Towards a Comprehensive Morphological, Dynamic and Functional MRI Investigation of the Pediatric Bowel at 0.55T
摘要
Peristalsis is critical for gastrointestinal (GI) function and is often impaired in pediatric conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and functional motility disorders. Existing diagnostic approaches for assessing bowel motility in children are frequently invasive, involve radiation, or provide only indirect insights. Sacral neuromodulation is a promising therapy to modulate GI motility, but its mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study paves the way for a comprehensive, contrast-free and radiation-free 0.55T MRI protocol for noninvasive anatomical, dynamic, and functional imaging of bowel motility in children with chronic constipation. Five pediatric patients (ages 4–11) were scanned using a protocol including anatomical, dynamic cine, and quantitative (T2*, diffusion-weighted) imaging. Bowel motility was quantified using optical flow-derived Jacobian determinant maps, and tissue microstructure was assessed with T2* and ADC maps. The full protocol was completed in all children. Motility measurements showed regional and inter-individual variation, with transverse colon motility ranging from 0.0014 to 0.0056 and small bowel from 0.0018 to 0.0093. This work demonstrates the feasibility of non-invasive, motion-resolved bowel imaging at 0.55T in children and provides a foundation for future studies linking motility to neural control and guiding individualized neuromodulation therapies.