Academic radiology
-
Task-evoked functional MRI (fMRI) has been used successfully in the study of brain function and clinically for presurgical localization of eloquent brain regions prior to the performance of brain surgery. This method requires patient cooperation and is not useful in young children or if the patient has cognitive dysfunction or physical impairment. An alternative method that can overcome some of these disadvantages measures the intrinsic function of the brain using resting-state fMRI. This method does not require any task performance and measures the spontaneous low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) fluctuations of the fMRI signal over time. Our objective in the present work is to provide preliminary information on the possible clinical utility of this technique for presurgical planning and on possible future applications. ⋯ Resting-state fMRI data can provide valuable presurgical information in many patients who cannot benefit from traditional task-based fMRI. Adoption of this method has the potential to improve individualized patient-centered care.
-
Comparative Study
Triple rule-out and dedicated coronary artery CTA: comparison of coronary artery image quality.
The aim of this study was to compare image quality on dedicated and triple rule-out coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography (CTA) with respect to motion artifacts and the quality of coronary artery opacification. ⋯ The image quality of triple rule-out CTA is comparable to that of dedicated coronary CTA, showing no statistically significant difference in motion artifacts or opacification, and therefore may be an alternative and useful diagnostic study in a select group of emergency department patients.