Meeting Report: The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and the International Society for MR Radiographers and Technologists (ISMRT) 2024 Joint Meeting

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Key Points

  • ISMRM/ISMRT 2024 was held May 4–9 in Singapore. 
  • Before the scientific sessions, two educational courses included focused ultrasound topics. 

The 2024 annual meeting of ISMRM and ISMRT was held in Singapore May 4–9, 2024. The conference started with an educational weekend, which was followed by the scientific meeting. As a nonprofit organization with more than 9,000 members around the world, ISMRM promotes innovation, development, and the application of magnetic resonance techniques in medicine and biology. The 2024 annual meeting was attended by more than 6,000 international attendees and almost 70 exhibitors from 40 countries. 

Educational Courses 

Two educational courses covered various aspects of therapeutic ultrasound: 

  • In a Sunday session, Henrik Odéen, PhD, from the University of Utah, presented “Brain Thermometry: MR Measurements, Modeling, and Clinical Applications.” This course covered clinical applications of brain heating and ablation treatments for several MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) neurological applications. 
  • A sunrise educational session on Tuesday was titled “Hitting the Target: Focal Therapies and Hybrid Imaging.” For this course, Kwek Jin Wei, MBBS, FRCR (UK), FAMS, from the National Cancer Centre in Singapore, presented “MR-Guided HIFU: Enhancing Our Therapeutic Armamentarium.” Dr. Wei covered basic principles of focused ultrasound and mentioned several clinical and proof-of-concept applications. 

Therapeutic Ultrasound Posters and Oral Presentations 

During the scientific meeting, focused ultrasound was included in the digital poster session, the traditional poster session, and in the oral presentations. Highlights of each session are described below, and all abstracts are listed at the bottom of this page. 

MR Thermometry and Focused Ultrasound Digital Poster Session 

Researchers from New York University presented additional work on the transcranial mock transducer that they introduced in 2023. Groups from the University of Virginia, University of Utah, and University of Michigan presented various improvements for MR thermometry (MRT), including MRT in bone, absolute MRT in breast, and combining MRT with MR-ARFI for histotripsy targeting, respectively. ARFI-based approaches to monitor and evaluate neuromodulation were also presented by groups from Case Western Reserve University and Stanford University. Focused ultrasound–based hyperthermia as an adjuvant to radiation therapy was presented by researchers from the University of Geneva. Lastly, University of Arizona research on multi-modality imaging after focused ultrasound–induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening was presented. 

Novel Interventional Methods Traditional Poster Session 

University of Utah researchers shared their work developing hybrid fat-water thermometry. Research on the use of tissue-mimicking phantoms for histotripsy evaluation and a novel approach to encode ultrasound propagation in a medium into an MR image were presented by researchers from Brigham Young University. 

Interventional Therapy: Targeting, Monitoring & Evaluation Oral Presentations 

The oral presentations described several new advances in MRT. UCLA researchers developed a motion-robust stack-of-radial approach as well as an improved ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus targeting method for essential tremor (ET) treatments: they are calling it THalamus Optimized Multi Atlas Segmentation (or “THOMAS”). MR finger printing–based MRT was showcased by Case Western Reserve University. MRgFUS neuromodulation studies investigating sustained reduction of ET and the induction of human primary motor cortex functional connectivity changes were presented by research groups from Sorbonne Université and Yuan Ze University, respectively. Lastly, an investigation of acute versus chronic VIM connectivity following ET thalamotomy was presented by researchers from the University of Calgary. 

In addition to the MRT presentations, there were also work from Wenzhou Medical University showing that low intensity focused ultrasound can reverse cisplatin-induced cognitive impairment in rats. Researchers from Image Guided Therapy and the Université d’Orléans investigated multi-parametric MRI to longitudinally track physiological changes after repeated BBB opening. A presentation from Seoul National University showed that low-intensity focused ultrasound can be used for lymphatic enhancement. Columbia University investigators used deep learning to create synthetic CT scans from ultrashort echo time MRIs for transcranial focused ultrasound treatment planning. Finally, University of Calgary researchers presented the longitudinal changes they found in the resting-state network following focused ultrasound capsulotomy for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

Abstracts (28 total) 

The focused ultrasound abstracts from the meeting are listed below by type of presentation. Search all abstracts for your own key words here. The “Power Pitches” are designed to give maximum exposure to the most interesting abstracts at the annual meeting. This format was designed to address a common complaint that, often, the most interesting abstracts presented in traditional oral sessions have less than three minutes for discussion. Power pitches include both an oral presentation and a digital poster. 

Power Pitches (2) 

  • 0111. Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Reverses Cisplatin-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Rats: Behavioral and DTI Evidence by Xiaowei Han, Jiahuan Liu, Xisong Zhu, and Jiangong Zhang from The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s Hospital, The First people’s Hospital of Yancheng, and The Yancheng Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University 
  • 1118. Longitudinal Resting-State Network Changes in Treatment-Resistant OCD Patients Following MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Capsulotomy by Conrad P Rockel, Darren L Clark, Samuel Pichardo, Fady M Girgis, Beverly L Adams, Zelma HT Kiss, and G Bruce Pike from the University of Calgary 

Digital Posters (14) 

  • 2699. Improved Tx Efficiency in Mock Transcranial MRgFUS with Modified Transfer Medium & Transducer Ground at 3T: Improved Results with Updated Phantom by Karthik Lakshmanan, Jerzy Walczyk, Giuseppe Carluccio, and Christopher M. Collins from New York University Grossman School of Medicine 
  • 2700. Four-Channel Receiver Coil Array for Focused Ultrasound Spine Imaging by Hsin-Ju Lee, Meaghan O’Reilly, Ryan M. Jones, and Fa-Hsuan Lin from Sunnybrook Research Institute and the University of Toronto 
  • 2701. Extrapolated-B1-Corrected Variable Flip Angle T1 Mapping in Cortical Bone with a Phase-Sensitive Method by Sheng Chen, Yekaterina K. Gilbo, Helen L. Sporkin, Samuel W. Fielden, Steven P. Allen, John P. Mugler III, G. Wilson Miller, and Craig H. Meyer from the University of Virginia, Netflix, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Brigham Young University 
  • 2702. Spectral Fat Saturation and Accuracy of Proton-Resonance Frequency Shift MR Thermometry by Anne Josset, Ounay Ishak, Jonathan Vappou, and Élodie Breton from the University of Strasbourg 
  • 2703. Absolute MR Thermometry in the Breast Using Interleaved Echo Planar Spectroscopic Imaging by Henrik Odéen, Peyton Wong, Duane Blatter, Seong-Eun Kim, Allison Payne, and Dennis L Parker from the University of Utah 
  • 2706. Principal Component Analysis–Assisted Deep Learning Method for Motion Artifacts Correction in MR Thermometry by Ning Wang and Kui Ying from Tsinghua University in Beijing 
  • 2707. Flexible, High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Absolute Thermometry of MRI Phantoms by Wesley Judd, Seong-Eun Kim, John Dzikiy, Dennis L Parker, and Henrik Odéen from the University of Utah and Psychology Software Tools 
  • 2709. MRI-Guided Histotripsy Targeting using MR-Thermometry and MR-ARFI by Dinank Gupta, Tarana P Kaovasia, Steven P Allen, Timothy L Hall, Zhen Xu, and Douglas C Noll from the University of Michigan and Brigham Young University 
  • 2710. A Time-Resolved Forward Model for MR-ARFI: Towards Acoustic Dosimetry for FUS Neuromodulation by Kristen Zarcone, Huiwen Luo, Charles F Caskey, and William A Grissom from Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University 
  • 2711. Correction of LIFU Intensity Using MR Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging (ARFI): Improved Correlations with Treatment Outcomes by Abubakr Eldirdiri, Linda Chang, David Martin, Donna Calu, Eric Cunningham, Segun Bernard, Prathibha Meesala, and Thomas Ernst from the University of Maryland School of Medicine 
  • 2712. MR-ARFI for Transcranial Ultrasound Neuromodulation: The Effect of Varying Frequency and Depth by Morteza Mohammadjavadi, Gary H Glover, and Kim Butts Pauly from Stanford University 
  • 2713. Mild Hyperthermia–Induced by MRgHIFU as an Adjuvant to Radiation Therapy in Bone Metastases: Preliminary Results of a Phase I Study by Orane Lorton, Yacine M’Rad, Pauline Coralie Guillemin, Max Gau, Pelagia Tsoutsou, Thomas Zilli, Pierre-Alexandre Poletti, Rares Salomir, and Sana Boudabbous from the University of Geneva, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, and University Hospitals of Geneva 
  • 2714. Multi-Modality Imaging and Analysis of Mouse Cortex after Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening by Devin Patrick Murphy, Alex Samoy-Alvarado, Rhea Carlson, Christine Howison, Terry Matsunaga, Urs Utzinger, Theodore Trouard, and Elizabeth Hutchinson from the University of Arizona 
  • 3599. Utilizing XGBoost and LR to Find the Significant Predictive Factors of MR-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation in Uterine Fibroids by Zhihao Li, Chenxia Li, Ting Liang, Xiang Li, Rong Wang, Yuelang Zhang, and Jian Yang from The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University 

Traditional Posters (4) 

  • 4922. Improvement of Glymphatic System Using Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) for Lymphatic Enhancement by Hyochul Lee, Taekyu Jang, Ok kyu Park, Taewon Choi, Seoyun Chang, Jinhyoung Park, and Seung Hong Choi from Seoul National University, Institute for Basic Science in Seoul, and Sungkyunkwan University 
  • 4934. In Vivo 3D Hybrid Fat-Water MR Thermometry via Simultaneous Proton Resonance Frequency Shift and T1 Measurement by Nicholas Richards, Michael Malmberg, Samuel I. Adams-Tew, Henrik Odéen, Dennis Parker, and Allison Payne from the University of Utah 
  • 4936. Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms with Tunable Acoustic and Mechanical Properties for Visualizing MRgFUS Cavitation Lesions by Elizabeth MacKayedee Joyce Allen, Henrik Odeen, Paul-Emile Victor Passe-Carlus, Hunter Harris, and Steven Allen from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah 
  • 4937. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Visualize Ultrasound Wave Propagation Through a Medium by Paul-Emile Victor Passe-Carlus, Davi Ferrazza Cavinatto, Carson Reed, Elizabeth Allen, and Steven P Allen from Brigham Young University 

Oral Presentations (8) 

  • 0163. Longitudinal Study Tracking Physiological Changes through Multiparametric MRI During Repeated MRgFUS-Induced BBB opening by Sébastien Rigollet, Thomas Ador, Erik Dumont, Chantal Pichon, Emmanuel Barbier, Anthony Delalande, and Vasile Stupar from Image Guided Therapy, Université d’Orléans, and University Grenoble Alpes 
  • 0881. Enhancing Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Treatment Planning with Synthetic CT from Ultra-Short Echo Time (UTE) MRI: A Deep Learning Approach by Dong Liu, Zhuoyao Xin, Robin Ji, Fotis Tsitsos, Sergio Jiménez-Gambín, Vincent P Ferrera, Elisa E. Konofagou, and Jia Guo from Columbia University 
  • 1277. Dynamic 3D Thermometry in Moving Tissue using Accelerated Stack-of-Radial MRI and an Image-Navigated Multi-Baseline PRF Method by Qing Dai1, Shu-Fu Shih1, Omar Z. Curiel2, Jason Chiang1, David S. K. Lu1, Tsu-Chin Tsao2, and Holden H. Wu from the University of California, Los Angeles 
  • 1278. MR Thermometry with High Precision and Temporal Resolution by Quadratic Phase MR Fingerprinting by Sarah Garrow, Rasim Boyacioglu, Kathryn E Keenan, Mark Griswold, and William Grissom from Case Western Reserve University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
  • 1282. Patient-Specific Targeting of VIM Using THOMAS Segmentation Predicts Post-MRgFUS Side Effects: A Retrospective Evaluation by Sonoko Oshima, Asher Kim, Xiaonan Richard Sun, Ziad Rifi, Katy A. Cross, Katherine A. Fu, Benjamin M. Ellingson, Noriko Salamon, Ausaf A. Bari, and Jingwen Yao from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 
  • 1283. First Evidence of Sustained Reduction of Essential Tremor with MR-Guided Low-Energy Ultrasound Neuromodulation by Nadya Pyatigorskaya, Thomas Bancel, Benoit Beranger, Melanie Didier, Maxime Daniel, Eric Bardinet, Mathieu Santin, Sara Fernandez Vidal, Cécile Galléa, Itay Rachmilevitch, Yeruham Shapira, Alexandre Dizeux, David Attali, Mickael Tanter, David Grabli, Marie Vidailhet, Stephane Lehericy, Carine Karachi, Elodie Hainque, and Jean-Francois Aubry from Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtriere, PSL University, Physics for Medicine Paris, and Insightec 
  • 1284. Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound with Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Induces Human Primary Motor Cortex Functional Connectivity Changes by Wei-Chih Yang, Kai-Hsiang Stanley Chen, Yih-Chih Jacinta Kuo, Yan-Siou Dong, Gin-Shin Chen, and Yao-Chia Shih from Yuan Ze University in Taiwan, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, and the Taiwan National Health Research Institutes 
  • 1285. Acute Versus Chronic Ventral Lateral Thalamus Intrinsic Connectivity after MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Essential Tremor by Darren Laree Clark, Conrad Rockel, Samuel Pichardo, Tejas Sankar, Fady Girgis, Camila Aquino, Davide Martino, Zelma H.T Kiss, and G. Bruce Pike from the University of Calgary, University of Alberta 

See the full meeting program grid (attendees can log in for abstract details and syllabi). 

Next Meeting 

ISMRM/ISMRT 2025 will be held May 10–15 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA. The abstract submission deadline is November 6, 2024, at 23:59 UTC. 

The Foundation thanks Henrik Odéen, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine, for writing and submitting this meeting report.