Compressed Sensing-Based Cine-MRI for Location of Dysphagia and Swallowing Function assessment in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Comparative Study.

Abstract

Cine magnetic resonance imaging (Cine-MRI) may evaluate the swallowing function and locations of patients with dysphagia, which requires very fast imaging speed. Compressed sensing is a technique that allows for faster MRI imaging by sampling fewer data points and reconstructing the image via optimization techniques, crucial for capturing the rapid movements involved in swallowing. This study aimed to analyze swallowing function and locations in patients with head and neck cancer and healthy individuals using Cine-MRI based on compressed sensing. This comparative study enrolled 36 patients with dysphagia and 10 healthy controls at the Department of Radiology, Yunnan Cancer Hospital between June 2020 and January 2021. Significant correlations were found between primary tumor location and Cine-MRI parameters, and between swallowing function and Cine-MRI parameters. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the combined Cine-MRI-related parameters in predicting mild and severe dysphagia were 0.806 (95% CI: 0.662-0.949). Cine-MRI with compressed sensing may identify swallowing function and abnormal stages of the physiologic swallowing process in patients with dysphagia after treatment.