Browsing by Author "Wei, Janet"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Diastolic dysfunction in women with ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease: Mechanistic insight from magnetic resonance imaging
    (Elsevier, 2021) Samuel, T. Jake; Wei, Janet; Sharif, Behzad; Tamarappoo, Balaji K.; Pattisapu, Varun; Maughan, Jenna; Cipher, Daisha J.; Suppogu, Nissi; Aldiwani, Haider; Thomson, Louise E. J.; Shufelt, Chrisandra; Berman, Daniel S.; Li, Debiao; Bairey Merz, C. Noel; Nelson, Michael D.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) is prevalent in women and is associated with increased risk of developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); however, the mechanism(s) contributing to this progression remains unclear. Given that diastolic dysfunction is common in women with INOCA, defining mechanisms related to diastolic dysfunction in INOCA could identify therapeutic targets to prevent HFpEF. Methods: Cardiac MRI was performed in 65 women with INOCA and 12 reference controls. Diastolic function was defined by left ventricular early diastolic circumferential strain rate (eCSRd). Contributors to diastolic dysfunction were chosen a priori as coronary vascular dysfunction (myocardial perfusion reserve index [MPRI]), diffuse myocardial fibrosis (extracellular volume [ECV]), and aortic stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity [aPWV]). Results: Compared to controls, eCSRd was lower in INOCA (1.61 ± 0.33/s vs. 1.36 ± 0.31/s, P = 0.016); however, this difference was not exaggerated when the INOCA group was sub-divided by low and high MPRI (P > 0.05) nor was ECV elevated in INOCA (29.0 ± 1.9% vs. 28.0 ± 3.2%, control vs. INOCA; P = 0.38). However, aPWV was higher in INOCA vs. controls (8.1 ± 3.2 m/s vs. 6.1 ± 1.5 m/s; P = 0.045), and was associated with eCSRd (r = -0.50, P < 0.001). By multivariable linear regression analysis, aPWV was an independent predictor of decreased eCSRd (standardized β = -0.39, P = 0.003), as was having an elevated left ventricular mass index (standardized β = -0.25, P = 0.024) and lower ECV (standardized β = 0.30, P = 0.003). Conclusions: These data provide mechanistic insight into diastolic dysfunction in women with INOCA, identifying aortic stiffness and ventricular remodeling as putative therapeutic targets.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Improved robustness for deep learning-based segmentation of multi-center myocardial perfusion cardiovascular MRI datasets using data-adaptive uncertainty–guided space-time analysis
    (Elsevier, 2024) Yalcinkaya, Dilek M.; Youssef, Khalid; Heydari, Bobak; Wei, Janet; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Judd, Robert; Dharmakumar, Rohan; Simonetti, Orlando P.; Weinsaft, Jonathan W.; Raman, Subha V.; Sharif, Behzad; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Fully automatic analysis of myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging datasets enables rapid and objective reporting of stress/rest studies in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease. Developing deep learning techniques that can analyze multi-center datasets despite limited training data and variations in software (pulse sequence) and hardware (scanner vendor) is an ongoing challenge. Methods: Datasets from three medical centers acquired at 3T (n = 150 subjects; 21,150 first-pass images) were included: an internal dataset (inD; n = 95) and two external datasets (exDs; n = 55) used for evaluating the robustness of the trained deep neural network (DNN) models against differences in pulse sequence (exD-1) and scanner vendor (exD-2). A subset of inD (n = 85) was used for training/validation of a pool of DNNs for segmentation, all using the same spatiotemporal U-Net architecture and hyperparameters but with different parameter initializations. We employed a space-time sliding-patch analysis approach that automatically yields a pixel-wise "uncertainty map" as a byproduct of the segmentation process. In our approach, dubbed data-adaptive uncertainty-guided space-time (DAUGS) analysis, a given test case is segmented by all members of the DNN pool and the resulting uncertainty maps are leveraged to automatically select the "best" one among the pool of solutions. For comparison, we also trained a DNN using the established approach with the same settings (hyperparameters, data augmentation, etc.). Results: The proposed DAUGS analysis approach performed similarly to the established approach on the inD (Dice score for the testing subset of inD: 0.896 ± 0.050 vs 0.890 ± 0.049; p = n.s.) whereas it significantly outperformed on the exDs (Dice for exD-1: 0.885 ± 0.040 vs 0.849 ± 0.065, p < 0.005; Dice for exD-2: 0.811 ± 0.070 vs 0.728 ± 0.149, p < 0.005). Moreover, the number of image series with "failed" segmentation (defined as having myocardial contours that include bloodpool or are noncontiguous in ≥1 segment) was significantly lower for the proposed vs the established approach (4.3% vs 17.1%, p < 0.0005). Conclusion: The proposed DAUGS analysis approach has the potential to improve the robustness of deep learning methods for segmentation of multi-center stress perfusion datasets with variations in the choice of pulse sequence, site location, or scanner vendor.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Improved Robustness for Deep Learning-based Segmentation of Multi-Center Myocardial Perfusion MRI Datasets Using Data Adaptive Uncertainty-guided Space-time Analysis
    (ArXiv, 2024-08-09) Yalcinkaya, Dilek M.; Youssef, Khalid; Heydari, Bobak; Wei, Janet; Merz, Noel Bairey; Judd, Robert; Dharmakumar, Rohan; Simonetti, Orlando P.; Weinsaft, Jonathan W.; Raman, Subha V.; Sharif, Behzad; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Fully automatic analysis of myocardial perfusion MRI datasets enables rapid and objective reporting of stress/rest studies in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease. Developing deep learning techniques that can analyze multi-center datasets despite limited training data and variations in software (pulse sequence) and hardware (scanner vendor) is an ongoing challenge. Methods: Datasets from 3 medical centers acquired at 3T (n = 150 subjects; 21,150 first-pass images) were included: an internal dataset (inD; n = 95) and two external datasets (exDs; n = 55) used for evaluating the robustness of the trained deep neural network (DNN) models against differences in pulse sequence (exD-1) and scanner vendor (exD-2). A subset of inD (n = 85) was used for training/validation of a pool of DNNs for segmentation, all using the same spatiotemporal U-Net architecture and hyperparameters but with different parameter initializations. We employed a space-time sliding-patch analysis approach that automatically yields a pixel-wise "uncertainty map" as a byproduct of the segmentation process. In our approach, dubbed Data Adaptive Uncertainty-Guided Space-time (DAUGS) analysis, a given test case is segmented by all members of the DNN pool and the resulting uncertainty maps are leveraged to automatically select the "best" one among the pool of solutions. For comparison, we also trained a DNN using the established approach with the same settings (hyperparameters, data augmentation, etc.). Results: The proposed DAUGS analysis approach performed similarly to the established approach on the internal dataset (Dice score for the testing subset of inD: 0.896 ± 0.050 vs. 0.890 ± 0.049; p = n.s.) whereas it significantly outperformed on the external datasets (Dice for exD-1: 0.885 ± 0.040 vs. 0.849 ± 0.065, p < 0.005; Dice for exD-2: 0.811 ± 0.070 vs. 0.728 ± 0.149, p < 0.005). Moreover, the number of image series with "failed" segmentation (defined as having myocardial contours that include bloodpool or are noncontiguous in ≥1 segment) was significantly lower for the proposed vs. the established approach (4.3% vs. 17.1%, p < 0.0005). Conclusions: The proposed DAUGS analysis approach has the potential to improve the robustness of deep learning methods for segmentation of multi-center stress perfusion datasets with variations in the choice of pulse sequence, site location or scanner vendor.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Intracoronary acetylcholine for vasospasm provocation in women with ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease
    (Elsevier, 2025-03-18) Tjoe, Benita; Pacheco, Christine; Suppogu, Nissi; Samuels, Bruce; Rezaeian, Panteha; Tamarappoo, Balaji; Berman, Daniel S.; Sharif, Behzad; Nelson, Michael; Anderson, R. David; Petersen, John; Pepine, Carl J.; Thomson, Louise E. J.; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Wei, Janet; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Objectives: To evaluate the utility of higher dose intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) during invasive coronary function testing (CFT) in women with suspected ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) for detection of epicardial vasospasm, relation to quality of life (QoL) and the presence of scar by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Background: CFT is an established method for diagnosis of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). The utility of epicardial vasospasm provocation testing with higher dose ACh infusion is not fully understood. Methods: Women with suspected INOCA undergoing invasive CFT were enrolled in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation-Pre-Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (WISE Pre-HFpEF) study (NCT03876223). Incremental infusions of 0.364, 36.4 μg and 108 μg ACh were used for vasospasm provocation. Vasospasm was defined as ≥75 % artery diameter reduction compared to post-nitroglycerin diameter and related to QoL and LGE on CMRI. Results: Among 73 women (56 ± 11 years), epicardial vasospasm was detected in 17 (23 %). Among women with vasospasm, the vast majority (94 %) had coronary endothelial dysfunction and few (12 %) had other abnormal CFT measures. Those with vasospasm had more nocturnal angina symptoms, calcium channel blocker use, poorer QoL (all p = 0.001) and disease perception (p = 0.02) than those without. LGE scar by CMRI was not associated with vasospasm (p = 0.22). Conclusions: Among women with suspected INOCA, intracoronary Ach spasm testing provoked epicardial vasospasm in one fourth. Women with epicardial vasospasm overwhelmingly had concomitant endothelial dysfunction, worse QoL but not more frequent myocardial scar on CMRI.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Left ventricular circumferential strain and coronary microvascular dysfunction: A report from the Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation Coronary Vascular Dysfunction (WISE-CVD) Project
    (Elsevier, 2021) Tamarappoo, Balaji; Samuel, T. Jake; Elboudwarej, Omeed; Thomson, Louise E. J.; Aldiwani, Haider; Wei, Janet; Mehta, Puja; Cheng, Susan; Sharif, Behzad; AlBadri, Ahmed; Handberg, Eileen M.; Petersen, John; Pepine, Carl J.; Nelson, Michael D.; Bairey Merz, C. Noel; Graduate Medical Education, School of Medicine
    Aims: Women with ischemia but no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Left ventricular (LV) circumferential strain (CS) is often lower in INOCA compared to healthy controls; however, it remains unclear whether CS differs between INOCA women with and without CMD. We hypothesized that CS would be lower in women with CMD, consistent with CMD-induced LV mechanical dysfunction. Methods and results: Cardiac magnetic resonance (cMR) images were examined from women enrolled in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation-Coronary Vascular Dysfunction Project. CS by feature tracking in INOCA women with CMD, defined as myocardial perfusion reserve index (MPRI) <1.84 during adenosine-stress perfusion cMR, was compared with CS in women without CMD. In a subset who had invasive coronary function testing (CFT), the relationship between CS and CFT metrics, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and cardiovascular risk factors was investigated. Among 317 women with INOCA, 174 (55%) had CMD measured by MPRI. CS was greater in women with CMD compared to those without CMD (23.2 ± 2.5% vs. 22.1 ± 3.0%, respectively, P = 0.001). In the subset with CFT (n = 153), greater CS was associated with increased likelihood of reduced vasodilator capacity (OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.02-1.72, p = 0.03) and discriminated abnormal vs. normal coronary vascular function compared to CAD risk factors, LVEF and LV concentricity (AUC: 0.82 [0.73-0.96 95%CI] vs. 0.65 [0.60-0.71 95%CI], respectively, P = 0.007). Conclusion: The data indicate that LV circumferential strain is related to and predicts CMD, although in a direction contrary with our hypothesis, which may represent an early sign of LV mechanical dysfunction in CMD.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Reduced myocardial perfusion is common among subjects with ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a report from the WISE-CVD continuation study
    (OAE, 2022) Aldiwani, Haider; Nelson, Michael D.; Sharif, Behzad; Wei, Janet; Samuel, T. Jake; Suppogu, Nissi; Quesada, Odayme; Cook-Wiens, Galen; Gill, Edward; Szczepaniak, Lidia S.; Thomson, Louise E. J.; Tamarappoo, Balaji; Asif, Anum; Shufelt, Chrisandra; Berman, Daniel; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Aim: Women with evidence of ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) have an increased risk of major adverse cardiac events, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). To investigate potential links between INOCA and HFpEF, we examined pathophysiological findings present in both INOCA and HFpEF. Methods: We performed adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in 56 participants, including 35 women with suspected INOCA, 13 women with HFpEF, and 8 reference control women. Myocardial perfusion imaging was performed at rest and with vasodilator stress with intravenous adenosine. Myocardial perfusion reserve index was quantified as the ratio of the upslope of increase in myocardial contrast at stress vs. rest. All CMRI measures were quantified using CVI42 software (Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc). Statistical analysis was performed using linear regression models, Fisher's exact tests, ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Age (P = 0.007), Body surface area (0.05) were higher in the HFpEF group. Left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.02) was lower among the INOCA and HFpEF groups than reference controls after age adjustment. In addition, there was a graded reduction in myocardial perfusion reserve index in HFpEF vs. INOCA vs. reference controls (1.5 ± 0.3, 1.8 ± 0.3, 1.9 ± 0.3, P = 0.02), which was attenuated with age-adjustment. Conclusion: Reduced myocardial perfusion reserve appears to be a common pathophysiologic feature in INOCA and HFpEF patients.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Registry at 150,000
    (Elsevier, 2024-07-04) Tong, Matthew S.; Slivnick, Jeremy A.; Sharif, Behzad; Kim, Han W.; Young, Alistair A.; Sierra-Galan, Lilia M.; Mukai, Kanae; Farzaneh-Far, Afshin; Al-Kindi, Sadeer; Chan, Angel T.; Dibu, George; Elliott, Michael D.; Ferreira, Vanessa M.; Grizzard, John; Kelle, Sebastian; Lee, Simon; Malahfji, Maan; Petersen, Steffen E.; Polsani, Venkateshwar; Toro-Salazar, Olga H.; Shaikh, Kamran A.; Shenoy, Chetan; Srichai, Monvadi B.; Stojanovska, Jadranka; Tao, Qian; Wei, Janet; Weinsaft, Jonathan W.; Wince, W. Benjamin; Chudgar, Priya D.; Judd, Matthew; Judd, Robert M.; Shah, Dipan J.; Simonetti, Orlando P.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly utilized to evaluate expanding cardiovascular conditions. The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) Registry is a central repository for real-world clinical data to support cardiovascular research, including those relating to outcomes, quality improvement, and machine learning. The SCMR Registry is built on a regulatory-compliant, cloud-based infrastructure that houses searchable content and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine images. The goal of this study is to summarize the status of the SCMR Registry at 150,000 exams. Methods: The processes for data security, data submission, and research access are outlined. We interrogated the Registry and presented a summary of its contents. Results: Data were compiled from 154,458 CMR scans across 20 United States sites, containing 299,622,066 total images (∼100 terabytes of storage). Across reported values, the human subjects had an average age of 58 years (range 1 month to >90 years old), were 44% (63,070/145,275) female, 72% (69,766/98,008) Caucasian, and had a mortality rate of 8% (9,962/132,979). The most common indication was cardiomyopathy (35,369/131,581, 27%), and most frequently used current procedural terminology code was 75561 (57,195/162,901, 35%). Macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents represented 89% (83,089/93,884) of contrast utilization after 2015. Short-axis cines were performed in 99% (76,859/77,871) of tagged scans, short-axis late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in 66% (51,591/77,871), and stress perfusion sequences in 30% (23,241/77,871). Mortality data demonstrated increased mortality in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <35%, the presence of wall motion abnormalities, stress perfusion defects, and infarct LGE, compared to those without these markers. There were 456,678 patient-years of all-cause mortality follow-up, with a median follow-up time of 3.6 years. Conclusion: The vision of the SCMR Registry is to promote evidence-based utilization of CMR through a collaborative effort by providing a web mechanism for centers to securely upload de-identified data and images for research, education, and quality control. The Registry quantifies changing practice over time and supports large-scale real-world multicenter observational studies of prognostic utility.