Visual grading of 2D and 3D functional MRI compared with image-based descriptive measures.
OBJECTIVE
A prerequisite for successful clinical use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the selection of an appropriate imaging sequence. The aim of this study was to compare 2D and 3D fMRI sequences using different image quality assessment methods.


METHODS
Descriptive image measures, such as activation volume and temporal signal-to-noise ratio (TSNR), were compared with results from visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis of the fMRI results.


RESULTS
Significant differences in activation volume and TSNR were not directly reflected by differences in VGC scores. The results suggest that better performance on descriptive image measures is not always an indicator of improved diagnostic quality of the fMRI results.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to descriptive image measures, it is important to include measures of diagnostic quality when comparing different fMRI data acquisition methods.
Ragnehed
Mattias
M
Division of Radiological Sciences, Radiology, IMH, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. mattias.ragnehed@liu.se
Leinhard
Olof Dahlqvist
OD
Pihlsgård
Johan
J
Wirell
Staffan
S
Sökjer
Hannibal
H
Fägerstam
Patrik
P
Jiang
Bo
B
Smedby
Orjan
O
Engström
Maria
M
Lundberg
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity