Temperature correction of post mortem quantitative magnetic resonance imaging using real-time forehead temperature acquisitions

Celine Berger; Melanie Bauer; Eva Scheurer; Claudia Lenz

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111738

Temperature correction of post mortem quantitative magnetic resonance imaging using real-time forehead temperature acquisitions

Forensic Sci Int. 2023 Jul:348:111738. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111738. Epub 2023 May 24.

Authors

Celine Berger¹, Melanie Bauer¹, Eva Scheurer¹, Claudia Lenz²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland.
² Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: claudia.lenz@unibas.ch.

PMID: 37263059
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111738

Abstract

Performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of deceased is challenging due to altered body temperatures compared to in vivo temperatures and, hence, requires a temperature correction. This study investigates the possibility to correct brain MRI parameters real-time and non invasively based on the forehead temperature. 17 post mortem cases were included and their forehead temperatures were measured continuously during the in situ brain MRI protocol consisting of a diffusion tensor imaging, multi-contrast spin echo, multi-echo gradient echo and inversion recovery spin echo sequence. Linear models were fitted to the quantitative MRI parameters in a forensically interesting temperature range for white matter, cerebral cortex and deep gray matter, separately, and the influence of the forehead temperature on the MRI parameters was determined. A statistically significant temperature sensitivity was found for T₂ and mean diffusivity in white matter, for T₁ in cerebral cortex, as well as for T₁ and mean diffusivity in deep gray matter. Linear models were computed to temperature correct these MRI parameters in in situ post mortem scans to allow their comparison regardless of temperature. The here presented real-time and non invasive temperature correction method for the brain presents a crucial precondition for quantitative in situ post mortem MRI.

Keywords: Forehead; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neuroimaging; Post mortem; Temperature.

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / pathology
Diffusion Tensor Imaging*
Forehead*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Temperature