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Technical aspects and clinical applications of synthetic MRI: a scoping review

  • Tancia Pires ORCID logo , Saikiran Pendem , Jaseemudheen M.M. ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Priyanka ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: February 7, 2025
Diagnosis
From the journal Diagnosis Volume 12 Issue 2

Abstract

Introduction

Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) is a non-invasive, robust MRI technique that generates multiple contrast-weighted images by acquiring a single MRI sequence within a few minutes, along with quantitative maps, automatic brain segmentation, and volumetry. Since its inception, it has undergone technical advancements and has also been tested for feasibility in various organs and pathological conditions. This scoping review comprehensively pinpoints the critical technical aspects and maps the wide range of clinical applications/benefits of SyMRI.

Content

A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL Ultimate, using appropriate keywords related to SyMRI. A total of 99 studies were included after a 2-step screening process. Data related to the technical factors and clinical application was charted.

Summary

SyMRI provides quantitative maps and segmentation techniques comparable to conventional MRI and has demonstrated feasibility and applications across neuroimaging, musculoskeletal, abdominal and breast pathologies spanning the entire human lifespan, from prenatal development to advanced age. Certain drawbacks related to image quality have been encountered that can be overcome with technical advances, especially AI-based algorithms.

Outlook

SyMRI has immense potential for being incorporated into routine imaging for various pathologies due to its added advantage of providing quantitative measurements for more robust diagnostic and prognostic work-up with faster acquisitions and greater post-processing options.

Keywords: synthetic MRI; quantitative MRI; automatic brain segmentation; brain volumetry
Corresponding authors: Jaseemudheen M.M., Department of Medical Imaging Technology, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA), NITTE (Deemed to be University), Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018, Karnataka, India, E-mail: ; and Priyanka, Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

Master Gautam Sawant (B.Sc. MIT, Goa Medical College, Goa, India) aided in preparing the graphical illustrations and organizing the data. The authors acknowledge his efforts towards this scientific work.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Tancia Pires and Mr. Jaseemudheen MM, conceptualized and collated the data. Dr. Saikiran resolved all conflicts in the study selection and data extraction stage. Tancia Pires synthesized the results and drafted the entire manuscript. Mr. Jaseemudheen and Dr. Priyanka gave scientific inputs and major revisions and edited the final draft. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article [and its Supplementary Information Files].

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Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/dx-2024-0168).

Received: 2024-10-19
Accepted: 2025-01-09
Published Online: 2025-02-07

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Pioneering diagnosis in Asia: advancing clinical reasoning expertise through the lens of 3M
  4. Short Communication
  5. The foundations of the diagnostic error movement: a tribute to Eta Berner, PhD
  6. Reviews
  7. Interventions to improve timely cancer diagnosis: an integrative review
  8. Technical aspects and clinical applications of synthetic MRI: a scoping review
  9. Mini Review
  10. Challenges and barriers for the adoption of personalized medicine in Europe: the case of Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test
  11. Opinion Papers
  12. Beyond thinking fast and slow: a Bayesian intuitionist model of clinical reasoning in real-world practice
  13. Diagnostic scope: the AI can’t see what the mind doesn’t know
  14. Guidelines and Recommendations
  15. CDC’s Core Elements to promote diagnostic excellence
  16. Original Articles
  17. Trends of diagnostic adverse events in hospital deaths: longitudinal analyses of four retrospective record review studies
  18. The effect of a provisional diagnosis on intern diagnostic reasoning: a mixed methods study
  19. On context specificity and management reasoning: moving beyond diagnosis
  20. Diagnostic errors in patients admitted directly from new outpatient visits
  21. Breaking the guidelines: how financial unawareness fuels guideline deviations and inefficient DVT diagnostics
  22. Harbingers of sepsis misdiagnosis among pediatric emergency department patients
  23. Factors affecting diagnostic difficulties in aseptic meningitis: a retrospective observational study
  24. Prenatal diagnostic errors in hemoglobin Bart’s hydrops fetalis caused by rare genetic interactions of α-thalassemia
  25. Screening fasting glucose before the OGTT: near-patient glucometer- or laboratory-based measurement?
  26. Three-way comparison of different ESR measurement methods and analytical performance assessment of TEST1 automated ESR analyzer
  27. Short Communications
  28. Medical language matters: impact of clinical summary composition on a generative artificial intelligence’s diagnostic accuracy
  29. Impact of meta-memory techniques in generating effective differential diagnoses in a pediatric core clerkship
https://doi.org/10.1515/dx-2024-0168
Keywords for this article
synthetic MRI; quantitative MRI; automatic brain segmentation; brain volumetry

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Pioneering diagnosis in Asia: advancing clinical reasoning expertise through the lens of 3M
  4. Short Communication
  5. The foundations of the diagnostic error movement: a tribute to Eta Berner, PhD
  6. Reviews
  7. Interventions to improve timely cancer diagnosis: an integrative review
  8. Technical aspects and clinical applications of synthetic MRI: a scoping review
  9. Mini Review
  10. Challenges and barriers for the adoption of personalized medicine in Europe: the case of Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test
  11. Opinion Papers
  12. Beyond thinking fast and slow: a Bayesian intuitionist model of clinical reasoning in real-world practice
  13. Diagnostic scope: the AI can’t see what the mind doesn’t know
  14. Guidelines and Recommendations
  15. CDC’s Core Elements to promote diagnostic excellence
  16. Original Articles
  17. Trends of diagnostic adverse events in hospital deaths: longitudinal analyses of four retrospective record review studies
  18. The effect of a provisional diagnosis on intern diagnostic reasoning: a mixed methods study
  19. On context specificity and management reasoning: moving beyond diagnosis
  20. Diagnostic errors in patients admitted directly from new outpatient visits
  21. Breaking the guidelines: how financial unawareness fuels guideline deviations and inefficient DVT diagnostics
  22. Harbingers of sepsis misdiagnosis among pediatric emergency department patients
  23. Factors affecting diagnostic difficulties in aseptic meningitis: a retrospective observational study
  24. Prenatal diagnostic errors in hemoglobin Bart’s hydrops fetalis caused by rare genetic interactions of α-thalassemia
  25. Screening fasting glucose before the OGTT: near-patient glucometer- or laboratory-based measurement?
  26. Three-way comparison of different ESR measurement methods and analytical performance assessment of TEST1 automated ESR analyzer
  27. Short Communications
  28. Medical language matters: impact of clinical summary composition on a generative artificial intelligence’s diagnostic accuracy
  29. Impact of meta-memory techniques in generating effective differential diagnoses in a pediatric core clerkship
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