Substituting Gadolinium In Brain MRI Using DeepContrast -- A Proof-Of-Concept Study in Mice

Abstract

Cerebral blood volume (CBV) is a hemodynamic correlate of oxygen metabolism and reflects brain activity and function. High-resolution CBV maps can be generated using the steady-state gadolinium-enhanced MRI technique. Recent studies suggest that the exogenous gadolinium based contrast agent (GBCA) can accumulate in the brain after frequent use. Here, we develop and optimize a deep learning algorithm, DeepContrast, which performs equally well as exogenous GBCA in mapping CBV of the normal brain tissue and enhancing glioblastoma. Together, these studies validate our hypothesis that a deep learning approach can potentially replace the need for GBCAs in brain MRI.

Publication
In International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) 1-Page Abstract Oral Power Pitch
Chen Liu
Chen Liu
PhD Student in Computer Science

Researcher in machine learning and healthcare.