RSNA 2022: Empowering Patients and Partners in Care

Explore these preview press releases to learn about highlights of some of the innovative medical imaging research and new technologies that will be presented at RSNA 2022.

NSAIDS May Worsen Arthritis Inflammation

NSAID use for osteoarthritis of the knee may worsen joint inflammation, according to a new study from the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers analyzed the association between NSAID use and synovitis in patients with knee osteoarthritis and assessed how NSAID treatments affect joint structure over time. The study compared 277 participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort with moderate to severe osteoarthritis who received sustained NSAID treatment with a group of 793 control participants who did not. All participants underwent 3T MRI of the knee initially and after four years. Researchers found no long-term benefit of NSAID use. Joint inflammation and cartilage quality were worse at baseline in the participants taking NSAIDs, compared to the control group, and worsened at four-year follow-up.

MRI Reveals Significant Brain Abnormalities Post-COVID

Researchers have uncovered brain changes in patients up to six months after they recovered from COVID-19, according to a new study from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. Researchers analyzed the susceptibility-weighted MR imaging data of 46 COVID-recovered patients and 30 healthy controls. Imaging was done within six months of recovery. Imaging results showed that patients who recovered from COVID-19 had significantly higher susceptibility values in the frontal lobe and brain stem compared to healthy controls.

Lung Cancer Screening Dramatically Increases Long-term Survival Rate

Diagnosing early-stage lung cancer with low-dose CT screening drastically improves the long-term survival rate of cancer patients, according to a large-scale 20-year international study from the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP). In 2006, the researchers identified a 10-year survival rate of 80% for the patients whose cancer was identified by CT screening. The new follow-up study found a 20-year survival rate of 80% for participants diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer and treated. Researchers said the findings demonstrate the importance of routine and early screening in that, after 20 years, patients diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage via CT screening have significantly better outcomes.

Drinking During Pregnancy Changes Baby’s Brain Structure

A new MRI study revealed that even low to moderate amounts of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can change the baby’s brain structure and delay brain development. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria used fetal MRI to observe structural changes in regions of the brain related to key functions, including language development. The study analyzed MRI exams of 24 fetuses with prenatal alcohol exposure. Significant changes were seen in fetal brains even when the mothers consumed less than one alcoholic beverage per week. Researchers noted that it is unclear how these structural changes will affect brain development in these babies after birth.

Researchers Identify Brain Markers of ADHD in Children

Researchers analyzing the data from MRI exams on nearly 8,000 children have identified biomarkers of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a possible role for neuroimaging machine learning to help with the diagnosis, treatment planning and surveillance of the disorder. In the study from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, patients with ADHD displayed abnormal connectivity in the brain networks involved in memory processing and auditory processing, a thinning of the brain cortex, and significant white matter microstructural changes, especially in the frontal lobe.

Ultra-high-res MRI Reveals Migraine Brain Changes

A new study has identified enlarged perivascular spaces in the brains of chronic and episodic migraine sufferers for the first time. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles found that migraine sufferers showed significant changes in the brain’s centrum semiovale region. Researchers used ultra-high-field 7T MRI to compare structural microvascular changes in different types of migraine and to study the association between migraine and enlarged perivascular spaces. Study participants included 10 with chronic migraine, 10 with episodic migraine without aura, and five age-matched healthy controls. White matter lesions were significantly linked to the presence of enlarged perivascular spaces, suggesting that changes in perivascular spaces could lead to future development of more white matter lesions.

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