Potential and challenges of generative adversarial networks for super-resolution in 4D flow MRI

Time-resolved three-dimensional phase-contrast MRI (4D Flow MRI) enables non-invasive quantification of blood flow and derivation of hemodynamic parameters. However, its clinical application is limited by low spatial resolution and noise, particularly affecting velocity measurements near vessel walls. Machine learning-based super-resolution has shown promise in addressing these limitations, but challenges remain, not least in recovering near-wall velocities. Generative adversarial networks (GANs) offer a compelling solution, having demonstrated strong capabilities in restoring sharp boundaries in non-medical super-resolution settings. Yet, their application in 4D Flow MRI remains unexplored, with implementation challenged by known issues such as training instability and non-convergence. In this study, we investigate GAN-based super-resolution and denoising in 4D Flow MRI. Training and validation were conducted using patient-specific cerebrovascular in-silico models, converted into synthetic images via an MR-true reconstruction pipeline, with complementary validation on in-vivo acquisitions. A dedicated GAN architecture was implemented and evaluated across three adversarial loss functions: Vanilla, Relativistic, and Wasserstein. Our results demonstrate that the proposed GAN improved near-wall velocity recovery compared to a non-adversarial reference (vector Normalized Root Mean Square Error (vNRMSE): 6.9% vs. 9.6%); however, implementation specifics are critical for stable network training. While Vanilla and Relativistic GANs proved unstable compared to generator-only training (vNRMSE: 8.1% and 7.8% vs. 7.2%), a Wasserstein GAN demonstrated optimal stability and incremental improvement (vNRMSE: 6.9% vs. 7.2%). Moreover, strong in-vivo performance supports clinical translation. Together, these findings highlight the potential of GAN-based super-resolution in enhancing 4D Flow MRI, particularly in challenging cerebrovascular regions, while emphasizing the importance of carefully selecting adversarial training strategies.