Effect of MR Field Strength on the Texture Features of Cerebral T2-FLAIR Images: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Cerebral white matter lesions (WML) are common in various neurological conditions.
• Texture analysis of MRI images can provide quantitative insights into tissue microstructural changes.
• Understanding the influence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) field strength on texture features is crucial for consistent diagnostic interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of MRI field strength (1.5T vs. 3.0T) on texture features of cerebral T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) images.
• To compare histogram and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture parameters between different field strengths in patients with WML.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of 3D T2-FLAIR MRI images from 30 patients with WML using 1.5T and 3.0T scanners.
• Measurement of histogram texture features (Mean, Skewness, Kurtosis) and GLCM texture features (ASM, Contrast, Correlation, IDM, Entropy) in WML and normal white matter (NWM) regions using ImageJ software.
• Statistical comparison of texture parameters obtained from 1.5T and 3.0T scans.

Main Results:

• Mean signal intensity was significantly lower at 1.5T compared to 3.0T for both WML and NWM (P<0.001).
• Skewness and Kurtosis showed no significant difference between field strengths (P>0.05).
• GLCM features ASM, Correlation, and IDM were significantly lower at 1.5T (P<0.001), while Contrast and Entropy were significantly higher at 1.5T (P<0.001) compared to 3.0T.

Conclusions:

• MRI field strength significantly affects GLCM texture features in cerebral T2-FLAIR images.
• Histogram texture features were not significantly affected by MRI field strength.
• Results emphasize the need for caution when interpreting and comparing texture analysis findings across different MRI field strengths.