Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of paraspinal muscles for assessing chronic non-specific low back pain in young adults: a prospective case-control study.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the application of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of paraspinal muscles in assessing the young CNLBP with unilateral symptom.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 107 young individuals with unilateral symptomatic CNLBP (56 cases) and a normal cohort (51 cases). All subjects underwent conventional lumbar sequences, T2 mapping, and IDEAL-IQ scans at 3T.

Image quality and detection efficacy of zero echo time magnetic resonance imaging on Lung-RADS 2 pulmonary ground-glass nodules in comparison to thin-slice fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging.

Background: Widely used computed tomography (CT) screening increases the detection of pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs), often classified as the second category of Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS 2). Despite their low malignancy risk, these nodules pose significant challenges and necessitate accurate assessment to minimize the risk of long-term follow-ups. This study investigated the detection efficacy of zero echo time (ZTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and thin-slice fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging (T2WI-FS) on 3.

Feasibility of Three-Dimension Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI for Predicting Tumor and Node Staging in Rectal Adenocarcinoma: An Exploration of Optimal ROI Measurement.

To investigate the feasibility of predicting rectal adenocarcinoma (RA) tumor (T) and node (N) staging from an optimal ROI measurement using amide proton transfer weighted-signal intensity (APTw-SI) and magnetization transfer (MT) derived from three-dimensional chemical exchange saturation transfer(3D-CEST). Fifty-eight RA patients with pathological TN staging underwent 3D-CEST and DWI. APTw-SI, MT, and ADC values were measured using three ROI approaches (ss-ROI, ts-ROI, and wt-ROI) to analyze the TN staging (T staging, T1-2 vs T3-4; N staging, N - vs N +); the reproducibility of APTw-SI and MT was also evaluated.

A clinically-recommended MR whole lung imaging protocol using free-breathing 3D isotropic zero echo time sequence.

Rationale And Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and image quality of free-breathing 3D isotropic zero echo time (ZTE) whole-lung imaging and explore a clinically appropriate protocol for MR lung imaging.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the local ethics committee. A total of thirty healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study from October 2022 to May 2023.

Multimodal neuroimaging exploration of the mechanisms of sleep quality deterioration after SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection.

Background: To evaluate the neurological alterations induced by Omicron infection, to compare brain changes in chronic insomnia with those in exacerbated chronic insomnia in Omicron patients, and to examine individuals without insomnia alongside those with new-onset insomnia.

Methods: In this study, a total of 135 participants were recruited between January 11 and May 4, 2023, including 26 patients with chronic insomnia without exacerbation, 24 patients with chronic insomnia with exacerbation, 40 patients with no sleep disorder, and 30 patients with new-onset insomnia after infection with Omicron (a total of 120 participants with different sleep statuses after infection), as well as 15 healthy controls who were never infected with Omicron. Neuropsychiatric data, clinical symptoms, and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging data were collected.

Evaluation of deep learning-based reconstruction late gadolinium enhancement images for identifying patients with clinically unrecognized myocardial infarction.

Background: The presence of infarction in patients with unrecognized myocardial infarction (UMI) is a critical feature in predicting adverse cardiac events. This study aimed to compare the detection rate of UMI using conventional and deep learning reconstruction (DLR)-based late gadolinium enhancement (LGE and LGE, respectively) and evaluate optimal quantification parameters to enhance diagnosis and management of suspected patients with UMI.

Methods: This prospective study included 98 patients (68 men; mean age: 55.

Feasibility of diffusion tensor imaging in cervical spondylotic myelopathy using MUSE sequence.

Background Context: The most frequent type of spinal cord injury is cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Conventional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold diagnosis standard for CSM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could reflect microstructural changes in the spinal cord by tracing water molecular diffusion in early stages of CSM.

Effect of Liver Segments and Hepatic Fibrosis Grade on Repeatability, Reliability, and Diagnostic Efficiency of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion.

Background: Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) is considered a potential marker of hepatic fibrosis (HF).

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of repeatability and reliability in IVIM-DWI parameters of ROI-based liver segments in participants with HF and healthy volunteers (HV) and to assess the diagnostic efficiency of these parameters in HF.

Methods: Participants with early HF (EHF, n=59) or advanced HF (AHF, n=38) and HV (n=48) were recruited.

Evaluation of multiplexed sensitivity encoding diffusion-weighted imaging in detecting uterine lesions: Image quality optimization.

Purpose: To compare the image quality of multiplexed sensitivity-encoding diffusion-weighted imaging (MUSE-DWI) and single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI-DWI) techniques in uterine MRI.

Methods: Eighty-eight eligible patients underwent MUSE-DWI and SS-EPI-DWI examinations simultaneously using a 3.0 T MRI system.

Usefulness of T2-Weighted Images with Deep-Learning-Based Reconstruction in Nasal Cartilage.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing nasal cartilage using deep-learning-based reconstruction (DLR) fast spin-echo (FSE) imaging in comparison to three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient-echo (3D FSPGR) images.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 190 set images of 38 participants, including axial T1- and T2-weighted FSE images using DLR (T1WI and T2WI, belong to FSE) and without using DLR (T1WI and T2WI, belong to FSE) and 3D FSPGR images. Subjective evaluation (overall image quality, noise, contrast, artifacts, and identification of anatomical structures) was independently conducted by two radiologists.

Amide proton transfer (APT) and magnetization transfer (MT) in predicting short-term therapeutic outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy: a feasibility study of three-dimensional chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI.

Background: The three-dimensional chemical exchange saturation transfer (3D CEST) technique is a novel and promising magnetic resonance sequence; however, its application in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) lacks sufficient evaluation. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of the 3D CEST technique in predicting the short-term treatment outcomes for chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in NPC patients.

Methods: Forty NPC patients and fourteen healthy volunteers were enrolled and underwent the pre-treatment 3D CEST magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

MRI Radiomics Features of Adenohypophysis Determine the Activation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Peri-Puberty Children.

Background: The status of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is important for assessing the onset of physiological or pathological puberty. The reference standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test requires hospital admission and repeated blood samples. A simple noninvasive method would be beneficial.

Quantitative evaluation of the spinal cord compression in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy using synthetic MRI.

This work aimed to investigate the feasibility and diagnostic value of synthetic MRI, including T1, T2 and PD values in determining the severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). All subjects (51 CSM patients and 9 healthy controls) underwent synthetic MRI scan on a 3.0T GE MR scanner.

A feasibility study of reduced full-of-view synthetic high-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging in uterine tumors.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of reduced full-of-view synthetic high-b value diffusion-weighted images (rFOV-syDWIs) in the clinical application of cervical cancer based on image quality and diagnostic efficacy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the data of 35 patients with cervical cancer and 35 healthy volunteers from May to November 2021. All patients and volunteers underwent rFOV-DWI scans, including a 13b-protocol: b = 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500 s/mm and a 5b-protocol: b = 0, 100, 400, 800,1500 s/mm.

Quantitative assessment of lumbar spine bone marrow in patients with different severity of CKD by IDEAL-IQ magnetic resonance sequence.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a significant negative impact on bone health. Bone marrow is an essential component of bone, mainly composed of trabecular bone and fat. The IDEAL-IQ sequence of MRI allows indirect quantification of trabecular bone mass by R2* and direct quantification of bone marrow fat content by FF map, respectively.

MRI: Evaluating the Application of FOCUS-MUSE Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in the Pancreas in Comparison With FOCUS, MUSE, and Single-Shot DWIs.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a useful technique to detect pancreatic lesion. In DWIs, field-of-view optimized and constrained undistorted single-shot (FOCUS) can improve the spatial resolution and multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE) can gain a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Based on the advantage of FOCUS and MUSE, a new DWI sequence-named FOCUS-MUSE DWI (FOCUS combined with MUSE)-was developed to delineate the pancreas.

Alterations of brain activity in multiple system atrophy patients with freezing of gait: A resting-state fMRI study.

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG) in multiple system atrophy (MSA) is characterized by a higher risk of falls and a reduced quality of life; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be identified by neuroimaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in functional network when compared between MSA patients with and without freezing.

Methods: Degree centrality (DC) based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was computed in 65 patients with MSA and 36 healthy controls.

Feasibility of a Clinical-Radiomics Model to Predict the Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objective: To develop a model incorporating radiomic features and clinical factors to accurately predict acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Data from 522 AIS patients (382 male [73.2%]; mean age ± standard deviation, 58.

Assessment of Solid Pulmonary Nodules or Masses Using Zero Echo Time MR Lung Imaging: A Prospective Head-to-Head Comparison With CT.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the potential of zero echo time (ZTE) MR lung imaging in the assessment of solid pulmonary nodules or masses and diagnostic consistency to CT in terms of morphologic characterization.

Methods: Our Institutional Review Board approved this prospective study. Seventy-one patients with solid pulmonary nodules or masses larger than 1 cm in diameter confirmed by chest CT were enrolled and underwent further lung ZTE-MRI scans within 7 days.

Freezing of Gait in Multiple System Atrophy.

Background And Purpose: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common gait disturbance phenomenon in multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. The current investigation assessed the incidence FOG in a cross-sectional clinical study, and clinical correlations associated with it.

Methods: Ninety-nine MSA patients from three hospitals in China were consecutively enrolled in the study.