Enhanced Neonatal Brachial Plexus MR Neurography: A Comparative Analysis of Compressed Sensitivity Encoding versus...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Neonatal brachial plexus imaging is challenged by long scan times and motion artifacts.
• Accelerated imaging techniques are needed to improve diagnostic accuracy and success rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Compressed Sensitivity Encoding (CS) for neonatal brachial plexus imaging.
• To compare CS with conventional Sensitivity Encoding (SENSE) in terms of image quality and scan time.

Main Methods:

• 45 neonates with suspected brachial plexus injury underwent MRI using both CS and SENSE 3D Nerve VIEW sequences.
• Parallel acquisition acceleration factors were 1.3 for SENSE and 6 for CS.
• Image quality was assessed quantitatively (SNR, CNR) and qualitatively by two pediatric radiologists.

Main Results:

• CS reduced acquisition time by approximately 30% (3:36 vs. 5:08 minutes).
• No significant differences in SNR or nerve-to-muscle CNR were observed between CS and SENSE.
• Radiologists' qualitative assessments showed comparable image quality between CS and SENSE, with strong inter-rater agreement.

Conclusions:

• Compressed Sensitivity Encoding (CS) is a feasible and effective technique for neonatal brachial plexus imaging.
• CS significantly reduces scan time while maintaining diagnostic image quality comparable to SENSE.
• This advancement holds potential for improved patient outcomes in neonatal neuroimaging.