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Optimizing Canine Brain Imaging: Comparative Study of MRA Techniques
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2025
Obi Veterinary Education
October 31, 2025
Sunghwa Hong, Soyeon Kim, Mire Namgoong, Minjoo Kwon, Junghee Yoon, Jihye Choi
Background
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is an essential imaging tool for evaluating cerebral vasculature in veterinary medicine. This study compares three MRA techniques—Time-of-Flight (TOF), Phase-Contrast (PC), and Time-Resolved Imaging of Contrast Kinetics (TRICKS)—to determine their effectiveness in visualizing cerebral arteries and veins in dogs. The objective is to identify the optimal MRA sequence for improved diagnostic accuracy in canine brain imaging.
Methods
Five healthy adult beagles underwent MRA using a 1.5-T MRI system. Each dog was scanned using TOF, PC, and TRICKS sequences, with quantitative assessments of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Qualitative evaluations of vessel visualization were performed by blinded observers. Statistical comparisons were conducted using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to determine differences between imaging techniques.
Results
TOF MRA provided the highest SNR and CNR for arterial imaging, particularly in the basilar, rostral cerebral, caudal cerebral, and caudal communicating arteries. TRICKS MRA was superior for venous imaging, demonstrating higher SNR and CNR for major veins, including the transverse sinus, temporal sinus, and dorsal cerebral vein. TRICKS also had the shortest acquisition time, making it advantageous for reducing anesthesia duration. PC MRA was less effective for venous imaging than TRICKS but showed moderate visibility in the dorsal sagittal sinus and straight sinus. Interobserver agreement was high, reinforcing the reliability of the findings.
Limitations
The study was conducted on a small sample of five beagles, limiting generalizability. Additionally, velocity-encoding values in PC MRA were not optimized for canine cerebral vessels, which may have affected imaging quality. TRICKS sequence evaluation relied on single-slice analysis rather than maximum intensity projection (MIP) images, potentially reducing accuracy. Further studies with optimized protocols and larger sample sizes are needed.
Conclusions
TOF MRA is the preferred sequence for detailed arterial imaging, while TRICKS MRA is superior for venous visualization and rapid scanning. PC MRA has limited application but may aid in specific venous assessments. These findings provide a foundation for improving MRA protocols in veterinary medicine, contributing to enhanced diagnostic accuracy and efficient clinical procedures in canine cerebral imaging.
Visibility of brain vessels in Time-of-Flight (TOF) maximum-intensity projection images. (A) Arteriogram in dorsal and transverse orientations. Major arteries were depicted clearly to an acceptable or higher level: (1) rostral cerebral artery; (2) middle cerebral artery; (3) caudal communicating artery; (4) caudal cerebral artery; (5) rostral cerebellar artery; (6) internal carotid artery; (7) basilar artery. (B) Venograms in dorsal and transverse orientations. Visibility of veins is generally low due to in-plane saturation artifact: however, the dorsal sagittal sinus is clearly visible and less affected by artifact. Labeled veins: (1) dorsal sagittal sinus; (2) transverse sinus; (3) straight sinus; (4) temporal sinus; (5) sigmoid sinus. The dorsal cerebral vein is not visualized.
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