title: Interstudy reproducibility of SSFP cine magnetic resonance: impact of magnetic field strength and parallel imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of field strength and parallel imaging on image contrast and interstudy reproducibility of right and left ventricular (RV and LV) measurements using steady-state free precession (SSFP) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two subjects (20 normal, 12 cardiac patients) underwent four SSFP cine short-axis imaging studies: two at 1.5T, one at 3T, and another at 3T with parallel imaging (SENSE). RV and LV contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were compared between methods. Interstudy reproducibility of RV and LV measurements were assessed by Bland-Altman analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3T SENSE imaging reduced total imaging time from 8 +/- 2 minutes to 3 +/- 1 minute (P < 0.001). A significant gain in LV CNR was detected between 1.5T and 3T with SENSE (43.8 +/- 6.5 vs. 48.4 +/- 7.4, P = 0.01), but no significant gain was detected in RV CNR. The reproducibility of LV and RV measurements between two 1.5T studies was not significantly different from the reproducibility between a 1.5T study and a 3T study with SENSE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SENSE imaging at 3T is a reproducible technique for assessing RV and LV structure and function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8896, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Maroules
authors.forename: Roderick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McColl
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khera
authors.forename: Ronald M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peshock
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000503:physiopathology*