Optimizing Imaging Quality for Quantitative Multi-Contrast Atherosclerosis Characterization (qMATCH): Transverse versus Coronal Imaging
Motivation: The previously proposed qMATCH technique enables efficient and comprehensive evaluation of carotid atherosclerosis in 3D; however, it is unclear which acquisition orientation is optimal in image quality and motion robustness. Goal(s): This study compares the imaging quality and reproducibility of 3D qMATCH with transverse versus coronal acquisitions. Approach: We conducted a comparative analysis of qMATCH imaging quality, assessing human reader ratings, apparent signal-to-noise ratio (aSNR), apparent contrast-to-noise ratio (aCNR), and reproducibility of T1 and T2 mapping. Results: Coronal acquisition yielded significantly superior image quality ratings, higher reproducibility and motion robustness, though it exhibited inferior overall aSNR and aCNR. Impact: The results provide an optimal imaging strategy for using qMATCH in carotid atherosclerosis assessment. We demonstrate a tailored approach by incorporating both transverse and coronal acquisitions.
Authors
- Scott McNally
- Yibin Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0333-567X)
- David Saloner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6989-8547)
- Yin-Chen Hsu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4483-486X)
- Dennis L. Parker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2557-8952)
- Heather Morris
- Kevin J. DeMarco
- Kim‐Lien Nguyen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8854-2976)
- Gerald S. Treiman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1376-2536)
- John A. Roberts (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1786-0969)
- María I. Altbach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9368-2458)
- Vibhas Deshpande (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0264-6553)
- Dimitrios Mitsouras (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4023-0823)
- Lu Meng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0854-4769)
- Seong‐Eun Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4518-4208)
- Debiao Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8560-8231)
- Kevin Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5938-0154)
- Rock Hadley
- Mary Keushkerian
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition
- Published
- 2025-09-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.58530/2025/1827
- Primary Topic
- Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00