Comparison of image quality evaluation methods for magnetic resonance imaging using compressed sensing–sensitivity encoding (CS-SENSE)

This study aimed to compare the relationship between the quantitative values and visual score of acquired images using the CS-SENSE method. T₁-weighted image (T₁WI) and T₂-weighted image (T₂WI) were acquired using a phantom created by a 3D printer. Each quantitative values (signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR], structural similarity [SSIM], and scale-invariant feature transform [SIFT]) and visual evaluation score (VES) were calculated by the acquired images. The correlation coefficients among the calculating quantitative values and VES were calculated. The difference in methods for evaluating the image quality of T₁WI and T₂WI images using CS-SENSE was clarified. Variations in image quality, as reflected by VES in T₁WI and T₂WI images obtained via the CS-SENSE method, can be quantitatively assessed. Specifically, CNR is effective for evaluating changes in T₁WI, while SNR, CNR, and SIFT are suitable for assessing variations in T₂WI.