 |
|
Real-time MRI helps doctors assess beating heart in fetus
September 30, 2005Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques can provide real-time measurements of volume in a fetal heart, and may better enable physicians to plan care for infants with heart defects, according to a new study. By producing three-dimensional measurements, functional MRIs may represent an advance over the current technology, fetal echocardiography.
"With echocardiography, the heart looks like a shadow. It looks more like a heart with real-time MRI, with excellent soft tissue contrast," said pediatric cardiologist Mark A. Fogel, M.D., director of Cardiac MRI at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. A research team led by Dr. Fogel reported preliminary findings based on studies on two fetuses in the September/October 2005 issue of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy. It was the first example of functional MRI used for cardiac imaging in fetuses.
MRI produces three-dimensional images, whereas echocardiography typically relies on geometric assumptions to measure how big the heart is in the fetus, added Dr. Fogel. One consequence of this capability is that MRI can directly measure the volume of the heart's ventricles.
Echocardiography, which uses reflected ultrasound waves to produce images, may allow physicians to estimate such volumes, but only if the heart has a normal shape. "Many heart diseases involve abnormal shapes, and accurately measuring ventricular volume in such cases is important in assessing how well the heart is working, and in guiding doctors to the most appropriate treatment," said Dr. Fogel.
"For example, if the fetus has poor heart function, a physician might prescribe a drug that improves pumping, or might recommend an earlier delivery," he added. "Better knowledge of specifics of a heart's structure and function could help the physician and parents better prepare for surgery on the infant after birth. This technology may also be useful in determining how the heart becomes malformed in the mother's womb."
Although further studies will be necessary to build on his team's preliminary results, Dr. Fogel suggests that fetal cardiac MRI may be used to complement echocardiography in cases where the latter technology cannot adequately visualize heart structures.
Furthermore, he added, advances in MRI technology may enhance its medical capabilities for fetal medicine. Previously, fetal movement blurred MRI imaging, but as shown in the current study, real-time functional MRI provides usable images in an unsedated, moving fetus. "We expect future MRI technology to provide better resolution and sharper images, produced in shorter times," he said. "Our study is a first step in that direction."
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Echocardiography, which uses reflected ultrasound waves to produce images, may allow physicians to estimate such volumes, but only if the heart has a normal shape. "Many heart diseases involve abnormal shapes, and accurately measuring ventricular volume in such cases is important in assessing how well the heart is working, and in guiding doctors to the most appropriate treatment," said Dr. Fogel.
"For example, if the fetus has poor heart function, a physician might prescribe a drug that improves pumping, or might recommend an earlier delivery," he added. "Better knowledge of specifics of a heart's structure and function could help the physician and parents better prepare for surgery on the infant after birth. This technology may also be useful in determining how the heart becomes malformed in the mother's womb."
Although further studies will be necessary to build on his team's preliminary results, Dr. Fogel suggests that fetal cardiac MRI may be used to complement echocardiography in cases where the latter technology cannot adequately visualize heart structures.
Furthermore, he added, advances in MRI technology may enhance its medical capabilities for fetal medicine. Previously, fetal movement blurred MRI imaging, but as shown in the current study, real-time functional MRI provides usable images in an unsedated, moving fetus. "We expect future MRI technology to provide better resolution and sharper images, produced in shorter times," he said. "Our study is a first step in that direction."
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Current Events and Magnetic Resonance Imaging News RSSNew study by Rice University psychologist finds women's brains recognize, encode smell of male sexual sweat
A new Rice University study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that socioemotional meanings, including sexual ones, are conveyed in human sweat.
Expectant brains help predict anxiety treatment success
A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment.
Rice psychologist identifies area of brain key to choosing words
New research by a Rice University psychologist clearly identifies the parts of the brain involved in the process of choosing appropriate words during speech.
Researchers create smaller, brighter probe tailored for molecular imaging and tumor targeting
Researchers have developed a new generation of microscopic particles for molecular imaging, constituting one of the first promising nanoparticle platforms that may be readily adapted for tumor targeting and treatment in the clinic.
Prenatal alcohol exposure damages white matter, the brain's connective network
One part of the prenatal brain that may be particularly sensitive to alcohol's effects is white matter, nerve fibers through which information is exchanged between different areas of the central nervous system. A recent study has demonstrated that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can alter the microstructural integrity of developing fetal cerebral white matter in the frontal and occipital lobes of the brain.
How mirror neurons allow us to learn and socialize by going through the motions in the head
The old adage that we can only learn how to do something by trying it ourselves may have to be revised in the light of recent discoveries in neuroscience.
Sex difference on spatial skill test linked to brain structure
Men consistently outperform women on spatial tasks, including mental rotation, which is the ability to identify how a 3-D object would appear if rotated in space.
Aging brains allow negative memories to fade
It turns out there's a scientific reason why older people tend to see the past through rose-coloured glasses. A University of Alberta medical researcher, in collaboration with colleagues at Duke University, identified brain activity that causes older adults to remember fewer negative events than their younger counterparts.
Penn research probes genetic underpinnings of nicotine addiction
A new study from the Abramson Cancer Center and Department of Psychiatry in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine shows that smokers who carry a particular version of a gene for an enzyme that regulates dopamine in the brain may suffer from concentration problems and other cognitive deficits when abstaining from nicotine - a problem that puts them at risk for relapse during attempts to quit smoking.
EEGs show brain differences between poor and rich kids
University of California, Berkeley, researchers have shown for the first time that the brains of low-income children function differently from the brains of high-income kids.
More Magnetic Resonance Imaging Current Events and Magnetic Resonance Imaging News Articles
 | Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Scott A. Huettel, Allen W. Song, Gregory McCarthy This textbook provides a true introduction to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has become the dominant research technique in cognitive neuroscience. Although there is extraordinary interest in fMRI among researchers, instructors, and students alike, its instruction has faced a set of challenges. Existing texts are targeted toward practicing scientists in the field, and assume a... |
 | Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Signal Processing Perspective by Zhi-Pei Liang, Paul C. Lauterbur "In 1971 Dr. Paul C. Lauterbur pioneered spatial information encoding principles that made image formation possible by using magnetic resonance signals. Now Lauterbur, ""father of the MRI,"" and Dr. Zhi-Pei Liang have co-authored the first engineering textbook on magnetic resonance imaging. This long-awaited, definitive text will help undergraduate and graduate students of biomedical engineering,... |
| CT and MRI of the Whole Body, 2-Volume Set (Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Wh) by John R. Haaga The updated 5th edition of this easy-to-read, comprehensive resource is now in full color to provide you with enhanced understanding of this highly visual field. Clinically focused, it provides quick access to step-by-step descriptions of all MR and CT imaging applications in every anatomic area, with particular emphasis on the revolutionary multislice CT. Use the latest sectional imaging... | |
 | Pocket Atlas of Sectional Anatomy, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Vol. 2: Thorax, Heart, Abdomen, and Pelvis by Torsten Bert Moeller, Emil Reif The second of a three-volume set which identifies the anatomical details visualized in the sectional imaging modalities. As a comprehensive reference, it is a great aid when interpreting images; schematic drawings of great clarity are juxtaposed with the CT and MRI images; anatomic structures are color-coded in the drawings to facilitate... |
 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine (2 Volume Set) by David W Stoller Now in two volumes, the Third Edition of this standard-setting work is a state-of-the-art pictorial reference on orthopaedic magnetic resonance imaging. It combines 9,750 images and full-color illustrations, including gross anatomic dissections, line art, arthroscopic photographs, and three-dimensional imaging techniques and final renderings. Many MR images have been replaced in the Third... |
 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Physical Principles and Sequence Design by E. Mark Haacke, Robert W. Brown, Michael R. Thompson, Ramesh Venkatesan This book provides a synoptic introduction to the key fundamental and operational principles of MRI for medical physicists, radiologists,biochemists, and students. It addresses basic NMR principles, basic imaging concepts, Fourier transform concepts and fundamental applications such as chemical shift imaging, rf pulse design, fast imaging, motion and flow, MR angiography, diffusion, sequence... |
 | Introduction to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Principles and Techniques by Richard B. Buxton Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is now a standard tool for mapping activation patterns in the human brain. In this book, Richard Buxton, a leading authority on fMRI, provides an invaluable introduction to how fMRI works, from basic principles and underlying physics and physiology, to newer techniques such as arterial spin labeling and diffusion tensor imaging. The book also discusses... |
| Introduction to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Principles and Techniques by Richard Buxton Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is now a standard tool for mapping activation patterns in the human brain. In this book, Richard Buxton, a leading authority on fMRI, provides an invaluable introduction to how fMRI works, from basic principles and underlying physics and physiology, to newer techniques such as arterial spin labeling and diffusion tensor imaging. The book also discusses... | |
 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine Established as the leading textbook on imaging diagnosis of brain and spine disorders, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine is now in its Fourth Edition. This thoroughly updated two-volume reference delivers cutting-edge information on nearly every aspect of clinical neuroradiology. Expert neuroradiologists, innovative renowned MRI physicists, and experienced leading clinical... |
 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3-Volume Set) by David D. Stark, William G., Jr. Bradley Univ. of Nebraska, Omaha. Three-volume reference for imaging specialists. Previous edition: c1992 was a 1995/1996 Brandon/Hill,first-purchase selection. Musculoskeletal MRI information has been expanded to 17 chapters. Includes 6,353 illustrations. DNLM: Magnetic Resonance... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |