What the study found
Cognitive and communication impairment and respiratory compromise were independently associated with poor cardiac MR image quality. The associations remained after a sensitivity analysis that adjusted for repeat imaging.
Why the authors say this matters
The study suggests that identifying these pre-imaging clinical factors may help explain which patients are more likely to have poor cardiac MR image quality. The authors state that poor image quality can prompt repeat examinations and hinder clinical decision-making.
What the researchers tested
The researchers performed a retrospective study of 1,006 adults who underwent clinical cardiac MR examinations on 1.5 T and 3 T scanners using cine, black blood, MR angiogram, or late gadolinium enhancement protocols. A HIPAA-compliant large language model (a computer system that can extract information from text) assigned image quality labels from radiology reports, and pre-imaging clinical and patient variables were extracted from electronic health records.
What worked and what didn't
The binarized image quality labels showed substantial agreement with interpreters' assessments in both the primary dataset and the repeat-adjusted dataset. In multivariable analysis, cognitive and communication impairment and respiratory issues were associated with poor image quality, while other clinical variables were not independently associated after adjustment.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond the retrospective design and the use of a single study sample. It also does not provide information about whether the findings apply outside the examined setting or patient group.
Key points
- Cognitive and communication impairment was independently associated with poor cardiac MR image quality.
- Respiratory compromise was also independently associated with poor image quality.
- The large language model labels showed substantial agreement with human interpreters.
- Other clinical variables were not independently associated after adjustment.
- The study was retrospective and included 1,006 adults undergoing cardiac MR.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Cognitive and respiratory issues were linked to poorer cardiac MR quality
- Authors:
- Hong Yu, Masha Bondarenko, Ali Nowroozi, Y T. Lee, Adrian Serapio, Punita Kaveti, Jae Ho Sohn
- Institutions:
- University of California, San Francisco, Zunyi Medical University, University of California System, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-19
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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