Optimizing Liver MRI Using Breath-Holding With and Without Oxygen

NCT07135401 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 25-44459
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this interventional study (clinical trial) is to learn if different breath-holding techniques, with and without extra oxygen, can improve the quality of abdominal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images in healthy adults, ages 18-75. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does breath-holding at end-expiration improve image quality in abdominal MRI scans?
• Does adding oxygen while breath-holding further reduce motion artifacts in abdominal MRI scans? Researchers will compare breath-holding with and without oxygen to see if using oxygen improves image quality during MRI scans. Participants will:
• Be pre-screened for MRI safety and trained on breath-hold procedures
• Have one non-contrast abdominal MRI scan at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) China Basin Imaging Center
• Use two different breath-holding techniques during the scan, with and without oxygen
• Complete one study visit lasting about 45 minutes to 1 hour

Conditions

MRI; MRI Image Enhancement

Keywords

abdominal MRI; breath-hold technique; functional residual capacity; image quality; non-contrast MRI; liver MRI; end-expiration; preoxygenation; oxygen supplementation; radiology; respiratory motion control; T2-weighted imaging; living liver donor; motion artifact; 3T MRI; UCSF; motion artifact reduction; hyperventilation; end-inspiration

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Liver MRI Image Quality (Motion Artifacts)

  Image quality of liver MRI scans will be assessed by quantifying the degree of respiratory motion artifacts under two breath-holding conditions: Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) alone and FRC with oxygen supplementation. Reduced artifacts indicate improved image clarity and feasibility of the technique. Unit of Measure: Motion artifact score (ordinal scale, e.g., 1-5).

  During the single MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Breath-Holding Duration

  During the MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

• Oxygen Saturation During Breath-Holding

  During the MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

• Adverse Events and Participant-Reported Discomfort

  During and immediately after the MRI session (up to 1 hour)

Study Arms (2)

Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration Without Oxygen

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will undergo abdominal MRI scans while performing breath-holding at end-expiration without oxygen supplementation. T2-weighted and MRCP sequences will be acquired during breath-hold trials.

Other: Breath-hold conditions

Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration With Oxygen

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will undergo abdominal MRI scans while performing breath-holding at end-expiration with oxygen supplementation administered prior to. T2-weighted and MRCP sequences will be acquired during breath-hold trials.

Other: Breath-hold conditions

Interventions

Breath-hold conditions OTHER

Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration (breath-hold technique) with/without oxygen to optimize MRI image quality.

Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration With Oxygen; Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration Without Oxygen

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Subject must be within 18-75 years of age;
• Subject must be able to hear and understand instructions without assistive devices;
• Subject must provide written informed consent;
• Subject has the necessary mental capacity to understand instructions, and is able to comply with protocol requirements;
• Subject is able to remain still for duration of imaging procedure (approximately 30-45 minutes)

You may not qualify if:

• Subjects with a weight greater than 499 lbs;
• Subjects that have metallic/conductive or electrically/magnetically active implants without Magnetic Resonance (MR) Safe or Magnetic Resonance (MR) Conditional labeling, with the exception of dental devices/fillings, surgical clips, and surgical staples determined to be safe for MRI scanning by a physician investigator;
• Subjects that have implants with MR Unsafe labeling;
• Subjects that have implants labeled as MR Conditional by the manufacturer for which the allowable conditions are not expected to be achieved by the MR environment or scan protocol;
• Subjects who have a contraindication to MRI per the screening policy of the participating site;
• Subjects with any respiratory or cardiovascular condition that could compromise safe breath holding;
• Subjects who are female and pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, San Francisco: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (7)

• Yoo JL, Lee CH, Park YS, Kim JW, Lee J, Kim KA, Seol HY, Park CM. The Short Breath-Hold Technique, Controlled Aliasing in Parallel Imaging Results in Higher Acceleration, Can Be the First Step to Overcoming a Degraded Hepatic Arterial Phase in Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Prospective Randomized Control Study. Invest Radiol. 2016 Jul;51(7):440-6. doi: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000249.

  PMID: 26807896 BACKGROUND

• Vu KN, Haldipur AG, Roh AT, Lindholm P, Loening AM. Comparison of End-Expiration Versus End-Inspiration Breath-Holds With Respect to Respiratory Motion Artifacts on T1-Weighted Abdominal MRI. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2019 May;212(5):1024-1029. doi: 10.2214/AJR.18.20239. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

  PMID: 30835515 BACKGROUND

• Towell V, Gysen KV, Cross S, Kk Low G. Efficacy of preoxygenation administration in volunteers, in extending the end-expiration breath-hold duration for application to abdominal radiotherapy. Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2023 May 4;26:100208. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2023.100208. eCollection 2023 Jun.

  PMID: 37207259 BACKGROUND

• Parkes MJ, Green S, Stevens AM, Parveen S, Stephens R, Clutton-Brock TH. Safely prolonging single breath-holds to >5 min in patients with cancer; feasibility and applications for radiotherapy. Br J Radiol. 2016 Jul;89(1063):20160194. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20160194.

  PMID: 27168468 BACKGROUND

• Khot R, McGettigan M, Patrie JT, Feuerlein S. Quantification of gas exchange-related upward motion of the liver during prolonged breathholding-potential reduction of motion artifacts in abdominal MRI. Br J Radiol. 2020 Feb 1;93(1106):20190549. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20190549. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

  PMID: 31778311 BACKGROUND

• Funk E, Anderzen-Carlsson A, Ingverud P, Leander A, Thunberg P. Patient-initiated breath-holds in MRI: an alternative for reducing respiratory artifacts and improving image quality. Clin Imaging. 2015 Jul-Aug;39(4):619-22. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2014.12.007. Epub 2014 Dec 13.

  PMID: 25555833 BACKGROUND

• Chandarana H, Feng L, Ream J, Wang A, Babb JS, Block KT, Sodickson DK, Otazo R. Respiratory Motion-Resolved Compressed Sensing Reconstruction of Free-Breathing Radial Acquisition for Dynamic Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Invest Radiol. 2015 Nov;50(11):749-56. doi: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000179.

  PMID: 26146869 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hyperventilation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Respiration Disorders; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• John P Roberts, MD

  University of California, San Francisco

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

John P Roberts, MD

CONTACT

415-353-3677; John.Roberts@ucsf.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 6, 2025
• First Posted: August 22, 2025
• Study Start: December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: April 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)