Effect of a prescan patient-radiologist encounter on functional MR image quality.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2011

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A substantial number of clinical fMRI examinations inadequately assess language localization or lateralization, usually due to patient movement and suboptimal participation. We hypothesized that a prescan interview of the patient by the radiologist would reduce the fraction of nondiagnostic scans.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single noise score for each acquisition was produced from time-series data on the basis of a weighted sum of 22 factors. Scores were recorded as the following quartiles: 0-5 = excellent, 5-10 = adequate, 10-15= marginal, and >15 = unacceptable. This measure was evaluated for 202 consecutive fMRI patients: 96 without and 106 with a physician prescan interview. The data were analyzed to compute the fraction of all nondiagnostic sequences and entire studies and were compared between the 2 groups. Image-noise characteristics included the SDs of linear and angular displacements of the head and the number of time-series outliers caused by focal motion.

RESULTS: Of 999 sequences acquired, 539 had a prescan interview. The mean noise score significantly decreased for both individual sequence (from 7.9 to 6.3, P =

CONCLUSIONS: We report that a prescan physician-patient interview modestly but significantly reduces fMRI noise scores. These results support the newly added billable costs of professional intervention before fMRI scans.

Volume

32

Issue

1

First Page

210

Last Page

215

ISSN

1936-959X

Disciplines

Diagnosis | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment | Radiology

PubMedID

20705700

Department(s)

Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Medical Imaging

Document Type

Article

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