Ohio State team combines exercise stress test with cardiac MRI
An Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center research team has modified an exercise stress treadmill for use within close proximity of an MRI scanner, enabling quicker acquisition of high-resolution cardiac images without pharmacologically-induced stress.
The images are obtained with an exam lasting less than one minute, according to the researchers.
“In the past, we were constrained by the time lapse between the completion of exercise and capturing the images,” said Orlando Simonetti, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine and radiology at OSU. “We now have the ability to exercise patients to peak stress and obtain a high-definition image of their heart within 60 seconds, which helps us more accurately identify exercise-induced abnormalities.”
He added that OSU Medical Center is the only place performing treadmill exercise stress tests inside the MRI scan room.
While patients perform the treadmill exercise test, they are monitored using a 12-lead electrocardiogram system that is disconnected after exercise, Simonetti and colleagues said. Heart rate and rhythm are then monitored with a wireless, MRI-compatible electrode unit, while patients undergo imaging.
“While current forms of stress testing have been helpful, combining exercise stress with cardiac MRI allows us to better measure the presence and extent of heart disease with a clarity not previously possible,” said Subha Raman, MD, associate professor of internal medicine in OSU Medical Center’s division of cardiovascular medicine.
The images are obtained with an exam lasting less than one minute, according to the researchers.
“In the past, we were constrained by the time lapse between the completion of exercise and capturing the images,” said Orlando Simonetti, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine and radiology at OSU. “We now have the ability to exercise patients to peak stress and obtain a high-definition image of their heart within 60 seconds, which helps us more accurately identify exercise-induced abnormalities.”
He added that OSU Medical Center is the only place performing treadmill exercise stress tests inside the MRI scan room.
While patients perform the treadmill exercise test, they are monitored using a 12-lead electrocardiogram system that is disconnected after exercise, Simonetti and colleagues said. Heart rate and rhythm are then monitored with a wireless, MRI-compatible electrode unit, while patients undergo imaging.
“While current forms of stress testing have been helpful, combining exercise stress with cardiac MRI allows us to better measure the presence and extent of heart disease with a clarity not previously possible,” said Subha Raman, MD, associate professor of internal medicine in OSU Medical Center’s division of cardiovascular medicine.