Delayed ventilation assessment using fast dynamic hyperpolarised Xenon-129 magnetic resonance imaging

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Medical Imaging
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impacts lung function.
• Accurate assessment of regional ventilation is crucial for managing COPD.
• Current methods may have limitations in detecting subtle ventilation abnormalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of dynamic hyperpolarized 129Xe ventilation MRI (DXeV-MRI) for detecting and quantifying delayed ventilation in COPD patients.
• To assess the ability of DXeV-MRI to provide physiological insights into regional pulmonary function.

Main Methods:

• DXeV-MRI was performed on 15 COPD patients (stages II-IV) and 3 healthy controls at 1.5-Tesla.
• Regional delayed ventilation was assessed by comparing lung ROI signal changes to tracheal signals.
• Quantitative measures included covariance, time delay, and integrated signal areas.

Main Results:

• DXeV-MRI successfully demonstrated regional temporal ventilation in all participants.
• Delayed ventilation was identified in 13 of 15 COPD patients, affecting various lung regions.
• No delayed ventilation was observed in the healthy control group (p=0.0173).

Conclusions:

• DXeV-MRI is a non-invasive technique for detecting and quantifying delayed ventilation in COPD.
• The method provides valuable physiological information on regional pulmonary function throughout a breathing cycle.
• Further validation may enable DXeV-MRI to guide lung volume reduction therapy by measuring collateral ventilation.