Wu Fei, Luo Haiyang, Wang Xiao, Yang Qinqin, Zhuang Yuchuan, Lin Liangjie, Dong Yanbo, Tulupov Andrey, Zhang Yong, Cai Shuhui, Chen Zhong, Cai Congbo, Bao Jianfeng, Cheng Jingliang
Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
J Magn Reson Imaging. 2025 Jun;61(6):2455-2468. doi: 10.1002/jmri.29682. Epub 2025 Jan 29.
Conventional quantitative MRI (qMRI) scan is time-consuming and highly sensitive to movements, posing great challenges for quantitative images of individuals with involuntary movements, such as Huntington's disease (HD).
To evaluate the potential of our developed ultra-fast qMRI technique, multiple overlapping-echo detachment (MOLED), in overcoming involuntary head motion and its capacity to quantitatively assess tissue changes in HD.
Prospective.
PHANTOM/SUBJECTS: A phantom comprising 13 tubes of MnCl at varying concentrations, 5 healthy volunteers (male/female: 1/4), 22 HD patients (male/female: 14/8) and 27 healthy controls (male/female: 15/12).
FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T. MOLED-T2 sequence, MOLED-T2* sequence, T2-weighted spin-echo sequence, T1-weighted gradient echo sequence, and T2-dark-fluid sequence.
T1-weighted images were reconstructed into high-resolution images, followed by segmentation to delineate regions of interest (ROIs). Subsequently, the MOLED T2 and T2* maps were aligned with the high-resolution images, and the ROIs were transformed into the MOLED image space using the transformation matrix and warp field. Finally, T2 and T2* values were extracted from the MOLED relaxation maps.
Bland-Altman analysis, independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson correlation analysis, and Spearman correlation analysis, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
MOLED-T2 and MOLED-T2* sequences demonstrated good accuracy (Meandiff = - 0.20%, SDdiff = 1.05%, and Meandiff = -1.73%, SDdiff = 10.98%, respectively), and good repeatability (average intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.856 and 0.853, respectively). More important, MOLED T2 and T2* maps remained artifact-free across all HD patients, even in the presence of apparent head motions. Moreover, there were significant differences in T2 and T2* values across multiple ROIs between HD and controls.
The ultra-fast scanning capabilities of MOLED effectively mitigate the impact of head movements, offering a robust solution for quantitative imaging in HD. Moreover, T2 and T2* values derived from MOLED provide powerful capabilities for quantifying tissue changes.
Quantitative MRI scan is time-consuming and sensitive to movements. Consequently, obtaining quantitative images is challenging for patients with involuntary movements, such as those with Huntington's Disease (HD). In response, a newly developed MOLED technique has been introduced, promising to resist motion through ultra-fast scan. This technique has demonstrated excellent accuracy and reproducibility and importantly all HD patient's MOLED maps remained artifacts-free. Additionally, there were significant differences in T2 and T2∗ values across ROIs between HD and controls. The robust resistance of MOLED to motion makes it particularly suitable for quantitative assessments in patients prone to involuntary movements.
2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.
传统的定量磁共振成像（qMRI）扫描耗时且对运动高度敏感，这给患有非自主运动的个体（如亨廷顿舞蹈症患者）的定量成像带来了巨大挑战。
评估我们开发的超快速qMRI技术——多重重叠回波分离法（MOLED）在克服头部非自主运动方面的潜力，及其定量评估亨廷顿舞蹈症组织变化的能力。
前瞻性研究。
模型/受试者：一个包含13根不同浓度氯化锰管的模型、5名健康志愿者（男/女：1/4）、22名亨廷顿舞蹈症患者（男/女：14/8）以及27名健康对照者（男/女：15/12）。
场强/序列：3.0 T。MOLED-T2序列、MOLED-T2*序列、T2加权自旋回波序列、T1加权梯度回波序列以及T2黑血序列。
将T1加权图像重建为高分辨率图像，然后进行分割以勾勒出感兴趣区域（ROI）。随后，将MOLED T2和T2图谱与高分辨率图像对齐，并使用变换矩阵和变形场将ROI转换到MOLED图像空间。最后，从MOLED弛豫图谱中提取T2和T2值。
Bland-Altman分析、独立t检验、Mann-Whitney U检验、Pearson相关分析以及Spearman相关分析，P < 0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
MOLED-T2和MOLED-T2序列显示出良好的准确性（平均差异分别为-0.20%，标准差差异为1.05%，以及平均差异为-1.73%，标准差差异为10.98%），以及良好的可重复性（平均组内相关系数分别为0.856和0.853）。更重要的是，即使在存在明显头部运动的情况下，所有亨廷顿舞蹈症患者的MOLED T2和T2图谱均无伪影。此外，亨廷顿舞蹈症患者与对照组之间多个ROI的T2和T*值存在显著差异。
MOLED的超快速扫描能力有效减轻了头部运动的影响，为亨廷顿舞蹈症的定量成像提供了可靠的解决方案。此外，从MOLED获得的T2和T2*值为量化组织变化提供了强大的能力。
定量MRI扫描耗时且对运动敏感。因此，对于患有非自主运动的患者（如亨廷顿舞蹈症患者）而言，获取定量图像具有挑战性。作为回应，一种新开发的MOLED技术被引入，有望通过超快速扫描抵抗运动。该技术已证明具有出色的准确性和可重复性，重要的是，所有亨廷顿舞蹈症患者的MOLED图谱均无伪影。此外，亨廷顿舞蹈症患者与对照组之间ROI的T2和T2∗值存在显著差异。MOLED对运动的强大抵抗力使其特别适合对容易出现非自主运动的患者进行定量评估。
2 技术效能：1级
