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MRINCT07135401

Optimizing Liver MRI Using Breath-Holding With and Without Oxygen

A study testing Breath-hold conditions in people with MRI and MRI Image Enhancement, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial 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. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
MRI, MRI Image Enhancement
What is being tested?
Breath-hold conditions
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
10 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Dec 2025to 1 Aug 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 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)

Who cannot join

  • 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

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

John P Roberts, MD contact

415-353-3677

John.Roberts@ucsf.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • University of California, San Francisco

    San Francisco, California, 94143

    Holland Stacey Stacey, 415-420-5100, holland.stacey@ucsf.edu

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Optimizing MRI Liver Imaging: Evaluating Breath-Holding Techniques and Oxygen Supplementation to Reduce Respiratory Motion Artifacts

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:

Read more
  • 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
Read the detailed description

This is a within-subject, randomized crossover interventional study conducted at UCSF China Basin Imaging Center using a 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3T MRI scanner). The study aims to optimize abdominal MRI protocols by evaluating the impact of breath-holding techniques, with and without oxygen supplementation, on motion artifacts and overall image quality.

Each participant will undergo non-contrast abdominal MRI scans using two breath-hold conditions: (1) Functional Residual Capacity (FRC)/end-expiration without oxygen and (2) FRC/end-expiration with preoxygenation. The order of these conditions will be randomized to control for potential order effects, and each participant will serve as their own control to reduce inter-individual variability.

T2-weighted and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) sequences will be acquired during each breath-hold trial. MRI-compatible pulse oximetry will be used to monitor oxygen saturation and pulse rate throughout scanning. A radiology research nurse will be present if additional monitoring is needed based on the participant's pre-screening or intra-scan findings. Participants will receive training on breath-hold procedures prior to imaging to improve consistency and comfort during scanning.

Two board-certified radiologists, blinded to the breath-hold condition, will independently assess each image set for motion artifacts and overall image quality using a standardized 5-point grading system. The grading will range from very poor (1) to very good (5) based on sharpness, visibility of anatomical details, and presence of blurring or signal loss.

Inter-rater reliability will be evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Statistical analyses will include repeated measures ANOVA to compare image quality scores across breath-holding conditions. Descriptive analyses will assess breath-hold durations and participant characteristics (e.g., age, gender) in relation to image quality and safety outcomes, including oxygen saturation and self-reported comfort.

This study involves minimal risk, does not utilize contrast agents, and is intended to support the development of motion-reduced, efficient liver MRI protocols, particularly for living liver donor evaluation. Data collected during the study will not be used for clinical decision-making.

Being tested
Breath-hold conditions
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
Medical subject headings
Hyperventilation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Breath-hold conditionsOther

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

Study groups in NCT07135401
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration Without OxygenExperimentalParticipants 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.
Receives: Other: Breath-hold conditions
Functional Residual Capacity/End-Expiration With OxygenExperimentalParticipants 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.
Receives: Other: Breath-hold conditions

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  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).

    Measured: During the single MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Breath-Holding Duration

    The duration (in seconds) that participants can comfortably sustain a breath-hold under each condition (FRC alone and FRC with oxygen supplementation). Unit of Measure: Seconds.

    Measured: During the MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

  2. Oxygen Saturation During Breath-Holding

    Peripheral oxygen saturation will be monitored during each breath-hold condition to assess physiologic tolerance and safety. Unit of Measure: Percent oxygen saturation (%).

    Measured: During the MRI session (approximately 1 hour)

  3. Adverse Events and Participant-Reported Discomfort

    Number and type of adverse events, as well as participant-reported discomfort, occurring during or immediately after each breath-hold condition. Unit of Measure: Number of events.

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

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Aug 2025
  2. Study start1 Dec 2025
  3. Primary completion1 Jun 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
10 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07135401
Sponsor's protocol ID
25-44459
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
6 Aug 2025
Last updated
13 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • 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.

    PubMed 26807896
  • 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.

    PubMed 30835515
  • 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.

    PubMed 37207259
  • 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.

    PubMed 27168468
  • 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.

    PubMed 31778311
  • 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.

    PubMed 25555833
  • 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.

    PubMed 26146869

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Breath-hold conditions in people with MRI and MRI Image Enhancement, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact John P Roberts, MD (415-353-3677, John.Roberts@ucsf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Liver MRI Image Quality (Motion Artifacts) (time frame: During the single MRI session (approximately 1 hour)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07135401, which also lists 7 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 29 Oct 2026.

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