Development and validation of a new MRI simulation technique that can reliably estimate optimal in vivo scanning parameters in a glioblastoma murine model
Authors
Protti, AndreaJones, Kristen L.
Bonal, Dennis M.
Qin, Lei
Politi, Letterio S.
Kravets, Sasha
Nguyen, Quang-De
Van den Abbeele, Annick D.
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of RadiologyDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2018-07-23Keywords
Magnetic resonance imagingMouse models
Cerebrospinal fluid
In vivo imaging
Glioblastoma multiforme
Simulation and modeling
Neuroimaging
Imaging techniques
Computer Sciences
Neoplasms
Radiology
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) relies on optimal scanning parameters to achieve maximal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and high contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between tissues resulting in high quality images. The optimization of such parameters is often laborious, time consuming, and user-dependent, making harmonization of imaging parameters a difficult task. In this report, we aim to develop and validate a computer simulation technique that can reliably provide "optimal in vivo scanning parameters" ready to be used for in vivo evaluation of disease models. METHODS: A glioblastoma murine model was investigated using several MRI imaging methods. Such MRI methods underwent a simulated and an in vivo scanning parameter optimization in pre- and post-contrast conditions that involved the investigation of tumor, brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CNR values in addition to the time relaxation values of the related tissues. The CNR tissues information were analyzed and the derived scanning parameters compared in order to validate the simulated methodology as a reliable technique for "optimal in vivo scanning parameters" estimation. RESULTS: The CNRs and the related scanning parameters were better correlated when spin-echo-based sequences were used rather than the gradient-echo-based sequences due to augmented inhomogeneity artifacts affecting the latter methods. "Optimal in vivo scanning parameters" were generated successfully by the simulations after initial scanning parameter adjustments that conformed to some of the parameters derived from the in vivo experiment. CONCLUSION: Scanning parameter optimization using the computer simulation was shown to be a valid surrogate to the in vivo approach in a glioblastoma murine model yielding in a better delineation and differentiation of the tumor from the contralateral hemisphere. In addition to drastically reducing the time invested in choosing optimal scanning parameters when compared to an in vivo approach, this simulation program could also be used to harmonize MRI acquisition parameters across scanners from different vendors.Source
PLoS One. 2018 Jul 23;13(7):e0200611. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200611. eCollection 2018. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0200611Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/48303PubMed ID
30036367Related Resources
Rights
Copyright: © 2018 Protti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Distribution License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1371/journal.pone.0200611
Scopus Count
Collections
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright: © 2018 Protti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.