• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.65-70
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• 2017

Purpose: To optimize the saturation time and maximizing the pH-weighted difference between the normal and ischemic brain regions, on 3-tesla amide proton transfer (APT) imaging using an in vivo rat model. Materials and Methods: Three male Wistar rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion, and were examined in a 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. APT imaging acquisition was performed with 3-dimensional turbo spin-echo imaging, using a 32-channel head coil and 2-channel parallel radiofrequency transmission. An off-resonance radiofrequency pulse was applied with a Sinc-Gauss pulse at a $B_{1,rms}$ amplitude of $1.2{\mu}T$ using a 2-channel parallel transmission. Saturation times of 3, 4, or 5 s were tested. The APT effect was quantified using the magnetization-transfer-ratio asymmetry at 3.5 ppm with respect to the water resonance (APT-weighted signal), and compared with the normal and ischemic regions. The result was then applied to an acute stroke patient to evaluate feasibility. Results: Visual detection of ischemic regions was achieved with the 3-, 4-, and 5-s protocols. Among the different saturation times at $1.2{\mu}T$ power, 4 s showed the maximum difference between the ischemic and normal regions (-0.95%, P = 0.029). The APTw signal difference for 3 and 5 s was -0.9% and -0.7%, respectively. The 4-s saturation time protocol also successfully depicted the pH-weighted differences in an acute stroke patient. Conclusion: For 3-tesla turbo spin-echo APT imaging, the maximal pH-weighted difference achieved when using the $1.2{\mu}T$ power, was with the 4 s saturation time. This protocol will be helpful to depict pH-weighted difference in stroke patients in clinical settings.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.139-149
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• 2019

Purpose: With neurodegeneration, the signal intensity of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain increases. The objective of this study was to evaluate chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) signals with and without the contribution of CSF signals in elderly human brains using two different 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences Methods: Full CEST signals were acquired in ten subjects (Group I) with a three-dimensional (3D)-segmented gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence and in ten other subjects (Group II) with a 3D gradient and spin-echo (GRASE) sequence using two different 3T MRI systems. The segmented tissue compartments of gray and white matter were used to mask the CSF signals in the full CEST images. Two sets of magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR_asym) maps were obtained for each offset frequency in each subject with and without masking the CSF signals (masked and unmasked conditions, respectively) and later compared using paired t-tests. Results: The region-of-interest (ROI)-based analyses showed that the MTR_asym values for both the 3D-segmented gradient-echo EPI and 3D GRASE sequences were altered under the masked condition compared with the unmasked condition at several ROIs and offset frequencies. Conclusions: Depending on the imaging sequence, the MTR_asym values can be overestimated for some areas of the elderly human brain when CSF signals are unmasked. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to minimize this overestimation in the case of elderly patients.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.241-250
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• 2015

Noninvasive temperature monitoring is feasible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) based on temperature sensitive MR parameters such as $T_1$ and $T_2$ relaxation times, Proton Resonance Frequency shift (PRFs), diffusion, exchange process, magnetization transfer contrast, chemical exchange saturation transfer, etc. While the temperature monitoring is very useful to guide the thermal treatment such as RF hyperthermia or thermal ablation, the optimization of the MR thermometry method is essential because the range of temperature measurement depends on the choice of the measurement methods. Useful temperature range depends on the purpose of treatment methods, for example, $42^{\circ}C$ to $45^{\circ}C$ for RF hyperthermia and over $50^{\circ}C$ for thermal ablation. In this paper, MR thermometry methods using $T_1$ and $T_2$ relaxation times and PRFs-based MR thermometry are tried on a 3.0 T MRI system and their results are reported and compared. In addition, the scanning protocol and temperature calculation algorithms from $T_1$ and $T_2$ relaxation times and PRFs are optimized for the different temperature ranges for the purpose of RF hyperthermia and/or thermal ablation.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.202-209
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the temperature-based differences of cortical bone ultrashort echo time MRI (UTE-MRI) biomarkers between body and room temperatures. Investigations of ex vivo UTE-MRI techniques were performed mostly at room temperature however, it is noted that the MRI properties of cortical bone may differ in vivo due to the higher temperature which exists as a condition in the live body. Materials and Methods: Cortical bone specimens from fourteen donors ($63{\pm}21$ years old, 6 females and 8 males) were scanned on a 3T clinical scanner at body and room temperatures to perform T1, $T2^*$, inversion recovery UTE (IR-UTE) $T2^*$ measurements, and two-pool magnetization transfer (MT) modeling. Results: Single-component $T2^*$, $IR-T2^*$, short and long component $T2^*s$ from bi-component analysis, and T1 showed significantly higher values while the noted macromolecular fraction (MMF) from MT modeling showed significantly lower values at body temperature, as compared with room temperature. However, it is noted that the short component fraction (Frac1) showed higher values at body temperature. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for careful consideration of the temperature effects on MRI measurements, before extending a conclusion from ex vivo studies on cortical bone specimens to clinical in vivo studies. It is noted that the increased relaxation times at higher temperature was most likely due to an increased molecular motion. The T1 increase for the studied human bone specimens was noted as being significantly higher than the previously reported values for bovine cortical bone. The prevailing discipline notes that the increased relaxation times of the bound water likely resulted in a lower signal loss during data acquisition, which led to the incidence of a higher Frac1 at body temperature.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.770-781
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• 2021

Objective: Chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive for detecting solid-like proteins and may detect changes in the levels of mobile proteins and peptides in tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of chemical exchange proton pools using the CEST MRI technique in patients with dementia. Materials and Methods: Our institutional review board approved this cross-sectional prospective study and informed consent was obtained from all participants. This study included 41 subjects (19 with dementia and 22 without dementia). Complete CEST data of the brain were obtained using a three-dimensional gradient and spin-echo sequence to map CEST indices, such as amide, amine, hydroxyl, and magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR_asym) values, using six-pool Lorentzian fitting. Statistical analyses of CEST indices were performed to evaluate group comparisons, their correlations with gray matter volume (GMV) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Amine signals (0.029 for non-dementia, 0.046 for dementia, p = 0.011 at hippocampus) and MTR_asym values at 3 ppm (0.748 for non-dementia, 1.138 for dementia, p = 0.022 at hippocampus), and 3.5 ppm (0.463 for non-dementia, 0.875 for dementia, p = 0.029 at hippocampus) were significantly higher in the dementia group than in the non-dementia group. Most CEST indices were not significantly correlated with GMV; however, except amide, most indices were significantly correlated with the MMSE scores. The classification power of most CEST indices was lower than that of GMV but adding one of the CEST indices in GMV improved the classification between the subject groups. The largest improvement was seen in the MTR_asym values at 2 ppm in the anterior cingulate (area under the ROC curve = 0.981), with a sensitivity of 100 and a specificity of 90.91. Conclusion: CEST MRI potentially allows noninvasive image alterations in the Alzheimer's disease brain without injecting isotopes for monitoring different disease states and may provide a new imaging biomarker in the future.