Penny Louise Hubbard1,2, Geoff J. M. Parker1,2,
Dave Singh3, Jrgen Vestbo3, Simon S. Young4,
Eva Bondesson5, Lars E. Olsson6, Josephine H. Naish1,2
1Imaging Sciences and Biomedical
Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; 2The
University of Manchester Biomedical Imaging Institute, Manchester, United
Kingdom; 3Airway Pharmacology Group, School of Translational
Medicine,, University Hospital of South Manchester Foundation Trust,
Manchester, United Kingdom; 4AstraZeneca R & D, Charnwood,
United Kingdom; 5AstraZeneca R & D, Lund, Sweden; 6AstraZeneca
R & D, Mlndal, Sweden
We
present a regional characterisation of the ventilation-perfusion ratio using
a novel two-compartment physiological model analysis of oxygen-enhanced MRI
data. A preliminary analysis of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and age-matched healthy subjects shows how changes in T1 can be
related directly to physiological parameters indicative of lung function.
This novel MR method is minimally-invasive and repeatable, and reveals
enhanced sensitivity to the early onset of disease than more traditional
global lung function measures.