Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Michael Shriver, MD – Proscan Imaging NCH Partner
NeuroQuant® is the first FDA cleared software that allows for the volumetric analysis of brain parenchyma with MRI. The Neuro-Quant software can be utilized on Brain MRIs acquired at 3 Tesla or higher, and provides the radiologist and clinician accurate, fast, and evidence-based results. It provides quantitative volumetric measurements of the brain parenchyma, including cortical, subcortical, cerebellar, deep grey, and brainstem structures/nuclei.
This technology can be utilized in the evaluation of an assortment of brain abnormalities, including tumors, developmental and vascular anomalies, epilepsy, trauma, and neurodegenerative disorders.
In the setting of tumors and vascular anomalies, NeuroQuant’s volumetric analysis of parenchymal volumes allows for the radiologist and clinician to understand the impact of the pathology on adjacent structures. For the evaluation of patients with epilepsy or traumatic brain injury, the precise quantitative analysis of brain parenchyma allows Neurologists the ability to accurately diagnose the site and etiology of the patient’s presenting symptoms, affording the Neurologist to provide the most precise possible care and interventions.
NeuroQuant can also be used to evaluate for patterns of brain parenchymal volume loss in the setting of memory loss or cognitive impairment. This allows for a more sensitive and accurate understanding of a patient’s neurodegenerative pattern, which affords clinicians the ability to better understand the etiology of a patient’s cognitive impairment. Ultimately, this allows for the earlier and more accurate treatment of a patient’s neurodegenerative disorder.
NeuroQuant utilizes 3D T1 MRI sequences to precisely map the boundaries of cortical and subcortical structures, with great accuracy and precision. Subjective measurements and qualitative analysis of these findings are greatly flawed with disparate inter-reader and intra-reader variability between studies. This qualitative analysis can provide clinicians and patients with confusing, inaccurate interpretations of their Brain MRI results, which can lead to ambiguity in choosing the appropriate treatment. NeuroQuant’s objective, automated segmentation tool allows for the accurate and reproducible volumetric quantification of brain parenchyma. This allows for the accurate evaluation of brain volumes on initial and repeated assessment, which may play a critical role in following a patient’s disease progress.
The volumetric analysis data from NeuroQuant’s segmentation model then undergoes multifactorial processing that allows the use of a probabilistic atlas at various age ranges, which allows for a more accurate interpretation of the volumetric findings, even in children and young adults. The normative database provides NeuroQuant the capability to compare an individual’s brain structure volume measurements to a healthy population, with age and gender matched references. Quantitative volume loss less than the 5th normative percentile is considered statistically significant volume loss.
ProScan’s neuroradiology fellowship trained radiologists are able to quickly and accurately evaluate NeuroQuant data to provide the ordering clinician with this clinically important information. The correlation of this quantitative data with the qualitative findings of the Brain MRI allow for a meaningful and accurate interpretation of the findings, that will greatly benefit the treatment of the patient.
Dr. Michael Shriver is board eligible by the American College of Radiology and Board Certified by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. He completed an Integrated Nuclear Radiology Fellowship and Neuroradiology Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. His diagnostic radiology residency was also completed at Penn. Dr. Shriver completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, and an Internal Medicine Internship at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Shriver has relocated to Naples with his wife, Stacy and daughter, Lily. He is excited to add his expertise and experience to the most qualified Radiology services team in the Southwest Florida Region. Our team of talented physicians, caring and professional technologists, and advanced imaging equipment provide our patients with the highest quality of care.
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