• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5599-5605
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• 2015

In oncology various imaging modalities play a crucial role in diagnosis, staging, restaging, treatment monitoring and follow up of various cancers. Stand-alone morphological imaging like computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide a high magnitude of anatomical details about the tumor but are relatively dumb about tumor physiology. Stand-alone functional imaging like positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) are rich in functional information but provide little insight into tumor morphology. Introduction of first hybrid modality PET/CT is the one of the most successful stories of current century which has revolutionized patient care in oncology due to its high diagnostic accuracy. Spurred on by this success, more hybrid imaging modalities like SPECT/CT and PET/MR were introduced. It is the time to explore the potential applications of the existing hybrid modalities, developing and implementing standardized imaging protocols and train users in nuclear medicine and radiology. In this review we discuss three existing hybrid modalities with emphasis on their technical aspects and clinical applications in oncology.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2002

Purpose： The Purpose of this study was to evaluate the quantitative variation of brain activity evoked by visual sexual stimulation before and after testosterone supplementation in hypogonadal patients by using BOLD functional MR imaging.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 1997

fMRI, functional MRI introduced receently appears based on the gradient echo technique which is sensitive to the field inhomogeneity developed due to the local susceptibility changes of blood oxygenation and deoxygenation. There has been many variants of the basic gradient echo sequence which is sensitive to the local inhomogeniety, among others such as GRASS or SSFP to EPISTAR are the most commonly used gradient echo techniques. Common to all these gradient echo techniques is that the signal due to the susceptibility effects is generally decreased with increasing inhomogeneity due to the $T2^{*}$ effect or conventionally konwn as blood oxygenation level dependent(BOLD) effect. It is, also found that the BOLD sensitivity is also dependent on the imaging modes, namely whether the imaging is in axial, or coronal or sagittal mode as well as the directions of the vessels against the main magnetic field. We have, therefore, launched a systematic study of imaging mode dependent signal change or BOLD sensitivity as well as the signal changes due tothe tilting angle of the imaging planes. Study has been made for both TRFGE sequence and CGE sequence to compare the distinctions of the each mode since each technique has different sensitivity againsst susceptibility effect. Method of computation and both the computer simulations and their corresponding experimental results are presented.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 1997

Purpose: To evaluate the differences of functional imaging patterns between conventional spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) and echo planar imaging (EPI) methods in cerebral motor cortex activation. Materials and Methods: Functional MR imaging of cerebral motor cortex activation was examined on a 1.5T MR unit with SPGR (TRfrE/flip angle=50ms/4Oms/$30^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=256{\times}256$, slice thickness=5mm) and an interleaved single shot gradient echo EPI (TRfrE/flip angle = 3000ms/40ms/$90^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=128{\times}128$, slice thickness=5mm) techniques in five male healthy volunteers. A total of 160 images in one slice and 960 images in 6 slices were obtained with SPGR and EPI, respectively. A right finger movement was accomplished with a paradigm of an 8 activation/ 8 rest periods. The cross-correlation was used for a statistical mapping algorithm. We evaluated any differences of the time series and the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods obtained with two techniques. Also, the locations and areas of the activation sites were compared between two techniques. Results: The activation sites in the motor cortex were accurately localized with both methods. In the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods at the activation regions, no significant differences were found between EPI and SPGR. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the time series data was higher in EPI than in SPGR by two folds. Also, larger pixels were distributed over small p-values at the activation sites in EPI. Conclusions: Good quality functional MR imaging of the cerebral motor cortex activation could be obtained with both SPGR and EPI. However, EPI is preferable because it provides more precise information on hemodynamics related to neural activities than SPGR due to high sensitivity.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1999

Purpose : To investigate the difference of total activation in visual area, motor area, and cerebellum according to the stimulation paradigm. Materials and Methods : Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 healthy volunteers with visual and motor activity using EPI technique. LED and Checker-Board stimulation were performed for visual activity. Thumb motion and Finger Tapping were performed for motor and cerebellum activity. Stimulus timing was 60sec. off, 120sec. on, 60sec. off. Data processing was carried out by using the cross-correlation method for each pixel. Each pixel was then selected and assumed activated if the correlation coefficient was equal or larger than a threshold value. Time course data was obtained by calculating the total activation which was defined as the number of activated pixel x averaged pixel intensity. Results : In the case of visual activity with LED stimulation, we found increased total activity of more than 100% compared with Checker-Board stimulation. In the case of motor area and cerebellum with Finger tapping stimulation, we found increased total activity of more than 10% and 150%, respectively compared with Thumb motion stimulation.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify which findings in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are good predicators of pain and mouth opening limitation in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement (ID). Materials and Methods: Clinical examinations for pain and mouth opening limitation were conducted for suspected TMJ ID. MRI scans were taken within a week of clinical examinations. On the oblique-sagittal plane image, readings were obtained in terms of the functional aspect of disc position, degree of displacement, disc deformity, joint effusion, and osteoarthrosis. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the predictors of pain and mouth opening limitation. Results: A total of 48 patients (96 TMJs) were studied, including 39 female patients and 9 male patients whose ages ranged from 10 to 65 years. The resultant data showed significant correlations between pain and the MR imaging of the degree of disc displacement (P<0.05). The probability of there being pain in moderate to significant cases was 9.69 times higher than in normal cases. No significant correlation was found between mouth opening limitation and MRI findings. Conclusion: We identified a significant correlation between clinical symptoms and MRI findings of ID. The degree of anterior disc displacement may be useful for predicting pain in patients with TMJ ID.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2024

Even though MR can reveal excellent soft-tissue contrast and functional information, CT is also required for electron density information for accurate dose calculation in Radiotherapy. For the fusion of MRI and CT images in RT treatment planning workflow, patients are normally scanned on both MRI and CT imaging modalities. Recently deep-learning-based generations of CT images from MR images became possible owing to machine learning technology. This eliminated CT scanning work. This study implemented a CycleGan deep-learning-based CT image generation from MR images. Three CT generators whose learning is based on T1- , T2- , or T1-&T2-weighted MR images were created, respectively. We found that the T1-weighted MR image-based generator can generate better than other CT generators when T1-weighted MR images are input. In contrast, a T2-weighted MR image-based generator can generate better than other CT generators do when T2-weighted MR images are input. The results say that the CT generator from MR images is just outside the practical clinics and the specific weight MR image-based machine-learning generator can generate better CT images than other sequence MR image-based generators do.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2001

Authors investigated neuronal changes of local cellular metabolism in the cerebral lesions of Parkinsonian symptomatic side between before and after stereotactic neurosurgery by follow-up 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) (n = 15) and age-matched normal controls (n = 15) underwen MRS examinations using a stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) pulse sequence that provided 2${\times}$2${\times}$2 ㎤ (8ml) volume of interest in the regions of substantia nigra, thalamus, and lentiform nucleus. Spectral parameters were 20 ms TE, 2000 ms TR, 128 averages,2500 Hz spectral width, and 2048 data points. Raw data were processed by the SAGE data analysis package (GE Medical Systems). Peak areas of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds (Cho), inositols (Ins), and the sum (Glx) of glutamate and GABA were calculated by means of fitting the spectrum to a summation of Lorentzian curves using Marquardt algorithm. After blindly processed, we evaluated neuronal alterations of observable metabolite ratios between before and after stereotactic neurosurgery using Pearson product-moment analysis (SPSS, Ver. 6.0). A significant reduction of NAA/Cho ratio was observed in the cerebral lesion in substantia nigra of PD patient related to the symptomatic side after neurosurgery (P : 0.03). In thalamus, NAA/Cho ratio was also significantly decreased in the cerebral lesion including the electrode-surgical region (P : 0.03). A significant reduction of NAA/Cho ratio in lentiform nucleus was not oberved, but tended toward significant reduction after neurosurgery (P = 0.08). In particular, remarkable lactate signal was noted from the surgical thalamic lesions of 6 among 8 patients and internal segments of globus pallidus of 6 among 7 patients, respectively. Significant metabolic alterations of NAA/Cho ratio might reflect functional changes of neuropathological processes in the lesion of substantia nigra, thalamus, and lentiform nucleus, and could be a valuable finding fur evaluation of Parkinson's disease after neurosurgery. Increase of lactate signals, being remarkable in surgical lesions, could be consistent with a common consequence of neurosurgical necrosis. Thus, IH MRS could be a useful modality to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic implications fur Parkinsons disease after functional neurosurgery.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2012

Purpose : During brain MRI scanning, subject's head motion can adversely affect MRI images. To minimize MR image distortion by head movement, we developed an optical tracking system to detect the 3-D movement of subjects. Materials and Methods: The system consisted of 2 CCD cameras, two infrared illuminators, reflective sphere-type markers, and frame grabber with desktop PC. Using calibration which is the procedure to calculate intrinsic/extrinsic parameters of each camera and triangulation, the system was desiged to detect 3-D coordinates of subject's head movement. We evaluated the accuracy of 3-D position of reflective markers on both test board and the real MRI scans. Results: The stereo system computed the 3-D position of markers accurately for the test board and for the subject with glasses with attached optical reflective marker, required to make regular head motion during MRI scanning. This head motion tracking didn't affect the resulting MR images even in the environment varying magnetic gradient and several RF pulses. Conclusion: This system has an advantage to detect subject's head motion in real-time. Using the developed system, MRI operator is able to determine whether he/she should stop or intervene in MRI acquisition to prevent more image distortions.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.153-163
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• 2008

Medical imaging modalities to image either anatomical structure or functional processes have developed along somewhat independent paths. Functional images with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and staging of malignant disease, image-guided therapy planning, and treatment monitoring. SPECT and PET complement the more conventional anatomic imaging modalities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. When the functional imaging modality was combined with the anatomic imaging modality, the multimodality can help both identify and localize functional abnormalities. Combining PET with a high-resolution anatomical imaging modality such as CT can resolve the localization issue as long as the images from the two modalities are accurately coregistered. Software-based registration techniques have difficulty accounting for differences in patient positioning and involuntary movement of internal organs, often necessitating labor-intensive nonlinear mapping that may not converge to a satisfactory result. These challenges have recently been addressed by the introduction of the combined PET/CT scanner and SPECT/CT scanner, a hardware-oriented approach to image fusion. Combined PET/CT and SPECT/CT devices are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and staging of human disease. The paper will review the development of multi modality instrumentations for clinical use from conception to present-day technology and the application software.