Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol for Stroke Onset Time Estimation in Permanent Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: September 16, 2017
Diagnosis of intracranial lesions using accelerated 3D T1 MPRAGE with wave-CAIPI technique: comparison with
Eun Jung Lee1,2, Min Gu Kim2, Mi Sun Chung1,2
1Department of Radiology, Human Medical Imaging & Intervention Center, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract:
We aimed to evaluate the agreement in the diagnosis of intracranial lesions between conventional pre-contrast 3D T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) and wave-CAIPI (wave-controlled aliasing in parallel imaging) MPRAGE. Institutional review board approval was obtained and informed consent was waived for this retrospective study. We included 149 consecutive patients who had undergone brain MR with both conventional MPRAGE (scan time: 5 min 42 s) and wave-CAIPI MPRAGE (scan time: 2 min 44 s) from February to June 2018. All images were independently reviewed by two radiologists for the diagnosis of intracranial lesion and scored image quality using visual analysis. One technician measured signal-to-noise ratio. The agreement for diagnosis of intracranial lesion was calculated, and the intra- and interobserver agreements were analyzed by using kappa value. For the diagnosis of intracranial lesion, the conventional and wave-CAIPI MPRAGE demonstrated 99.7% of agreement (297 of 298) in the pooled analysis with very good agreement (k = 0.994). Intra- and inter-observer agreement showed very good (k > 0.9 in all) and good (k > 0.75) agreement, respectively. In the quantitative analysis, the signal-to-noise ratio had no difference (P > 0.05 for all). The overall image quality was poorer in images of wave-CAIPI MPRAGE (P < 0.001), but motion artifact had no difference between two sequences (P = 0.06). Compared to conventional MPRAGE, pre-contrast 3D T1 wave-CAIPI MPRAGE achieved higher agreement for the diagnosis of intracranial lesions and reduced the scan time by approximately 50%.
Insights
Wave-controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (wave-CAIPI) MPRAGE offers excellent diagnostic agreement for intracranial lesions, matching conventional MPRAGE while significantly reducing scan time by 50%. This advanced technique improves efficiency in brain MRI diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Conventional pre-contrast 3D T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) is a standard for brain MRI.
- Faster imaging techniques are sought to improve patient comfort and throughput.
- Wave-controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (wave-CAIPI) is an advanced parallel imaging method.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic agreement of intracranial lesions between conventional MPRAGE and wave-CAIPI MPRAGE.
- To evaluate the impact of wave-CAIPI MPRAGE on scan time and image quality.
- To assess intra- and inter-observer agreement for lesion diagnosis using both sequences.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 149 patients undergoing brain MRI with both conventional and wave-CAIPI MPRAGE sequences.
- Independent review of images by two radiologists for intracranial lesion diagnosis.
- Quantitative measurement of signal-to-noise ratio and visual assessment of image quality and motion artifacts.
Main Results:
- High diagnostic agreement (99.7%, kappa=0.994) for intracranial lesions between conventional and wave-CAIPI MPRAGE.
- Wave-CAIPI MPRAGE reduced scan time by approximately 50% (2:44 vs 5:42 minutes).
- No significant difference in signal-to-noise ratio; however, overall image quality was poorer with wave-CAIPI MPRAGE (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Pre-contrast 3D T1 wave-CAIPI MPRAGE provides excellent diagnostic agreement for intracranial lesions, comparable to conventional MPRAGE.
- Wave-CAIPI MPRAGE significantly reduces scan time, offering a more efficient alternative for brain MRI.
- Despite slightly lower image quality, wave-CAIPI MPRAGE maintains diagnostic performance and reduces motion artifacts.
