PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R R Rzedzian

Publications and source records attributed to R R Rzedzian.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Contrast induced myocardial signal reduction: effect of lanthanide chelates on ultra high speed MR images.

The myocardial MR signal reduction associated with an intravenous bolus of Gd-DTPA and Dy-DTPA was studied in a canine model. Imaging was performed with a high speed echo-planar type imaging system (Instascan, Advanced NMR Systems, Inc.). Gated spin-echo images were obtained with TE of 30 ms, which permits image acquisition in approximately 40 ms. The gated TR was dependent on the heart rate, with an average TR of 2.4 s. After 0.1 mmol/kg of contrast was injected, 70 images were acquired, which showed in an 80-image data set a reduction in myocardial signal with a gradual return to normal. After dipyridamole infusion, the signal loss was significantly more pronounced, and earlier than in the control data set. There was no significant difference between Gd-DTPA and Dy-DTPA in these imaging studies despite the theoretical prediction of better Dy signal reduction, possibly due to physiological variability during the course of a study or between studies. The cause of enhanced contrast effect after dipyridamole infusion is discussed, as is the basis for dipyridamole enhancement, and the possible role of contrast enhanced MR imaging in the detection of cardiac disease.

Animals↗

Nonaxial whole-body instant imaging.

We demonstrate that whole-body, single-shot imaging is practical for imaging out of the central plane, including oblique axes. The technique is illustrated by images of the heart in the cardiac long- and short-axis and by coronal images of the brain. Secondary gradients can produce additional image distortion and ghosting in these images. These artifacts are a direct consequence, predictable by Maxwell's equations, of the large gradients used in echo planar imaging. We show that these effects are, in general, made smaller by working at a high magnetic field.

Artifacts↗

Sensory stimulation by time-varying magnetic fields.

When two human volunteers were imaged with magnetic field gradient dB/dt of 61 T/s RMS, the subjects reported, to our surprise, feeling muscular twitches synchronous with gradient pulses over repeated experiments. No adverse or sustained effects were seen. Experiments in a canine, intended to assess the safety of MR imaging with dB/dt of up to 66 T/s RMS, failed to induce detectable changes in the electrocardiogram or to show any signs of gross response to gradient pulsing. Although these data are preliminary, and largely anecdotal, they suggest a level above which such stimulation may occur. We believe that this is the first report of direct human stimulation in an MRI device and that determination of the stimulation threshold may have impact on the selection of appropriate operating points for magnetic imaging systems.

Animals↗

Functional cerebral imaging by susceptibility-contrast NMR.

In vivo measurement of cerebral physiology by dynamic contrast-enhanced NMR is demonstrated. Time-resolved images of the cerebral transit of paramagnetic contrast agent were acquired using a new ultrafast NMR imaging technique and a novel mechanism of image contrast based on microscopic changes in tissue magnetic susceptibility. Global hypercapnia in dogs was used to establish the relationship between susceptibility-induced signal change and brain blood volume, and the response of gray and white matter to this microvascular stimulus was measured.

Animals↗

Forty-millisecond MR imaging of the abdomen at 2.0 T.

The ability of an ultrafast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique to provide abdominal MR images free of motion artifacts was studied. Individual T2-weighted transverse MR images were acquired in as little as 40 msec on a whole-body system operating at 2.0 T. Clinical evaluation was undertaken with fat-suppressed images in which only protons of water molecules contributed to image signal intensity. The ultrafast MR images were compared with conventional MR images obtained at 0.6 T. In 22 patients and two healthy volunteers, ultrafast MR images were of diagnostic quality and free of motion artifacts. Images obtained at an echo time (TE) of 30 msec (imaging time, 40 msec) had liver signal-to-noise ratios of 56.3 +/- 22.6 (n = 19). Because of a smaller data matrix, ultrafast MR images had soft-tissue interfaces that were less sharp than those of the highest-quality conventional MR images in which no motion artifacts were present. However, ultrafast MR images demonstrated high T2-dependent soft-tissue contrast, and pathologic and normal anatomies were readily detected with both imaging techniques. This ultrafast imaging technique has significant promise in whole-body MR imaging, in which motion artifacts often degrade image quality.

Abdomen↗

Instant images of the body by magnetic resonance.

Proton magnetic resonance (MR) body images of the normal, adult human which have total scan times of typically only 40 ms per image are presented. There is no loss of spatial or contrast resolution due to motional blurring or ghosting; rather, movie loops of multiple 40-ms images directly demonstrate normal respiratory and peristaltic motion. Manifestation of "traditional" relaxation time contrast is demonstrated for a variety of spin echo (TE) and image repetition (TR) times. The images, obtained at 2.0 T on a new high-speed MR system, have a signal-to-noise ratio for muscle of approximately 30:1 (TE = 30 ms) for a 4.7-mm slice thickness (voxel size = 0.08 cm3). In a study presented as an example, 140 images covering the body from diaphragm to pelvis were all obtained within approximately 10 min. This method may help improve the efficacy of MR body imaging in general, and may play a role in applications which require high temporal resolution.

Adult↗

Instant images of the human heart using a new, whole-body MR imaging system.

An extremely rapid MR imaging technique is described, and its use on a new 2.0-T high-speed MR system is demonstrated. This implementation permits complete filling of the two-dimensional spatial-frequency domain (k-space) within an acquisition window of 26 msec. With this acquisition window placed under the spin-echo signal envelope generated by a 90-180 degree pulse pair, the image contrast is the same as that of a conventional spin-echo pulse sequence. Resultant proton images have a motion-independent voxel resolution of 0.08 cm3 and a signal-to-noise ratio for cardiac muscle of approximately 30:1 (for TE = 30 msec) with no signal averaging. The pulse sequence yields images that are chemical shift-resolved. The total proton density distribution is optionally presented with lipid and water signals displayed in two different colors. Cardiac function is observed by displaying multiple images, acquired at different times in successive cardiac periods, in a cyclic movie format. Such motion pictures are obtained within a single period of suspended respiration, thereby assuring freedom from respiratory related motion artifacts. As preliminary examples, we present MR images of the normal adult human heart that have total acquisition times of only 40 msec/image and that show the major cardiac anatomy. Frames from movie loops show contraction of cardiac chambers and left ventricular wall thickening. The extremely rapid acquisition time of this technique suggests that it may hold promise for the routine and cost-effective evaluation of cardiac anatomy and function.

Adult↗