Prognostic Value of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With a Working Diagnosis of MINOCA-An Outcome Study With up to 10 Years of Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a working diagnosis of myocardial infarction with unobstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) represent a heterogeneous cohort. The prognosis could vary substantially depending on the underlying cause. Although cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered a key diagnostic tool in these patients, there are limited data linking the CMR diagnosis with the outcome. METHODS: This study is a prospective outcomes registry of consecutive patients presenting with a working diagnosis of MINOCA who were clinically referred for CMR at an academic hospital from October 2003 to February 2020. We assessed the relationships between the prespecified CMR diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), myocarditis, nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), normal CMR study, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). RESULTS: Of 252 patients, the CMR diagnosis was AMI in 63 (25%), myocarditis in 33 (13%), NICM in 111 (44%), normal CMR in 37 (15%), and other diagnoses in 8 (3%). A specific nonischemic cause was diagnosed allowing true MINOCA to be ruled-out in 57% of the cohort. During up to 10 years of follow-up (1595 patient-years), MACE occurred in 84 patients (33%), which included 64 deaths (25%). The unadjusted cumulative 10-year rate of MACE was 47% in AMI, 24% in myocarditis, 50% in NICM, and 3.5% in patients with a normal CMR (Log-rank P<0.001). The CMR diagnosis provided incremental prognostic value over clinical factors including age, gender, coronary artery disease risk factors, presentation with ST-elevation, and peak troponin (incremental χ² 17.9, P<0.001); and patients with diagnoses of AMI, myocarditis, and NICM had worse MACE-free survival than patients with a normal CMR. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a working diagnosis of MINOCA, CMR allows ruling-out true MINOCA in over half of the patients. CMR diagnoses of AMI, myocarditis, and NICM are associated with worse MACE-free survival, whereas a normal CMR study portends a benign prognosis.

Native T1 Mapping for the Diagnosis of Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial fibrosis is a fundamental process in cardiac injury. Cardiac magnetic resonance native T1 mapping has been proposed for diagnosing myocardial fibrosis without the need for gadolinium contrast. However, recent studies suggest that T1 measurements can be erroneous in the presence of intramyocardial fat. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of fatty metaplasia affects the accuracy of native T1 maps for the diagnosis of myocardial replacement fibrosis in patients with chronic myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Consecutive patients (n = 312) with documented chronic MI (>6 months old) and controls without MI (n = 50) were prospectively enrolled. Presence and size of regions with elevated native T1 and infarction were quantitatively determined (mean + 5SD) on modified look-locker inversion-recovery and delayed-enhancement images, respectively, at 3.0-T. The presence of fatty metaplasia was determined using an out-of-phase steady-state free-precession cine technique and further verified with standard fat-water Dixon methods. RESULTS: Native T1 mapping detected chronic MI with markedly higher sensitivity in patients with fatty metaplasia than those without fatty metaplasia (85.6% vs 13.3%) with similar specificity (100% vs 98.9%). In patients with fatty metaplasia, the size of regions with elevated T1 significantly underestimated infarct size and there was a better correlation with fatty metaplasia size than infarct size (r = 0.76 vs r = 0.49). In patients without fatty metaplasia, most of the modest elevation in T1 appeared to be secondary to subchronic infarcts that were 6 to 12 months old; the T1 of infarcts >12 months old was not different from noninfarcted myocardium. CONCLUSIONS: Native T1 mapping is poor at detecting replacement fibrosis but may indirectly detect chronic MI if there is associated fatty metaplasia. Native T1 mapping for the diagnosis and characterization of myocardial fibrosis is unreliable.

Myocardial Contractile Mechanics in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: Multicenter Data Using Stress Perfusion Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) ischemia has been variably associated with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Determinants of FMR in patients with ischemia are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to test whether contractile mechanics in ischemic myocardium underlying the mitral valve have an impact on likelihood of FMR. METHODS: Vasodilator stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance was performed in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) at multiple centers. FMR severity was confirmed quantitatively via core lab analysis. To test relationship of contractile mechanics with ischemic FMR, regional wall motion and strain were assessed in patients with inducible ischemia and minimal (≤5% LV myocardium, nontransmural) infarction. RESULTS: A total of 2,647 patients with CAD were studied; 34% had FMR (7% moderate or greater). FMR severity increased with presence (P < 0.001) and extent (P = 0.01) of subpapillary ischemia: patients with moderate or greater FMR had more subpapillary ischemia (odds ratio [OR]: 1.13 per 10% LV; 95% CI: 1.05-1.21; P = 0.001) independent of ischemia in remote regions (P = NS); moderate or greater FMR prevalence increased stepwise with extent of ischemia and infarction in subpapillary myocardium (P < 0.001); stronger associations between FMR and infarction paralleled greater wall motion scores in infarct-affected territories. Among patients with inducible ischemia and minimal infarction (n = 532), wall motion and radial strain analysis showed impaired subpapillary contractile mechanics to associate with moderate or greater FMR (P < 0.05) independent of remote regions (P = NS). Conversely, subpapillary ischemia without contractile dysfunction did not augment FMR likelihood. Mitral and interpapillary dimensions increased with subpapillary radial strain impairment; each remodeling parameter associated with impaired subpapillary strain (P < 0.05) independent of remote strain (P = NS). Subpapillary radial strain (OR: 1.13 per 5% [95% CI: 1.02-1.25]; P = 0.02) and mitral tenting area (OR: 1.05 per 10 mm2 [95% CI: 1.00-1.10]; P = 0.04) were associated with moderate or greater FMR controlling for global remodeling represented by LV end-systolic volume (P = NS): when substituting sphericity for LV volume, moderate or greater FMR remained independently associated with subpapillary radial strain impairment (OR: 1.22 per 5% [95% CI: 1.02-1.47]; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with CAD and ischemia, FMR severity and adverse mitral apparatus remodeling increase in proportion to contractile dysfunction underlying the mitral valve.

Assessment of Papillary Muscle Infarction with Dark-Blood Delayed Enhancement Cardiac MRI in Canines and Humans.

Background The relationship between papillary muscle infarction (papMI) and the culprit coronary lesion has not been fully investigated. Delayed enhancement cardiac MRI may detect papMI, yet its accuracy is unknown. Flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement (FIDDLE) cardiac MRI has been shown to improve the detection of myocardial infarction adjacent to blood pool. Purpose To assess the diagnostic performance of delayed enhancement and FIDDLE cardiac MRI for the detection of papMI, and to investigate the prevalence of papMI and its relationship to the location of the culprit coronary lesion. Materials and Methods A prospective canine study was used to determine the accuracy of conventional delayed enhancement imaging and FIDDLE imaging for detection of papMI, with pathology-based findings as the reference standard. Participants with first-time myocardial infarction with a clear culprit lesion at coronary angiography were prospectively enrolled at a single hospital from 2015 to 2018 and compared against control participants with low Framingham risk scores. In canines, diagnostic accuracy was calculated for delayed enhancement and FIDDLE imaging. Results In canines (n = 27), FIDDLE imaging was more sensitive (100% [23 of 23] vs 57% [13 of 23], P < .001) and accurate (100% [54 of 54] vs 80% [43 of 54], P = .01) than delayed enhancement imaging for detection of papMI. In 43 participants with myocardial infarction (mean age, 56 years ± 16 [SD]; 28 men), the infarct-related artery was the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left circumflex coronary artery (LCX), and right coronary artery in 47% (20 of 43), 26% (11 of 43), and 28% (12 of 43), respectively. The prevalence of anterior papMI was lower than posterior papMI (37% [16 of 43 participants] vs 44% [19 of 43 participants]) despite more LAD culprit lesions. Culprits leading to papMI were restricted to a smaller "at-risk" portion of the coronary tree for anterior papMI (subtended first diagonal branch of the LAD or first marginal branch of the LCX) compared with posterior (subtended posterior descending artery or third obtuse marginal branch of the LCX). Culprits within these at-risk portions were predictive of papMI at a similar rate (anterior, 83% [15 of 18 participants] vs posterior, 86% [18 of 21 participants]). Conclusion Flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement cardiac MRI, unlike conventional delayed enhancement cardiac MRI, was highly accurate in the detection of papillary muscle infarction (papMI). Anterior papMI was less prevalent than posterior papMI, most likely due to culprit lesions being restricted to a smaller portion of the coronary tree rather than because of redundant, dual vascular supply. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Kawel-Boehm and Bremerich in this issue.

Assessment of myocardial lipomatous metaplasia using an optimized out-of-phase cine steady-state free-precession sequence: Validation and clinical implementation.

Myocardial lipomatous metaplasia, which can serve as substrate for ventricular arrhythmias, is usually composed of regions in which there is an admixture of fat and nonfat tissue. Although dedicated sequences for the detection of fat are available, it would be time-consuming and burdensome to routinely use these techniques to image the entire heart of all patients as part of a typical cardiac MRI exam. Conventional steady-state free-precession (SSFP) cine imaging is insensitive to detecting myocardial regions with partial fatty infiltration. We developed an optimization process for SSFP imaging to set fat signal consistently "out-of-phase" with water throughout the heart, so that intramyocardial regions with partial volume fat would be detected as paradoxically dark regions. The optimized SSFP sequence was evaluated using a fat phantom, through simulations, and in 50 consecutive patients undergoing clinical cardiac MRI. Findings were validated using standard Dixon gradient-recalled-echo (GRE) imaging as the reference. Phantom studies of test tubes with diverse fat concentrations demonstrated good agreement between measured signal intensity and simulated values calculated using Bloch equations. In patients, a line of signal cancellation at the interface between myocardium and epicardial fat was noted in all cases, confirming that SSFP images were consistently out-of-phase throughout the entire heart. Intramyocardial dark regions identified on out-of-phase SSFP images were entirely dark throughout in 33 patients (66%) and displayed an India-ink pattern in 17 (34%). In all cases, dark intramyocardial regions were also seen in the same locations on out-of-phase GRE and were absent on in-phase GRE, confirming that these regions represent areas with partial fat. In conclusion, if appropriately optimized, SSFP cine imaging allows for consistent detection of myocardial fatty metaplasia in patients undergoing routine clinical cardiac MRI without the need for additional image acquisitions using dedicated fat-specific sequences.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in suspected cardiac tumour: a multicentre outcomes study.

AIMS: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is a key diagnostic tool for the evaluation of patients with suspected cardiac tumours. Patient management is guided by the CMR diagnosis, including no further testing if a mass is excluded or if only a pseudomass is found. However, there are no outcomes studies validating this approach. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this multicentre study of patients undergoing clinical CMR for suspected cardiac tumour, CMR diagnoses were assigned as no mass, pseudomass, thrombus, benign tumour, or malignant tumour. A final diagnosis was determined after follow-up using all available data. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Among 903 patients, the CMR diagnosis was no mass in 25%, pseudomass in 16%, thrombus in 16%, benign tumour in 17%, and malignant tumour in 23%. Over a median of 4.9 years, 376 patients died. Compared with the final diagnosis, the CMR diagnosis was accurate in 98.4% of patients. Patients with CMR diagnoses of pseudomass and benign tumour had similar mortality to those with no mass, whereas those with malignant tumour [hazard ratio (HR) 3.31 (2.40-4.57)] and thrombus [HR 1.46 (1.00-2.11)] had greater mortality. The CMR diagnosis provided incremental prognostic value over clinical factors including left ventricular ejection fraction, coronary artery disease, and history of extracardiac malignancy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with suspected cardiac tumour, CMR has high diagnostic accuracy. Patients with CMR diagnoses of no mass, pseudomass, and benign tumour have similar long-term mortality. The CMR diagnosis is a powerful independent predictor of mortality incremental to clinical risk factors.

Double spectral attenuated inversion recovery (DSPAIR)-an efficient fat suppression technique for late gadolinium enhancement at 3 tesla.

Despite clinical use of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for two decades, an efficient, robust fat suppression (FS) technique still does not exist for this CMR mainstay. In ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, differentiating fibrotic tissue from infiltrating and adjacent fat is crucial. Multiple groups have independently developed an FS technique for LGE, double spectral attenuated inversion recovery (DSPAIR), but no comprehensive evaluation was performed. This study aims to fill this gap. DSPAIR uses two SPAIR pulses and one non-selective IR pulse to enable FS LGE, including compatibility with phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR). We implemented a magnitude (MAGN) and a PSIR variant and compared them with LGE without FS (CONTROL) and with spectral presaturation with inversion recovery (SPIR) in simulations, phantoms, and patients. Fat magnetization by SPIR, MAGN DSPAIR, and PSIR DSPAIR was simulated as a function of pulse B1 , readout (RO) pulse number, and fat TI . A phantom with fat, fibrosis, and myocardium compartments was imaged using all FS methods and modifying pulse B1 , RO pulse number, and heart rate. Signal was measured in SNR units. Fat, myocardium, and fibrosis SNR and fibrosis-to-fat CNR were obtained. Patient images were acquired with all FS techniques. Fat, myocardium, and fibrosis SNR, fibrosis-to-fat CNR, and image and FS quality were assessed. In the phantom, both DSPAIR variants provided superior FS compared with SPIR, independent of heart rate and RO pulse number. MAGN DSPAIR reduced fat signal by 99% compared with CONTROL, PSIR DSPAIR by 116%, and SPIR by 67% (25 RO pulses). In patients, both DSPAIR variants substantially reduced fat signal (MAGN DSPAIR by 87.1% ± 10.0%, PSIR DSPAIR by 130.5% ± 36.3%), but SPIR did not (35.8% ± 25.5%). FS quality was good to excellent for MAGN and PSIR DSPAIR, and moderate to poor for SPIR. DSPAIR provided highly effective FS across a wide range of parameters. PSIR DSPAIR performed best.

Patients With Acute Myocarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination.

Importance: Vaccine-associated myocarditis is an unusual entity that has been described for the smallpox vaccine, but only anecdotal case reports have been described for other vaccines. Whether COVID-19 vaccination may be linked to the occurrence of myocarditis is unknown. Objective: To describe a group of 7 patients with acute myocarditis over 3 months, 4 of whom had recent messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccination. Design, Setting, and Participants: All patients referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging at Duke University Medical Center were asked to participate in a prospective outcomes registry. Two searches of the registry database were performed: first, to identify patients with acute myocarditis for the 3-month period between February 1 and April 30 for 2017 through 2021, and second, to identify all patients with possible vaccine-associated myocarditis for the past 20 years. Once patients with possible vaccine-associated myocarditis were identified, data available in the registry were supplemented by additional data collection from the electronic health record and a telephone interview. Exposures: mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Main Outcomes and Measures: Occurrence of acute myocarditis by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Results: In the 3-month period between February 1 and April 30, 2021, 7 patients with acute myocarditis were identified, of which 4 occurred within 5 days of COVID-19 vaccination. Three were younger male individuals (age, 23-36 years) and 1 was a 70-year-old female individual. All 4 had received the second dose of an mRNA vaccine (2 received mRNA-1273 [Moderna], and 2 received BNT162b2 [Pfizer]). All presented with severe chest pain, had biomarker evidence of myocardial injury, and were hospitalized. Coincident testing for COVID-19 and respiratory viruses provided no alternative explanation. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings were typical for myocarditis, including regional dysfunction, late gadolinium enhancement, and elevated native T1 and T2. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, magnetic resonance imaging findings were found to be consistent with acute myocarditis in 7 patients; 4 of whom had preceding COVID-19 vaccination. Further investigation is needed to determine associations of COVID-19 vaccination and myocarditis.

Therapy outcomes for neurodiverse couples: Exploring a solution-focused approach.

The need for clinical approaches that address romantic relationship concerns of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been essentially overlooked. There are a growing number of recommendations in the available literature to increase the availability and evaluation of treatment approaches that are appropriate for couples that include an adult with ASD. The aim of the present study was to explore clinical outcomes of a neurodiverse couple who participated in twelve sessions of solution-focused brief therapy. Our findings indicated both partners experienced improvement in the target complaints, communication and emotional awareness. On the other hand, each partner had a different trajectory of change in relationship satisfaction over the course of treatment. Directions for future research and implications for couple therapy with adults diagnosed with ASD are discussed.

Ischemia-Mediated Dysfunction in Subpapillary Myocardium as a Marker of Functional Mitral Regurgitation.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to test whether ischemia-mediated contractile dysfunction underlying the mitral valve affects functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and the prognostic impact of FMR. BACKGROUND: FMR results from left ventricular (LV) remodeling, which can stem from myocardial tissue alterations. Stress cardiac magnetic resonance can assess ischemia and infarction in the left ventricle and papillary muscles; relative impact on FMR is uncertain. METHODS: Vasodilator stress cardiac magnetic resonance was performed in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease at 7 sites. Images were centrally analyzed for MR etiology/severity, mitral apparatus remodeling, and papillary ischemia. RESULTS: A total of 8,631 patients (mean age 60.0 ± 14.1 years; 55% male) were studied. FMR was present in 27%, among whom 16% (n = 372) had advanced (moderate or severe) FMR. Patients with ischemia localized to subpapillary regions were more likely to have advanced FMR (p = 0.003); those with ischemia localized to other areas were not (p = 0.17). Ischemic/dysfunctional subpapillary myocardium (odds ratio: 1.24/10% subpapillary myocardium; confidence interval: 1.17 to 1.31; p < 0.001) was associated with advanced FMR controlling for infarction. Among a subgroup with (n = 372) and without (n = 744) advanced FMR matched (1:2) on infarct size/distribution, patients with advanced FMR had increased adverse mitral apparatus remodeling, paralleled by greater ischemic/dysfunctional subpapillary myocardium (p < 0.001). Although posteromedial papillary ischemia was more common with advanced FMR (p = 0.006), subpapillary ischemia with dysfunction remained associated (p < 0.001), adjusting for posteromedial papillary ischemia (p = 0.074). During follow-up (median 5.1 years), 1,473 deaths occurred in the overall cohort; advanced FMR conferred increased mortality risk (hazard ratio: 1.52; 95% confidence interval: 1.25 to 1.86; p < 0.001) controlling for left ventricular ejection fraction, infarction, and ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic and dysfunctional subpapillary myocardium provides a substrate for FMR, which predicts mortality independent of key mechanistic substrates.

Epicardial Surface Area of Infarction: A Stable Surrogate of Microvascular Obstruction in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular obstruction (MO) is a pathophysiologic complication of acute myocardial infarction that portends poor prognosis; however, it is transient and disappears with infarct healing. Much remains unknown regarding its pathophysiology and whether there are predictors of MO that could function as stable surrogates. We tested for clinical and cardiovascular magnetic resonance predictors of MO to gain insight into its pathophysiology and to find a stable surrogate. METHODS: Three hundred two consecutive patients from 2 centers underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance within 2 weeks of first acute myocardial infarction. Three measures of infarct morphology: infarct size, transmurality, and a new index-the epicardial surface area (EpiSA) of full-thickness infarction-were quantified on delayed-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance. RESULTS: Considering all clinical characteristics, only measures of infarct morphology were independent predictors of MO. EpiSA was the strongest predictor of MO and provided incremental predictive value beyond that of infarct size and transmurality (P<0.0001). In patients with 3-month follow-up cardiovascular magnetic resonance (n=81), EpiSA extent remained stable while MO disappeared, and EpiSA was a predictor of adverse ventricular remodeling. After 20 months of follow-up, 11 died and 1 had heart transplantation. Patients with an EpiSA larger than the median value (≥6%) had worse outcome than those with less than the median value (adverse events: 6.4% versus 1.9%, P=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The EpiSA of infarction is a novel index of infarct morphology which accurately predicts MO during the first 2 weeks of MI, but unlike MO, does not disappear with infarct healing. This index has potential as a stable surrogate of the presence of acute MO and may be useful as a predictor of adverse remodeling and outcome which is less dependent on the time window of patient assessment.

ECG-gated MR angiography provides better reproducibility for standard aortic measurements.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac motion and aortic pulsatility can affect the image quality of 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA). The addition of ECG gating improves image quality; however, no studies have directly linked image quality improvements to clinically used measures. In this study, we directly compared diameter measurements in the same patient from ECG-gated to non-gated CE-MRA to evaluate the impact of ECG gating upon measurement reproducibility. METHODS: Fifty-three patients, referred for thoracic aortic angiography, were enrolled and underwent both non-gated and ECG-gated CE-MRA. Two readers independently measured vessel diameter, image quality, and vessel sharpness at the sinus of Valsalva (SOV), sinotubular junction (STJX), ascending aorta (AAO), distal aortic arch (DLSA), and descending aorta (DAO). Measurement reliability and reproducibility were compared between methods. RESULTS: Image quality with ECG gating was rated significantly higher at the SOV (3.2 ± 0.9 vs 1.2 ± 1.0, p < 0.0001), STJX (3.4 ± 0.7 vs 1.8 ± 1.0, p < 0.0001), AAO (3.5 ± 0.6 vs 1.7 ± 1.1 p < 0.0001), DLSA (4.0 ± 0.1 vs 3.6 ± 0.7, p = 0.006), and DAO (4.0 ± 0.1 vs 3.4 ± 0.9 p < 0.0001) than for non-gated studies. Bland-Altman analyses demonstrated that inter- and intra-observer variability was significantly smaller for ECG-gated MRA at the SOV and AAO. For the non-gated images at the SOV, the 95% limits of agreement for both inter- and intra-observer variability exceeded the growth-rate cutoff for surgical repair (0.5 cm). At the DAO, variability was similar between the two techniques. CONCLUSION: ECG-gated CE-MRA resulted in improved reproducibility in aortic root and ascending aortic measurements. These data suggest that ECG-gated CE-MRA should be used for the serial assessment of the ascending thoracic aorta. KEY POINTS: • ECG-gated CE-MRA improves the reproducibility and repeatability of measurements of the ascending aorta. • With non-gated CE-MRA, pulsatile motion in the proximal aorta results in significant variability in measurement reproducibility.

Couple Satisfaction, Depressive Symptoms, and the Therapeutic Alliance: A Systemic Perspective.

There is a well-established bidirectional, negative association between couple satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Yet, a family systems perspective emphasizes the role of the therapist in interrupting this recursive cycle between couple satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The current study utilized longitudinal data to explore the bidirectional associations between depressive symptoms and couple satisfaction, moderated by the therapeutic alliance over the course of therapy. The study included 108 couples participating in couple therapy at a university training clinic. Couples rated their depressive symptoms and couple satisfaction separately before the intake session and at the end of the fourth session, and they also reported their individual therapeutic alliance with the therapist at the end of the second and third sessions. Actor-partner interdependence moderation model analysis revealed several moderation effects. In general, with low therapeutic alliance, couples with higher initial symptoms (such as depressive symptoms and low couple satisfaction) reported more severe symptoms at the fourth session, compared to those who had fewer initial symptoms. The moderating effect of alliance on a couple's symptoms was found both among individuals, and between partners. Systemic clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Hay una asociación bidireccional y negativa firmemente establecida entre la satisfacción en la pareja y los síntomas depresivos. Sin embargo, la perspectiva de sistemas familiares enfatiza el papel que desempeña el terapeuta en la interrupción de este ciclo recurrente entre la satisfacción en la pareja y los síntomas depresivos. El presente estudio utilizó datos longitudinales para analizar las asociaciones bidireccionales entre los síntomas depresivos y la satisfacción en la pareja, moderadas por la alianza terapéutica durante el transcurso de la terapia. El estudio incluyó 108 parejas que participaron en terapia de pareja en una clínica universitaria de formación. Las parejas calificaron sus síntomas depresivos y la satisfacción en la pareja por separado antes de la sesión de ingreso y al final de la cuarta sesión, y también informaron su alianza terapéutica individual con el terapeuta al final de la segunda y la tercera sesión. El análisis del modelo de moderación de la interdependencia entre el actor y la pareja reveló varios efectos de la moderación. En general, con una alianza terapéutica baja, las parejas con síntomas iniciales más altos (como síntomas depresivos y baja satisfacción en la pareja) informaron síntomas más intensos en la cuarta sesión en comparación con aquellos que tenían menos síntomas iniciales. El efecto moderador de la alianza en los síntomas de la pareja se halló tanto entre las personas como entre las parejas. Se debaten las consecuencias clínicas sistémicas y las sugerencias para futuras investigaciones.

Comparison of magnetization transfer-preparation and T2-preparation for dark-blood delayed-enhancement imaging.

Recently developed dark-blood techniques such as Flow-Independent Dark-blood DeLayed Enhancement (FIDDLE) allow simultaneous visualization of tissue contrast-enhancement and blood-pool suppression. Critical to FIDDLE is the magnetization preparation, which accentuates differences between myocardium and blood-pool. Here, we compared magnetization transfer (MT)-preparation and T2-preparation for use with FIDDLE. Variants of FIDDLE were developed with MT- or T2-preparation modules and tested in 35 patients (11 at 1.5 T, 24 at 3 T). Images were acquired with each FIDDLE variant in an interleaved fashion 10 minutes after gadolinium administration with otherwise identical acquisition parameters. Images were visually and quantitatively assessed for artifacts and differences in right ventricle to left ventricle (RV-to-LV) blood-pool suppression. Bright artifacts, reflecting incomplete blood-pool suppression, were frequently observed in the left atrium with T2-preparation FIDDLE at 1.5 and 3 T (82% and up to 100% of patients, respectively). MT-preparation FIDDLE resulted in fewer patients with artifacts (0% at 1.5 T, 22% at 3 T; P < .01). Left atrial blood-pool signal was significantly more homogeneous with MT-preparation than with T2-preparation at 1.5 and 3 T (P < .001 for all comparisons). Visibly different RV-to-LV blood-pool suppression was observed with T2-preparation in 36% of patients at 1.5 T and up to 94% at 3 T. In these patients, RV blood-pool signal was elevated, reducing the conspicuity of the myocardial-RV blood-pool border. Conversely, there were no visible differences in RV-to-LV blood-pool suppression with MT-preparation. Quantitative assessment of differences in blood-pool suppression and blood-pool artifacts was consistent with visual analyses. We conclude that for dark blood-blood delayed-enhancement imaging of the heart, MT-preparation results in fewer bright blood-pool artifacts and more uniform blood-pool suppression than T2-preparation.

Exploring Exceptions and Discovering Solutions: A Case Presentation of Autism and the Family.

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, there is a rapidly increasing need for treatment services among individuals diagnosed with ASD and families. Currently, the majority of the evidence-based treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, overlook the notable systemic effects of ASD and maintain a problem-focused lens. There is a growing body of research calling for strength-based, relational interventions that build on existing resources to enhance coping, efficacy, and well-being among families affected by ASD. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a widely practiced clinical approach that is increasingly being used among clinicians to address the systemic effects of developmental disabilities in the family. However, particular modifications to specific interventions may better accommodate autism-associated deficits in executive functioning (e.g., goal development and impulsivity), perspective taking, or restricted interests when using an SFBT approach. This article offers recommendations for adapting a solution-focused approach by modifying commonly used SFBT interventions to address family-driven treatment goals using a collaborative stance with families of children with ASD. A case presentation is included to demonstrate SFBT as informed by the unique challenges and inherent resources of families affected by ASD that have been identified in the extant literature.

A medida que el predominio del trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) continúa aumentando, hay una necesidad cada vez mayor de servicios de tratamiento entre personas diagnosticadas con TEA y sus familias. Actualmente, la mayoría de los tratamientos factuales, como el análisis conductual aplicado, pasan por alto los efectos sistémicos destacados del TEA y mantienen una óptica centrada en los problemas. Existe una creciente recopilación de estudios de investigación que exige intervenciones relacionales basadas en las fortalezas que aprovechen los recursos existentes para mejorar las habilidades de superación de dificultades, la eficacia y el bienestar entre las familias afectadas por el TEA. La terapia breve centrada en soluciones (TBCS) es un enfoque clínico de práctica generalizada que se está utilizando cada vez más entre los profesionales clínicos para abordar los efectos sistémicos de las discapacidades del desarrollo en la familia. Sin embargo, algunas modificaciones particulares a intervenciones específicas pueden contemplar mejor los déficits asociados con el autismo en el funcionamiento ejecutivo (p. ej.: desarrollo de objetivos, impulsividad), la adopción de perspectivas o los intereses restringidos cuando se usa un método de TBCS. Este artículo ofrece recomendaciones para adaptar un enfoque centrado en soluciones mediante la modificación de intervenciones de TBCS comúnmente utilizadas para abordar los objetivos de tratamiento impulsados por la familia adoptando una postura colaborativa con las familias de los niños con TEA. Se incluye la presentación de un caso para demostrar la TBCS valiéndose de las dificultades únicas y los recursos inherentes de las familiares afectadas por el TEA que se han identificado en la bibliografía existente.

Prevalence and Prognosis of Unrecognized Myocardial Infarction in Asymptomatic Patients With Diabetes: A Two-Center Study With Up to 5 Years of Follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of unrecognized myocardial infarction (MI) by delayed-enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) in asymptomatic patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective, two-center study of asymptomatic patients without known cardiac disease (n = 120), two prespecified cohorts underwent a research MRI: 1) a high-risk group with type 1 diabetes and chronic renal insufficiency (n = 50) and 2) an average-risk group with type 2 diabetes (n = 70). The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality and clinical MI. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of unrecognized MI was 19% by DE-MRI (28% high-risk group and 13% average-risk group) and 5% by electrocardiography. During up to 5 years of follow-up with a total of 460 patient-years of follow-up, the rate of death/MI was markedly higher in patients with diabetes with (vs. without) unrecognized MI (all 44% vs. 7%, high-risk group 43% vs. 6%, and average-risk group 44% vs. 8%; all P < 0.01). After adjustment for Framingham risk score, left ventricular ejection fraction, and diabetes type, the presence of unrecognized MI by DE-MRI conferred an eightfold increase in risk of death/MI (95% CI 3.0-21.1, P < 0.0001). Addition of unrecognized MI to clinical indices significantly improved model discrimination for adverse events (integrated discrimination improvement = 0.156, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Unrecognized MI is prevalent in asymptomatic patients with diabetes without a history of cardiac disease and confers a markedly increased risk of death and clinical MI.

Prognostic Value of Vasodilator Stress Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Multicenter Study With 48 000 Patient-Years of Follow-up.

Importance: Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is not widely used in current clinical practice, and its ability to predict patient mortality is unknown. Objective: To determine whether stress CMR is associated with patient mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: Real-world evidence from consecutive clinically ordered CMR examinations. Multicenter study of patients undergoing clinical evaluation of myocardial ischemia. Patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent clinical vasodilator stress CMR at 7 different hospitals. An automated process collected data from the finalized clinical reports, deidentified and aggregated the data, and assessed mortality using the US Social Security Death Index. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause patient mortality. Results: Of the 9151 patients, the median (interquartile range) patient age was 63 (51-70) years, 55% were men, and the median (interquartile range) body mass index was 29 (25-33) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). The multicenter automated process yielded 9151 consecutive patients undergoing stress CMR, with 48 615 patient-years of follow-up. Of these patients, 4408 had a normal stress CMR examination, 4743 had an abnormal examination, and 1517 died during a median follow-up time of 5.0 years. Using multivariable analysis, addition of stress CMR improved prediction of mortality in 2 different risk models (model 1 hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% CI, 1.63-2.06; P < .001; model 2: HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.60-2.03; P < .001) and also improved risk reclassification (net improvement: 11.4%; 95% CI, 7.3-13.6; P < .001). After adjustment for patient age, sex, and cardiac risk factors, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a strong association between an abnormal stress CMR and mortality in all patients (HR, 1.883; 95% CI, 1.680-2.112; P < .001), patients with (HR, 1.955; 95% CI, 1.712-2.233; P < .001) and without (HR, 1.578; 95% CI, 1.235-2.2018; P < .001) a history of CAD, and patients with normal (HR, 1.385; 95% CI, 1.194-1.606; P < .001) and abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction (HR, 1.836; 95% CI, 1.299-2.594; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Clinical vasodilator stress CMR is associated with patient mortality in a large, diverse population of patients with known or suspected CAD as well as in multiple subpopulations defined by history of CAD and left ventricular ejection fraction. These findings provide a foundational motivation to study the comparative effectiveness of stress CMR against other modalities.

Dark-Blood Delayed Enhancement Cardiac Magnetic Resonance of Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: This study introduced and validated a novel flow-independent delayed enhancement technique that shows hyperenhanced myocardium while simultaneously suppressing blood-pool signal. BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and assessment of myocardial infarction (MI) is crucial in determining clinical management and prognosis. Although delayed enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (DE-CMR) is an in vivo reference standard for imaging MI, an important limitation is poor delineation between hyperenhanced myocardium and bright LV cavity blood-pool, which may cause many infarcts to become invisible. METHODS: A canine model with pathology as the reference standard was used for validation (n = 22). Patients with MI and normal controls were studied to ascertain clinical performance (n = 31). RESULTS: In canines, the flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement (FIDDLE) technique was superior to conventional DE-CMR for the detection of MI, with higher sensitivity (96% vs. 85%, respectively; p = 0.002) and accuracy (95% vs. 87%, respectively; p = 0.01) and with similar specificity (92% vs, 92%, respectively; p = 1.0). In infarcts that were identified by both techniques, the entire length of the endocardial border between infarcted myocardium and adjacent blood-pool was visualized in 33% for DE-CMR compared with 100% for FIDDLE. There was better agreement for FIDDLE-measured infarct size than for DE-CMR infarct size (95% limits-of-agreement, 2.1% vs. 5.5%, respectively; p < 0.0001). In patients, findings were similar. FIDDLE demonstrated higher accuracy for diagnosis of MI than DE-CMR (100% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 89% to 100%] vs. 84% [95% CI: 66% to 95%], respectively; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The study introduced and validated a novel CMR technique that improves the discrimination of the border between infarcted myocardium and adjacent blood-pool. This dark-blood technique provides diagnostic performance that is superior to that of the current in vivo reference standard for the imaging diagnosis of MI.

The Prevalence, Correlates, and Impact on Cardiac Mortality of Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the prevalence, correlates, and impact on cardiac mortality of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. BACKGROUND: Current heart failure guidelines place little emphasis on RV assessment due to limited available data on determinants of RV function, mechanisms leading to its failure, and relation to outcomes. METHODS: We prospectively studied 423 patients with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The pre-specified study endpoint was cardiac mortality. In 100 patients, right heart catheterization was performed as clinically indicated. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 6.2 years (interquartile range: 2.9 to 7.6 years), 101 patients (24%) died of cardiac causes. CMR right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was a strong independent predictor of cardiac mortality after adjustment for age, heart failure-functional class, blood pressure, heart rate, serum sodium, serum creatinine, myocardial scar, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Patients with the lowest quintile of RVEF had a nearly 5-fold higher cardiac mortality risk than did patients with the highest quintile (hazard ratio: 4.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.43 to 9.02; p < 0.0001). RVEF was positively correlated with LVEF (r = 0.60; p < 0.0001), and inversely correlated with right atrial pressure (r = -0.32; p = 0.001), pulmonary artery pressure (r = -0.34; p = 0.0005), transpulmonary gradient (r = -0.28; p = 0.006) but not with pulmonary wedge pressure (r = -0.15; p = 0.13). In multivariable logistic regression analysis of CMR, clinical, and hemodynamic data the strongest predictors of right ventricular dysfunction were LVEF (odds ratio [OR]: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.78 to 0.92; p < 0.0001), transpulmonary gradient (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.32; p = 0.0003), and systolic blood pressure (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94 to 0.99; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: CMR assessment of RVEF provides important prognostic information independent of established risk factors and LVEF in heart failure patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Right ventricular dysfunction is strongly associated with both indices of intrinsic myocardial contractility and increased afterload from pulmonary vascular dysfunction.

Sources of variability in quantification of cardiovascular magnetic resonance infarct size - reproducibility among three core laboratories.

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarct (AMI) size depicted by late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly used as an efficacy endpoint in randomized trials comparing AMI therapies. Infarct size is quantified using manual planimetry (MANUAL), visual scoring (VISUAL), or automated techniques using signal-intensity thresholding (AUTO). Although AUTO is considered the most reproducible, prior studies did not account for the subjective determination of endocardial/epicardial borders, which all methods require. For MANUAL and VISUAL, prior studies did not address how to treat intermediate signal intensities due to partial volume. METHODS: To assess sources of variability, AMI size was measured in 30 patients and 12 controls by 3 core-laboratories using 8 methods, each separated by more than 2 months time (n = 720 evaluations). The methods were: (1,2) AUTOSegment, AUTOFWHM (using Segment software or the full-width-at-half-maximum algorithm, respectively); (3,4) AUTO-UCSegment, AUTO-UCFWHM (user correction for endocardial border pixels, no-reflow, etc.); (5) MANUAL; (6) MANUAL-ISI (adjustment for intermediate signal-intensities); (7) VISUAL; (8) VISUAL-ISI. RESULTS: Mean infarct size varied between 16.8% and 27.2% of LV mass depending on method. Even automated techniques with no user interaction for infarct borders resulted in significant within-patient variability given the need to subjectively trace endocardial/epicardial contours. The coefficient-of-variation (CV) was 10.6% and 14.6% for AUTOSegment and AUTOFWHM, respectively. For manual and visual categories, reproducibility was improved when intermediate signal-intensities were considered (MANUAL-ISI vs MANUAL: CV = 8.3% vs 14.4%; p = 0.03; VISUAL-ISI vs VISUAL: CV = 8.4% vs 10.9%; p = 0.01). For AUTO-UCSegment, MANUAL-ISI, and VISUAL-ISI (best technique in each category) within-patient variability due to the quantification method was less than 10% of total variability, and the required sample sizes for detecting a 5% absolute difference in infarct size were 62, 63, and 62 patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among CMR core-laboratories, an important source of variability in infarct size quantification is the subjective delineation of endocardial/epicardial borders. When intermediate signal intensities are considered in manual planimetry and visual scoring, reproducibility and impact on sample size are similar to automated techniques.