{"paper_id":"216efa62-b318-45a5-af64-4d86fec989ed","body_text":"Abstract\nThis paper presents a first step towards a novel approach that combines simultaneous transabdominal electromyography (EMG) with dynamic echo-planar imaging multi-echo gradient-echo (EPI-MEGE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for monitoring uterine peristaltic motion. Uterine peristalsis (UP) influences crucial processes such as menstruation, sperm transport, and embryo implantation. Current monitoring methods focus only on mechanical or electrical activity, making comparing and extrapolating results between different modalities difficult. The proposed protocol combines dynamic EPI-MEGE MRI and transabdominal EMG to capture the anatomical and electrophysiological features of UP simultaneously. Electrohysterographic (EHG) signals obtained from recorded EMG supported the spatiotemporal information of MRI by integrating the synchronized electrical activity of uterine muscles. Safety testing in a phantom confirmed that the electrode temperature during EPI-MEGE MRI acquisition remained within acceptable limits for human application. Three healthy volunteers underwent EPI-MEGE MRI acquisition with simultaneous transabdominal EMG. Electrode placement strategies proved to be reproducible and anatomically consistent. MRI frames enabled the visualization of the uterus anatomy and contractions, while bowel gas affected the spatial resolution, and the bladder filling influenced the uterus positioning over time. Results showed the feasibility of a non-invasive and simultaneous method for assessing uterine contractility, combining dynamic MRI scans with synchronized EHG.\nAccess this chapter\nTax calculation will be finalised at checkout\nPurchases are for personal use only\nSimilar content being viewed by others\nReferences\nAllen, P.J., Josephs, O., Turner, R.: A method for removing imaging artifact from continuous EEG recorded during functional MRI. 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This work was supported by the High Tech Agenda of the Free State of Bavaria, DFG Heisenberg funding [502024488] and an ERC Starting grant EARTHWORM [101165242].\nAuthor information\nAuthors and Affiliations\nCorresponding author\nEditor information\nEditors and Affiliations\nEthics declarations\nDisclosure of Interests\nThe authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.\nRights and permissions\nCopyright information\n© 2026 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG\nAbout this paper\nCite this paper\nBustos Vivas, M.C., Tripathy, S., Hutter, J. (2026). A Prospective Dual-Modality Tool for Monitoring Uterine Peristalsis: Integrating Dynamic MRI and Electrohysterography. In: Celebi, M.E., et al. Skin Image Analysis, and Computer-Aided Pelvic Imaging for Female Health. DGM4MICCAI 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 16149. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05825-6_12\nDownload citation\nDOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05825-6_12\nPublished:\nPublisher Name: Springer, Cham\nPrint ISBN: 978-3-032-05824-9\nOnline ISBN: 978-3-032-05825-6\neBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)Springer Nature Proceedings Computer Science","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}