A method is disclosed for performing an imaging examination of a patient via a computer tomograph. The method includes: capturing a respiratory movement of the patient; determining a respiration-correlated parameter, from the respiratory movement of the patient; specifying a measurement region of the imaging examination the measurement region including at least one z-position; automatically calculating at least one measurement parameter in accordance with the respiratory movement, using the respiration-correlated parameter as an input parameter; and performing the imaging examination of the patient, in accordance with the at least one measurement parameter in the measurement region via the computer tomograph, to capture the projection data, wherein the projection data, when captured, depicts the respiratory cycle of the patient at the at least one z-position over the complete time duration of the respiratory cycle.