in vivo, and it is of great significance for the study of cerebellar development in preterm infants. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating cerebellar development in preterm infants, with the aim of finding the biomarkers of cerebellar development in preterm infants and providing imaging evidence for the pathophysiological mechanism of cerebellar development in preterm infants.

Research progress of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia based on multimodal magnetic resonance imaging

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Post-stroke aphasia refers to acquired language disorder caused by cerebrovascular or speech central nervous system disorders, which is manifested as language dysfunction. Acupuncture has achieved good clinical efficacy in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia, but its mechanism remains to be explored. In recent years, with the rapid development of multimodal MRI, this technology has the advantages of non-radiation, multi-parameter, multi-sequence imaging, and has been used by many scholars to study the central effect mechanism of PSA. Based on multimodal imaging techniques such as functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, structural MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, this study explores the central effect mechanism of acupuncture on PSA patients from the perspective of brain function, brain structure and brain metabolism, aiming to provide a new direction for the clinical individualized diagnosis and treatment of PSA treated with acupuncture. It provides new ideas for studying the potential mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia.

Progress in imaging research on the blood-brain barrier associated with Alzheimer^{^,}s disease

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Alzheimer^{^,}s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly people, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Research has found that blood-brain barrier (BBB) injury is tightly associated with AD pathology and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of AD. Imaging technology is an effective method for exploring changes in the structure and function of BBB. This article will summarize the internal relationship between BBB injury and AD pathology and the current application status of imaging technology in it, in order to provide new ideas for the early diagnosis and treatment of AD.

The application of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-based brain tissue microstructure imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Diffusion MRI (dMRI) is an imaging technique that utilizes signal contrast generated by the changes in degree and direction of water molecules during the diffusion process. The effectiveness of dMRI primarily relies on the acquisition of MR signals and the fitting models employed. dMRI has significant applications in non-invasively revealing the microstructural features of brain tissue and brain diseases. In recent years, innovative diffusion encoding models such as multidimensional diffusion (MDD), novel signal models such as mean apparent propagator MRI (MAP-MRI), and new compartment models such as neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have been continuously proposed, which have greatly propelled the advancement of brain tissue microstructure imaging techniques. This article offers a comprehensive review of the current advancements in diverse brain tissue microstructure imaging technologies utilizing dMRI, focusing on signal acquisition and model fitting. It explores their initial use in prevalent brain tumors like gliomas and brain metastases, emphasizing clinical concerns such as distinguishing between different types of tumors, determining tumor grades, molecular subtyping, evaluating treatment effectiveness, and predicting patient prognosis. Moving forward, there is a need to enhance the imaging parameters of dMRI-based brain tissue microstructure imaging technologies by optimizing factors like b-value ranges and imaging duration. Moreover, further research and comparison are required to assess the utility of various innovative brain tissue microstructure imaging technologies in addressing the aforementioned critical clinical issues. The goal is to advance the development and clinical implementation of dMRI-based brain tissue microstructure imaging technologies, uncovering the unique features of brain tumors from a microscopic morphology perspective and providing substantial evidence for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, tumor grading, molecular subtyping, and prognosis forecasting in brain tumor cases.

Research progress of contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR in intracranial neoplasms imaging diagnosis

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Contrast-enhanced MRI is a radiological assessment tool commonly used in the diagnosis and treatment of intracranial neoplasms. T1WI sequence is clinically the first choice for contrast-enhanced brain MRI. For a long time, contrast-enhanced T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) has been considered as an auxiliary sequence for assessing leptomeningeal diseases and brain metastases. In recent years, studies have continuously reported that contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR has certain advantages in the detection and differential diagnosis of diseases related to blood-brain barrier, blood-leptomeningeal barrier, blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, blood-ocular barrier, blood-labyrinthine barrier and lymphatic system injuries. Although contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR has demonstrated the tremendous potential in the imaging diagnosis of intracranial neoplasms, contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR has not been widely used in clinical practice due to the reasons such as: (1) the spectrum of diseases suitable for contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR has not been fully elucidated, (2) the standard scanning parameters for contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR have not been determined, (3) it increases the MRI examination time. This article provides an overview of the technical characteristics, normal imaging manifestations, current application status, and latest progress of the contrast-enhanced T2 FLAIR sequence in intracranial neoplasms imaging diagnosis. Provide references for further scientific research and clinical applications in the future.

Hemodynamic Imaging Techniques and New Advances in Carotid Artery Plaques

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Carotid atherosclerotic stenosis is one of the main diseases causing ischemic stroke (IS), and early detection of stenosis and identification of vulnerable plaques can significantly improve the efficacy and reduce the mortality and disability rates. Hemodynamic changes are closely related to the formation, development, and rupture of plaques. The use of hemodynamic parameters to assess the risk of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and guide the selection of clinical treatment methods has become the focus of research on the precise diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of the interaction between hemodynamic parameters and plaques has not been fully elucidated, and hemodynamic imaging techniques have not been widely developed. This article reviews the previous literature to further sort out the imaging progress of carotid plaque hemodynamics, as well as the interaction mechanism between hemodynamic changes and plaque formation, development and rupture, and discuss the relationship between these features and IS, aiming to evaluate the predictive value of plaque composition and hemodynamics in stroke events caused by carotid atherosclerotic stenosis.

Value of imaging techniques in early detection and assessment of cardiac dysfunction in breast cancer patients post-chemotherapy

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Breast cancer has become the most prevalent cancer worldwide. With the advancement in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the survival time of breast cancer patients has been significantly extended. However, anti-tumor treatments can lead to cardiac-related complications, resulting in cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). CTRCD begins with subclinical myocardial cell damage and eventually develops into symptomatic heart failure. Therefore, accurately assessing the occurrence and severity of CTRCD is crucial for the treatment and recovery of cancer patients. With the continuous advancement of medical technology, cardiac imaging has become a key tool in the assessment and management of heart health. This includes echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Beyond providing information on heart structure and function, techniques such as tissue-specific imaging, strain imaging, and perfusion imaging play a crucial role in the early identification and assessment of CTRCD. This article reviewed the progress of different imaging examination techniques in the study of cardiac dysfunction after chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, with a focus on the progress of MRI technology in this area, in the hope of providing more accurate imaging biological information for the early detection of CTRCD.

Advances in imaging features of histological subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

In the fifth edition of the Classification of Digestive System Tumors released by the World Health Organization in 2019, the histological subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma were divided into eight types: coarse beam-mass type, steatohepatitis type, fibrolaminoid type, sclerotic type, clear cell type, chromophobe type, lymphocyte-rich type and neutrophil-rich type. Different subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma show different imaging features due to their histopathologic characteristics. However, there are few studies on the imaging manifestations of each subtype at home and abroad, and the clinical treatment recommendations based on histopathological subtypes are not clear. Based on this, this paper summarized the reported imaging findings and pathological features of each subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma, and discussed the existing limitations and future challenges, in order to provide more theoretical basis for improving the understanding of each subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma and clarifying the choice of treatment strategies.

Progress in the application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Chinese medicine research

Sat,20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a spectroscopic technique that applies magnetic resonance data to the determination of molecular structure, provides an innovative research tool for the study and development of mechanisms in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which helps to deepen the modern understanding of TCM theories and promotes the continued development of the TCM discipline. The MRS technique allows the detection of metabolites in the brain and the in vitro identification of unknown compounds present in body fluids or tissues, revealing the central brain mechanisms under the intervention of TCM tools. This study focused on the overview of MRS technology, the advantages of combining MRS technology with the field of Chinese medicine, the current status of research on the application of MRS technology in the field of Chinese medicine to summarise, and to explore the gaps and shortcomings in the previous research on the application of MRS technology in the field of Chinese medicine, with a view to providing useful references for researchers.

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Hemodynamic Imaging Techniques and New Advances in Carotid Artery Plaques

Value of imaging techniques in early detection and assessment of cardiac dysfunction in breast cancer patients post-chemotherapy

Advances in imaging features of histological subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma

Progress in the application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Chinese medicine research

Resting-state fMRI study on altered spontaneous brain activity of Parkinson^{^,}s disease patients with and without rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

Progress in imaging research on the blood-brain barrier associated with Alzheimer^{^,}s disease