Quantitative Analysis of Pharngeal Motion of Patients with Sleep Apnea Syndrome Using Ultra-fast MR Imaging

1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 06670922
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: OHTA Yoshio Tottori University, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (50031977)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): INOUE Yuichi Tottori University Hospital, Assistant Professor, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (50213179) ; SUTO Yuji Tottori University, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (10135858)
• Project Period (FY): 1994 – 1995
• Keywords: MR imaging / Pharynx / Ultra-fast MR imaging / Sleep apnea / Volume measurement / Quantitative analysis / Three-dimensional Imaging

Research Abstract

Ten healthy volunteers and 25 patients with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) underwent three-dimensional (3D) -fast low angle shot (FLASH) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging while awake and asleep. Image data were transfered on-line to an image-processing system. 3D images of the pharynx were reconstructed, and the total volume of pharyngeal airway were calculated.
In the normal subjects, no significant difference was observed in the total volume of pharynx between the sleeping and waking states. In the patients with SAS,the volume during sleep was significantly smaller than that in normal subjects (p<0.05), and the volume while asleep was significantly smaller than that while awake (p<0.01).
3D imaging of the pharynx was excellent for stereoscopic understanding and quantitative measurement of the entire pharyngeal cavity, which are difficult to obtain by two-dimensional MR imaging.
This method is useful for localizing the obstructive portion of the paryngeal cavity in the patients with SAS,and might be an useful index for monitoring the course of their treatment.