Evaluation of K-space segmented cine sequences for fast functional cardiac imaging

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Radiology

Background:

• Reducing scan time in functional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is crucial for patient comfort and reducing motion artifacts.
• K-space segmented data acquisition offers a potential method to shorten imaging sequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the image quality of k-space segmented cine sequences with conventional gradient-echo sequences.
• To evaluate the utility of segmented sequences in patients with normal and reduced ejection fractions.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-one subjects (4 volunteers, 27 patients) underwent CMR using conventional and k-space segmented cine imaging techniques.
• Image quality was assessed by evaluating contrast between blood and myocardium, and blood signal homogeneity.
• Ejection fraction was calculated using a biplane ellipsoid model.

Main Results:

• K-space segmentation reduced measuring time by 60-80% compared to conventional sequences.
• Image quality was comparable between segmented and conventional sequences in patients with ejection fraction >= 60%.
• Patients with ejection fraction < 60% showed significantly degraded image quality with segmented sequences, particularly in delineating the anterolateral border and right ventricle.

Conclusions:

• K-space segmentation is suitable for cardiac MRI in patients with near-normal ejection fraction, enabling reduced examination times.
• Further technical advancements are needed for segmented techniques to be effective in patients with significantly reduced cardiac function.