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Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

The impact of signal-to-noise ratio, diffusion-weighted directions and image resolution in cardiac diffusion tensor imaging – insights from the ex-vivo rat heart

Authors: Darryl McClymont, Irvin Teh, Jürgen E. Schneider

Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is limited by scan time and signal-to-noise (SNR) restrictions. This invariably leads to a trade-off between the number of averages, diffusion-weighted directions (ND), and image resolution. Systematic evaluation of these parameters is therefore important for adoption of cardiac DTI in clinical routine where time is a key constraint.

Methods

High quality reference DTI data were acquired in five ex-vivo rat hearts. We then retrospectively set 2 ≤ SNR ≤ 97, 7 ≤ ND ≤ 61, varied the voxel volume by up to 192-fold and investigated the impact on the accuracy and precision of commonly derived parameters.

Results

For maximal scan efficiency, the accuracy and precision of the mean diffusivity is optimised when SNR is maximised at the expense of ND. With typical parameter settings used clinically, we estimate that fractional anisotropy may be overestimated by up to 13% with an uncertainty of ±30%, while the precision of the sheetlet angles may be as poor as ±31°. Although the helix angle has better precision of ±14°, the transmural range of helix angles may be under-estimated by up to 30° in apical and basal slices, due to partial volume and tapering myocardial geometry.

Conclusions

These findings inform a baseline of understanding upon which further issues inherent to in-vivo cardiac DTI, such as motion, strain and perfusion, can be considered. Furthermore, the reported bias and reproducibility provides a context in which to assess cardiac DTI biomarkers.

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Metadata
Title
The impact of signal-to-noise ratio, diffusion-weighted directions and image resolution in cardiac diffusion tensor imaging – insights from the ex-vivo rat heart
Authors
Darryl McClymont
Irvin Teh
Jürgen E. Schneider
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1532-429X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12968-017-0395-x

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