A Population-Based Digital Reference Object (DRO) for Optimizing Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC)-MRI Methods...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Radiology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Standardization of dynamic susceptibility contrast-magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) for relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) measurement is hindered by methodological inconsistencies.
• Lack of consensus on acquisition protocols and postprocessing algorithms leads to potential inaccuracies in rCBV quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a digital reference object (DRO) for standardizing DSC-MRI methodology in glioblastoma research.
• To ensure accurate measurement of rCBV by validating image acquisition and analysis techniques.

Main Methods:

• A DRO was created using physiological, kinetic, and 3D tissue parameters derived from in vivo glioblastoma DSC-MRI data.
• The DRO was trained on data from 23 glioblastomas (>40,000 voxels) to simulate realistic contrast agent dynamics.
• DRO performance was validated against in vivo dual-echo DSC-MRI data from a separate patient cohort.

Main Results:

• The DRO successfully generated reliable DSC-MRI signals for various parameter combinations not present in the training data.
• Validation confirmed the DRO's ability to accurately represent in vivo contrast agent-induced signal changes.
• The DRO can be applied to optimize DSC-MRI methods, assess methodology impact on sample size, and evaluate treatment response.

Conclusions:

• The developed DRO provides a robust platform for standardizing DSC-MRI acquisition and analysis for rCBV measurement in glioblastomas.
• This tool facilitates the selection of optimal methodologies, improving the reliability and reproducibility of glioblastoma imaging studies.
• The DRO aids in enhancing the accuracy of clinical trial assessments and treatment response evaluations.