Clinical Research Directory

The Multicenter Stress Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Quantitative Perfusion Imaging in the United States Study

This research aims to investigate whether symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath among the study population are arising due to a heart problem, particularly any reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle from blockages in the coronary blood vessels or inflammation of the heart using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging that measures the amount of blood flow during a stress state meant to simulate vigorous exercise. At present, doctors use standard magnetic resonance imaging pictures of blood flow patterns to treat heart disease. The investigators want to study if detailed blood flow measurements, in addition to the standard blood flow pattern, could diagnose heart disease more accurately and allow more doctors to understand the severity of heart disease. Early research has demonstrated that detailed blood flow measurements may be more accurate in diagnosing heart disease in some patients, but doctors need more information to know how to use these measurements.

Myocardial Perfusion CMR for Differentiating and Characterizing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Phenotypes

This observational study aims to evaluate myocardial perfusion abnormalities using quantitative and qualitative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotypes, including sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric HCM, Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD), and cardiac amyloidosis. The study will also include first-degree relatives of affected patients and genetic mutation carriers. By comparing myocardial blood flow and perfusion patterns across these different conditions, the study seeks to identify distinctive perfusion signatures that may improve diagnostic differentiation, support risk stratification, and provide insights into the role of ischemia in fibrosis progression, arrhythmias, and long-term outcomes.

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using an Accelerated Cardiac Cine-MRI Sequence With Deep Learning-based Image Reconstructions

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common condition that may result from hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic valve stenosis, or certain metabolic disorders. Cardiac imaging is essential for diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and quantification of cardiac function. While transthoracic echocardiography remains widely used, it is limited by acoustic window dependence and inter-observer variability. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging currently serves as the reference standard for measuring left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac volumes, and tissue characterization. However, conventional cine-CMR sequences require repeated breath-holds, which are often challenging for elderly or dyspneic patients, generating respiratory motion artifacts that compromise image quality. Accelerated cine-CMR sequences with deep learning-based image reconstructions offer a promising alternative by significantly reducing acquisition time while preserving image quality. This study aims to evaluate whether these accelerated cine-CMR sequences provide LVEF measurements concordant with conventional cine-CMR sequences, with potential to improve patient comfort and reduce examination time.

Multimodal Imaging Assessment After Revascularization in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

This prospective cohort study will enroll 20 patients clinically diagnosed with first-time acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent interventional procedures (including percutaneous coronary intervention \[PCI\] and balloon angioplasty) at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. Patient data, including routine blood and urine tests, blood biochemistry, electrocardiograms (ECG), imaging studies, and interventional procedure records, will be collected to assess eligibility for enrollment. The study procedures include patient screening and enrollment, obtaining informed consent, baseline assessment (including medical history, laboratory tests, ECG, etc.), an ¹⁸F-Pentixafor PET/MR examination, and follow-up. Images will be blindly assessed by at least two specialized physicians from the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine departments. The study aims to investigate the utility of ¹⁸F-Pentixafor PET/MR in evaluating coronary microcirculatory function, cardiac function, myocardial viability, myocardial inflammatory response, and the efficacy of interventional therapy in AMI patients post-procedure. Additionally, it will perform risk stratification and prognostic analysis for the enrolled patients.

WHEN DO WE HAVE to PERFORM CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE in PATIENTS REFERRED for PREMATURE VENTRICULAR COMPLEXES by THEIR CARDIOLOGISTS

Premature ventricular complexes (PVC) are a common entity affecting approximatively 20% of the general population. It can be discovered incidentally on electrocardiogram (ECG) or associated with symptoms with a wide spectrum from palpitations, chest pain, to syncope. The initial and non invasive assessment includes holter ECG monitoring, a transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and an exercise stress test to rule out structural heart disease (SHD), and referred to as benign or "idiopathic" ventricular arrhythmias (IVA). However, these exams may fail to identify subtle myocardial abnormalities such as arrhythmogenic right ventricle dysplasia (ARVD), apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, healed myocarditis, ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is the gold standard modality to assess regional and global ventricular function. It is also a unique modality to non-invasively detect myocardial edema, myocardial fatty replacement, focal and diffuse fibrosis and could potentially identify SHD in patients with PVC. However, the role of CMR is uncertain, recommended in case of atypical presentation or when the initial assessment can't exclude a cardiomyopathy (recommendations class IIa). This study sought to determine whether and when CMR can be performed to provide diagnosis or prognostic information complementary to initial assessment in patients referred for PVC by their cardiologists.

Characterization of Patients With Cardiomyopathy to Identify Critical Patients Candidates for Cardiac Transplantation

The study aims to identify new diagnostic and prognostic markers for CMP that can help predict disease progression. In particular, the study will focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) and spatial transcriptomics, which are emerging techniques that may provide insights into the underlying disease mechanisms. By understanding these markers, the investigators hope to improve the way the investigators diagnose and manage CMP, particularly in terms of predicting progression to heart failure or heart transplantation. The study will evaluate patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (e.g., sarcomeric forms, Anderson-Fabry disease, AL, and TTR cardiac amyloidosis), dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. These patients will undergo clinical evaluations, including ECG, echocardiograms, CMR, biopsy analysis, and genetic testing, as well as molecular studies such as transcriptomics and miRNA analysis. This comprehensive approach aims to identify potential new biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the disease course.