Deep learning-accelerated contrast-enhanced 3D MRI for acute optic neuritis: faster acquisition and improved lesion conspicuity.
Authors
Affiliations (3)
Affiliations (3)
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- MR Research, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Abstract
To compare a deep learning-accelerated contrast-enhanced 3D T1-weighted sequence (T1-CUBE-DLS) with standard parallel imaging-accelerated T1-CUBE for detecting acute optic neuritis (ON). This prospective study enrolled 59 patients with suspected acute ON (38 females; mean age 41.2 ± 12.8 years). All underwent contrast-enhanced whole-brain 3.0 T MRI including both T1-CUBE-DLS and standard T1-CUBE sequences. Two blinded neuroradiologists independently scored motion artifacts, subjective noise, and optic nerve clarity. Consensus readings recorded enhancement laterality, involved segments, and visual conspicuity. Enhancement length was measured per optic nerve, with inter-observer reliability assessed via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. Clinical diagnosis by a senior neuro-ophthalmologist served as the reference standard. Acute ON was confirmed in 43 of 59 patients (72.9%). T1-CUBE-DLS reduced acquisition time by 36.2%. Subjective noise was equivalent between sequences (<i>p</i> > 0.05), but T1-CUBE-DLS showed significantly fewer motion artifacts and superior optic nerve clarity (both <i>p</i> < 0.05). No significant difference was detected in diagnostic performance between the two sequences: sensitivity (88.4% vs. 86.0%), specificity (93.8% vs. 93.8%), and accuracy (89.8% vs. 88.1%; all <i>p</i> > 0.05). T1-CUBE-DLS demonstrated stronger visual conspicuity (<i>p</i> = 0.011) and slightly longer measured enhancement length (mean difference, 0.836 mm; <i>p</i> < 0.0001). ICC for length measurement was 0.91 for T1-CUBE-DLS vs. 0.83 for standard T1-CUBE, with narrower 95% limits of agreement (-1.37 to 1.51 mm vs. - 3.1 to 2.4 mm). T1-CUBE-DLS reduces acquisition time by 36.2%, with no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy detected, while improving enhancement conspicuity and measurement reproducibility, supporting its potential as a practical and efficient alternative for ON evaluation.