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Biomedical subjects

J C Gore

Publications and source records attributed to J C Gore.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Modeling sickle cell vasoocclusion in the rat leg: quantification of trapped sickle cells and correlation with 31P metabolic and 1H magnetic resonance imaging changes.

We have developed an animal model to elucidate the acute effects of perfusion abnormalities on muscle metabolism induced by different density-defined classes of erythrocytes isolated from sickle cell anemia patients. Technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled, saline-washed normal (AA), homozygous sickle (SS), or high-density SS (SS4) erythrocytes were injected into the femoral artery of the rat and quantitative 99mTc imaging, 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy by surface coil at 2 teslas, and 1H magnetic resonance imaging at 0.15 tesla were performed. Between 5 and 25 microliters of SS4 cells was trapped in the microcirculation of the thigh (or 1-6 x 10(7) cells per cubic centimeter of tissue). In contrast, fewer SS discocytes (SS2) or AA cells were trapped (an equivalent packed cell volume of less than 6.7 microliters and 0.3 microliters, respectively). After injection of SS4 cells an initial increase in inorganic phosphate was observed in the region of the thigh served by the femoral artery, intracellular pH decreased, and subsequently the proton relaxation time T1 reached a broad maximum at 18-28 hr. When T1 obtained at this time was plotted against the volume of cells trapped, an increase of T1 over the control value of 411 +/- 48 msec was found that was proportional to the number of cells trapped. We conclude that the densest SS cells are most effective at producing vasoocclusion. The extent of the change detected by 1H magnetic resonance imaging is dependent on the amount of cells trapped in the microcirculation and the magnitude of the initial increase of inorganic phosphate.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗

The effect of diazepam on neonatal seizure: in vivo 31P and 1H NMR study.

It is assumed that when anticonvulsants arrest seizure, there is rapid return of brain high energy phosphates and brain lactate to control values. To test this hypothesis, diazepam was administered to neonatal dogs during flurothyl-induced seizure. In vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy disclosed that diazepam quickly arrested electrographic seizure and restored brain phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate to baseline values. In contrast, in vivo 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic measurements showed that arrest of seizure with diazepam did not return brain lactate to control values. The sustained increase in cerebral blood flow and prolonged elevation of brain lactate, acetate, valine, and succinate in the postictal period indicate that metabolic recovery of the brain occurs over an extended period of time after the normalization of EEG, phosphocreatine, and brain pH.

Acetates↗

Magnetic resonance, pathology and physiology of the BA1112 rhabdomyosarcoma in vivo.

We studied histology, findings on H-1 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and correlations of P-31 MR spectroscopy with microelectrode pH and pO2 measurements in the BA1112 rhabdomyosarcoma in WAG/Rij/Y rats. Intratumoral hemorrhage was a prominent feature on MR images and pathologic specimens. Eosinophilic necrosis could be seen microscopically but was not discernible on images. The peaks seen on P-31 MR spectra were similar to those reported in other tumors. The intratumoral pH was neutral despite low pO2 values and P-31 MR evidence for impaired metabolic status.

Animals↗

Quantitation of MR relaxation effects of iron oxide particles in liver and spleen.

The relaxation effects and organ distribution of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles for magnetic resonance imaging were measured in rats. T1 and T2 were measured for excised organs, and tissue iron levels were quantified with radiolabeling. Approximately 70% of the injected dose is present in the liver and 10% in the spleen 1 hour after injection. At 20 MHz, the doses required to reduce liver and spleen T2 to half the normal value, as measured with a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequence, were, respectively, 420 and 830 mumol iron injected per kilogram of rat. The transverse relaxation rates increase linearly with injected dose and showed no evidence of saturation. These results suggest that this material is less effective than previously suggested.

Animals↗

Effects of selective pulses on the measurement of T2 and apparent diffusion in multiecho MRI.

The effects of using spatially selective and nonuniform radiofrequency pulses on the apparent T2 of a train of multiple echoes have been calculated by computer simulation. It is demonstrated that the use of selective pulses produces errors in estimates of T2 in imaging experiments because regions of the slice are effectively off resonance and therefore receive spin rotations less than in an ideal case. Components of the transverse magnetization that are incompletely rotated by 180 degrees refocusing pulses produce longitudinal components that are later returned to the transverse plane and add to subsequent echoes. These so-called ghost components influence the precise value of T2 estimated, but even when completely removed the resultant estimate is too short. The apparent T2 is influenced by the magnitude of the nutation angle inhomogeneity across the slice and paradoxically is not always more accurate with larger numbers of echoes. The reduction of apparent T2 caused by increasing the slice-selection gradient across a thin slab of material replicates the effects previously ascribed to diffusion and affords an alternative explanation for these without recourse to motion of the spins.

Computer Simulation↗

An estimation and correction scheme for system imperfections in multiple-echo magnetic resonance imaging.

Multiecho sequences are widely used in MRI because they are an efficient means of acquiring data and they can be used to quantitatively estimate T2. However, the uniformity of each image and the accuracy of each T2 estimate may be corrupted by several instrumental factors such as rf pulse imperfections and static field inhomogeneities. We propose a scheme based on our prior knowledge of the effects of such factors and using the Levenberg-Marquardt method of nonlinear estimation that produces accurate estimates of T2 even in the presence of substantial system imperfections and improves the image quality of later echo images in a multiecho sequence. A further extension of this scheme permits mapping the distribution of the static magnetic field from a single multiecho imaging study of a uniform object. Simulations have been performed to test the efficacy of this scheme and the results are substantiated with experiments performed on a whole-body imager operating at 6.35 MHz.

Algorithms↗

Application of MRI to the analysis of speech production.

Computer models of the process of speech articulation require a detailed knowledge of the vocal tract configurations employed in speech and the application of acoustic theory to calculate the sound waveform. Almost all currently available data on vocal tract dimensions come from x-ray films and are severely limited in quantity and coherence due to restrictions on radiation dosage and intersubject differences. We are using MRI techniques to obtain the pharyngeal dimensions of speakers producing sustained vowels. The fact that MRI does not employ ionizing radiation provides speech research with the opportunity to obtain comprehensive bodies of much-needed data on the articulatory characteristics of single subjects.

Fourier Analysis↗

A critique of the concept of MRI centers.

A significant proportion of MRI units are being installed in MRI Centers that are free standing enterprises offering outpatient diagnoses separate from hospitals. The development of such Centers represents a challenge to more traditional arrangements and may have serious implications for physician responsibility that depend on their management and administration. In this review several legal and ethical issues arising from the proliferation of such Centers are analyzed and it is argued that regulatory attitudes may need to be altered to avoid major shifts of emphasis in the pattern of use of high cost imaging equipment.

Community Health Centers↗

Proton relaxation times in bleomycin-induced lung injury.

Pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation induced in mice by biweekly injection of low doses (20 mg/kg) of bleomycin chronically administered subcutaneously was associated with a significant increase in T2 values measured in vitro (54.6 +/- 20.7 ms vs. 36.2 +/- 3.8 ms in controls). T1 values, however, were not altered significantly (613 +/- 124.6 ms vs. 666 +/- 105.7 ms in controls). Lung water content did not change (79.1 +/- 2.5% vs. 78.4 +/- 0.98% in controls, NS). Water content to dry weight ratio in the control group (3.63 +/- 0.212) did not differ significantly from that in the experimental group clinically treated with bleomycin (3.84 +/- .618). However, morphometric and histologic analysis indicated that in 71% of the chronically treated mice, there was marked pulmonary fibrosis (mean area of involvement 3.5 +/- 8.1% vs. 0.25 +/- 0.15% in controls, P less than .01). In addition, there was marked increase in pulmonary cellularity and infiltration by lymphocytes and macrophages (mean area of macrophage infiltration 8.71 +/- 13.256% vs. 1.17 +/- 1.404% in controls). The alteration in T2 in bleomycin damaged lung occurred in the absence of change in overall water content. However, the change in cellularity indicates an alteration of water distribution between the cellular, intravascular, and interstitial components induced by the measurable fibrotic and inflammatory response to bleomycin.

Animals↗

The detection of pulmonary emboli by magnetic resonance imaging. Evaluation of imaging parameters.

The authors studied the influence of gating, cardiac cycle, and timing of rephasing gradients upon the detection of pulmonary emboli by MRI. Serial single-section MR images were obtained in normal dogs and dogs with experimental pulmonary emboli. Images with cardiac gating, respiratory gating, and ungated images were obtained. Cardiac gating in systole and late magnetization rephasing had the best diagnostic accuracy. Gated images were clearly superior to ungated; with combined cardiac and respiratory gating, sensitivity was 82% and specificity 88%. These results are sufficiently promising to warrant further studies.

Animals↗

Venous clots: evaluation with MR imaging.

In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to determine the proton relaxation and imaging characteristics of static blood and acute and organized clot in canine jugular veins. In vivo, it was found that two inversion recovery sequences using a short inversion time (100 msec) demonstrated better differentiation of signal intensity of intravascular clot from surrounding soft tissues than did standard T1- and T2-weighted sequences. In vitro, quantitative measurements showed marked reduction of both T1 and T2 relaxation time of acute clot compared with stagnant blood. In addition, the T1 relaxation time, and to a lesser extent the T2 relaxation time, shortened as the clot aged, indicating a potential role for magnetic resonance imaging in determining the age of venous thrombi.

Animals↗

Errors in the measurements of T2 using multiple-echo MRI techniques. I. Effects of radiofrequency pulse imperfections.

In principle, multiple-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to estimate the spin-spin relaxation time, T2, which can then be used for quantitative tissue characterization. Although multiple echoes can be used to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in an image, by echo addition, rf pulse imperfections modify the echo amplitudes resulting in significant errors in the estimate of T2. Imperfect 180 degree pulses do not completely invert the transverse magnetization so that the magnitude of the transverse component is reduced and a longitudinal component is generated. Successive application of such imperfect pulses generates many components that interact in a complex manner. The amplitudes of successive echoes are affected whenever the transverse components refocus, whereas the longitudinal components may be rotated into the transverse plane by subsequent pulses and may often add to the image signal or give rise to an image artifact. These effects have been analyzed theoretically and have been demonstrated for a wide range of rf pulse imperfections using both simple and composite pulses, through computer simulations based on the numerical solution of the Bloch equations. The theoretical and simulation results have been substantiated through experiments performed on a mineral oil phantom using a resistive prototype MR scanner operating at 6.35 MHz. In this paper we report the effects of improper pulse amplitude or duration for nonselective rf pulses on resonance. We separately describe the other types of imperfections caused by off-resonance effects and the use of selective pulses.

Humans↗

Errors in the measurements of T2 using multiple-echo MRI techniques. II. Effects of static field inhomogeneity.

The accurate estimation of the spin-spin relaxation time T2 is an important goal in magnetic resonance imaging particularly because it can be used for quantitative tissue characterization. The spin-spin relaxation time T2 may be estimated using multiecho pulse sequences, but the accuracy of the estimate is dependent on the fidelity of the spin-echo amplitudes, which may be severely compromised by rf pulse and static field imperfections. In this paper, the effects of static field inhomogeneities are investigated. The propagation of the errors introduced by off-resonance effects are analyzed through computer simulations and analytical solutions of the Bloch equations. A series of experiments performed on a simple tissue phantom using a whole-body imaging system operating at 6.35 MHz corroborates the simulation and analytical results. For accurate measurements of T2 using a whole-body imaging system it is necessary to correct for these inhomogeneities. A correction scheme which would enable a more accurate estimate of T2 is currently under investigation.

Biometry↗

Errors in the assessment of the efficacy of MRI pulse sequences.

The effects of the echo delay TE on contrast in saturation recovery MRI have been analyzed both theoretically and with experimental brain scans. It is demonstrated that the influence of the TE values offered as minimal values by all major current equipment manufacturers is not insignificant, but produces a degree of T2 weighting that considerably degrades the useful contrast that could be obtained from T1 weighted studies. Consequently, conclusions drawn about the relative performances of T1 and T2 weighted sequences may be incorrect if based on saturation recovery images obtained with inappropriate echo times.

Brain↗