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Abdennadher M, Jacobellis S, Václavů L, Juttukonda M, Inati S, Goldstein L, van Osch MJP, Rosen B, Hua N, Theodore W. Water exchange across the blood-brain barrier and epilepsy: Review on pathophysiology and neuroimaging. Epilepsia Open 2024. [PMID: 38884502 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier protecting the brain and a milieu of continuous exchanges between blood and brain. There is emerging evidence that the BBB plays a major role in epileptogenesis and drug-resistant epilepsy, through several mechanisms, such as water homeostasis dysregulation, overexpression of drug transporters, and inflammation. Studies have shown abnormal water homeostasis in epileptic tissue and altered aquaporin-4 water channel expression in animal epilepsy models. This review focuses on abnormal water exchange in epilepsy and describes recent non-invasive MRI methods of quantifying water exchange. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Abnormal exchange between blood and brain contribute to seizures and epilepsy. The authors describe why correct water balance is necessary for healthy brain functioning and how it is impacted in epilepsy. This review also presents recent MRI methods to measure water exchange in human brain. These measures would improve our understanding of factors leading to seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Abdennadher
- Neurology Department, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Jacobellis
- Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lena Václavů
- C.J. Gorter MRI Center, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Meher Juttukonda
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Inati
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lee Goldstein
- Psychiatry and Neurology Department, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthias J P van Osch
- C.J. Gorter MRI Center, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bruce Rosen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ning Hua
- Radiology Department, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William Theodore
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Ishida S, Fujiwara Y, Matta Y, Takei N, Kanamoto M, Kimura H, Tsujikawa T. Enhanced parameter estimation in multiparametric arterial spin labeling using artificial neural networks. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 38852172 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Multiparametric arterial spin labeling (MP-ASL) can quantify cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial cerebral blood volume (CBVa). However, its accuracy is compromised owing to its intrinsically low SNR, necessitating complex and time-consuming parameter estimation. Deep neural networks (DNNs) offer a solution to these limitations. Therefore, we aimed to develop simulation-based DNNs for MP-ASL and compared the performance of a supervised DNN (DNNSup), physics-informed unsupervised DNN (DNNUns), and the conventional lookup table method (LUT) using simulation and in vivo data. METHODS MP-ASL was performed twice during resting state and once during the breath-holding task. First, the accuracy and noise immunity were evaluated in the first resting state. Second, CBF and CBVa values were statistically compared between the first resting state and the breath-holding task using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Cliff's delta. Finally, reproducibility of the two resting states was assessed. RESULTS Simulation and first resting-state analyses demonstrated that DNNSup had higher accuracy, noise immunity, and a six-fold faster computation time than LUT. Furthermore, all methods detected task-induced CBF and CBVa elevations, with the effect size being larger with the DNNSup (CBF, p = 0.055, Δ = 0.286; CBVa, p = 0.008, Δ = 0.964) and DNNUns (CBF, p = 0.039, Δ = 0.286; CBVa, p = 0.008, Δ = 1.000) than that with LUT (CBF, p = 0.109, Δ = 0.214; CBVa, p = 0.008, Δ = 0.929). Moreover, all the methods exhibited comparable and satisfactory reproducibility. CONCLUSION DNNSup outperforms DNNUns and LUT with respect to estimation performance and computation time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Ishida
- Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyoto College of Medical Science, Nantan, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fujiwara
- Department of Medical Image Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yuki Matta
- Radiological Center, University of Fukui Hospital, Eiheiji, Japan
| | | | | | - Hirohiko Kimura
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Radiology Section, National Health Insurance Echizen-cho Ota Hospital, Echizen, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tsujikawa
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
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Poyraz AK, Poyraz M. Editorial for "Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability to Water Measured Using Multiple Echo Time Arterial Spin Labeling MRI in the Aging Human Brain". J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:1283-1284. [PMID: 37489604 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Level of Evidence5Technical Efficacy Stage2
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet K Poyraz
- Department of Radiology, Firat University Medicine Faculty, Elazig, Turkiye
| | - Melahat Poyraz
- Department of Radiology, Fethi Sekin City Hospital, Elazig, Turkiye
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Mahroo A, Konstandin S, Günther M. Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability to Water Measured Using Multiple Echo Time Arterial Spin Labeling MRI in the Aging Human Brain. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:1269-1282. [PMID: 37337979 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a vital role in maintaining brain homeostasis, but the integrity of this barrier deteriorates slowly with aging. Noninvasive water exchange magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods may identify changes in the BBB occurring with healthy aging. PURPOSE To investigate age-related changes in the BBB permeability to water using multiple-echo-time (multi-TE) arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. STUDY TYPE Prospective, cohort. POPULATION Two groups of healthy humans-older group (≥50 years, mean age = 56 ± 4 years, N = 13, females = 5) and younger group (≤20 years, mean age = 18 ± 1, N = 13, females = 7). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE A 3T, multi-TE Hadamard pCASL with 3D Gradient and Spin Echo (GRASE) readout. ASSESSMENT Two different approaches of variable complexity were applied. A physiologically informed biophysical model with a higher complexity estimating time ( T ex ) taken by the labeled water to move across the BBB and a simpler model of triexponential decay measuring tissue transition rate ( k lin ) . STATISTICS Two-tailed unpaired Student t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and effect size. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Older volunteers showed significant differences of 36% lower T ex , 29% lower cerebral perfusion, 17% pronged arterial transit time and 22% shorter intra-voxel transit time compared to the younger volunteers. Tissue fraction ( f EV ) at the earliest TI = 1600 msec was significantly higher in the older group, which contributed to a significantly lower k lin compared to the younger group. f EV at TI = 1600 msec showed significant negative correlation with T ex (r = -0.80), and k lin and T ex showed significant positive correlation (r = 0.73). DATA CONCLUSIONS Both approaches of Multi-TE ASL imaging showed sensitivity to detect age-related changes in the BBB permeability. High tissue fractions at the earliest TI and short T ex in the older volunteers indicate that the BBB permeability increased with age. EVIDENCE LEVEL 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amnah Mahroo
- Imaging Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Simon Konstandin
- Imaging Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany
- mediri GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Günther
- Imaging Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany
- mediri GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- MR-Imaging and Spectroscopy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Chen Y, He Y, Han J, Wei W, Chen F. Blood-brain barrier dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease: associations, pathogenic mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1258640. [PMID: 38020775 PMCID: PMC10679748 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1258640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), hyperphosphorylation of tau, and neuroinflammation in the brain. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits solutes from circulating blood from entering the brain, which is essential for neuronal functioning. Focusing on BBB function is important for the early detection of AD and in-depth study of AD pathogenic mechanisms. However, the mechanism of BBB alteration in AD is still unclear, which hinders further research on therapeutics that target the BBB to delay the progression of AD. The exact timing of the vascular abnormalities in AD and the complex cause-and-effect relationships remain uncertain. Thus, it is necessary to summarize and emphasize this process. First, in this review, the current evidence for BBB dysfunction in AD is summarized. Then, the interrelationships and pathogenic mechanisms between BBB dysfunction and the risk factors for AD, such as Aβ, tau, neuroinflammation, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and aging, were analyzed. Finally, we discuss the current status and future directions of therapeutic AD strategies targeting the BBB. We hope that these summaries or reviews will allow readers to better understand the relationship between the BBB and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Chen
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Sixth People’s Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanfang He
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jinling Han
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Sixth People’s Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenyan Wei
- Department of Gerontology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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Powell E, Dickie BR, Ohene Y, Maskery M, Parker GJM, Parkes LM. Blood-brain barrier water exchange measurements using contrast-enhanced ASL. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e5009. [PMID: 37666494 PMCID: PMC10909569 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
A technique for quantifying regional blood-brain barrier (BBB) water exchange rates using contrast-enhanced arterial spin labelling (CE-ASL) is presented and evaluated in simulations and in vivo. The two-compartment ASL model describes the water exchange rate from blood to tissue,k b , but to estimatek b in practice it is necessary to separate the intra- and extravascular signals. This is challenging in standard ASL data owing to the small difference inT 1 values. Here, a gadolinium-based contrast agent is used to increase thisT 1 difference and enable the signal components to be disentangled. The optimal post-contrast bloodT 1 (T 1 , b post ) at 3 T was determined in a sensitivity analysis, and the accuracy and precision of the method quantified using Monte Carlo simulations. Proof-of-concept data were acquired in six healthy volunteers (five female, age range 24-46 years). The sensitivity analysis identified the optimalT 1 , b post at 3 T as 0.8 s. Simulations showed thatk b could be estimated in individual cortical regions with a relative error ϵ < 1 % and coefficient of variation CoV = 30 %; however, a high dependence on bloodT 1 was also observed. In volunteer data, mean parameter values in grey matter were: arterial transit timet A = 1 . 15 ± 0 . 49 s, cerebral blood flow f = 58 . 0 ± 14 . 3 mL blood/min/100 mL tissue and water exchange ratek b = 2 . 32 ± 2 . 49 s-1 . CE-ASL can provide regional BBB water exchange rate estimates; however, the clinical utility of the technique is dependent on the achievable accuracy of measuredT 1 values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Powell
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ben R. Dickie
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research CentreUniversity of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreManchesterUK
| | - Yolanda Ohene
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research CentreUniversity of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreManchesterUK
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Mark Maskery
- Department of NeurologyLancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustPrestonUK
| | - Geoff J. M. Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Queen Square MS Centre, Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Bioxydyn LimitedManchesterUnited Kingdom
| | - Laura M. Parkes
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research CentreUniversity of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreManchesterUK
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
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Bennett J, van Dinther M, Voorter P, Backes W, Barnes J, Barkhof F, Captur G, Hughes AD, Sudre C, Treibel TA. Assessment of Microvascular Disease in Heart and Brain by MRI: Application in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1596. [PMID: 37763715 PMCID: PMC10534635 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59091596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this review is to investigate the commonalities of microvascular (small vessel) disease in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Furthermore, the review aims to evaluate the current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic techniques for both conditions. By comparing the two conditions, this review seeks to identify potential opportunities to improve the understanding of both HFpEF and CSVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Bennett
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Barts Heart Centre, London EC1A 7BE, UK
| | - Maud van Dinther
- Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6211 LX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Paulien Voorter
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Walter Backes
- School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6211 LX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Josephine Barnes
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queens Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Frederick Barkhof
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Gabriella Captur
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Inherited Heart Muscle Conditions, Cardiology Department, The Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Alun D. Hughes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Carole Sudre
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queens Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Thomas A. Treibel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Barts Heart Centre, London EC1A 7BE, UK
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Powell E, Ohene Y, Battiston M, Dickie BR, Parkes LM, Parker GJM. Blood-brain barrier water exchange measurements using FEXI: Impact of modeling paradigm and relaxation time effects. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:34-50. [PMID: 36892973 PMCID: PMC10962589 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate potential modeling paradigms and the impact of relaxation time effects on human blood-brain barrier (BBB) water exchange measurements using FEXI (BBB-FEXI), and to quantify the accuracy, precision, and repeatability of BBB-FEXI exchange rate estimates at 3 T $$ \mathrm{T} $$ . METHODS Three modeling paradigms were evaluated: (i) the apparent exchange rate (AXR) model; (ii) a two-compartment model (2 CM $$ 2\mathrm{CM} $$ ) explicitly representing intra- and extravascular signal components, and (iii) a two-compartment model additionally accounting for finite compartmentalT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ andT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ relaxation times (2 CM r $$ 2{\mathrm{CM}}_r $$ ). Each model had three free parameters. Simulations quantified biases introduced by the assumption of infinite relaxation times in the AXR and2 CM $$ 2\mathrm{CM} $$ models, as well as the accuracy and precision of all three models. The scan-rescan repeatability of all paradigms was quantified for the first time in vivo in 10 healthy volunteers (age range 23-52 years; five female). RESULTS The assumption of infinite relaxation times yielded exchange rate errors in simulations up to 42%/14% in the AXR/2 CM $$ 2\mathrm{CM} $$ models, respectively. Accuracy was highest in the compartmental models; precision was best in the AXR model. Scan-rescan repeatability in vivo was good for all models, with negligible bias and repeatability coefficients in grey matter ofRC AXR = 0 . 43 $$ {\mathrm{RC}}_{\mathrm{AXR}}=0.43 $$ s - 1 $$ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $$ ,RC 2 CM = 0 . 51 $$ {\mathrm{RC}}_{2\mathrm{CM}}=0.51 $$ s - 1 $$ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $$ , andRC 2 CM r = 0 . 61 $$ {\mathrm{RC}}_{2{\mathrm{CM}}_r}=0.61 $$ s - 1 $$ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $$ . CONCLUSION Compartmental modelling of BBB-FEXI signals can provide accurate and repeatable measurements of BBB water exchange; however, relaxation time and partial volume effects may cause model-dependent biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Powell
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Yolanda Ohene
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Marco Battiston
- Queen Square MS CentreUCL Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ben R. Dickie
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data SciencesSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Laura M. Parkes
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Geoff J. M. Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Queen Square MS CentreUCL Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUK
- Bioxydyn LimitedManchesterUK
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Shao X, Zhao C, Shou Q, St Lawrence KS, Wang DJJ. Quantification of blood-brain barrier water exchange and permeability with multidelay diffusion-weighted pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:1990-2004. [PMID: 36622951 PMCID: PMC10079266 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To present a pulse sequence and mathematical models for quantification of blood-brain barrier water exchange and permeability. METHODS Motion-compensated diffusion-weighted (MCDW) gradient-and-spin echo (GRASE) pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) sequence was proposed to acquire intravascular/extravascular perfusion signals from five postlabeling delays (PLDs, 1590-2790 ms). Experiments were performed on 11 healthy subjects at 3 T. A comprehensive set of perfusion and permeability parameters including cerebral blood flow (CBF), capillary transit time (τc ), and water exchange rate (kw ) were quantified, and permeability surface area product (PSw ), total extraction fraction (Ew ), and capillary volume (Vc ) were derived simultaneously by a three-compartment single-pass approximation (SPA) model on group-averaged data. With information (i.e., Vc and τc ) obtained from three-compartment SPA modeling, a simplified linear regression of logarithm (LRL) approach was proposed for individual kw quantification, and Ew and PSw can be estimated from long PLD (2490/2790 ms) signals. MCDW-pCASL was compared with a previously developed diffusion-prepared (DP) pCASL sequence, which calculates kw by a two-compartment SPA model from PLD = 1800 ms signals, to evaluate the improvements. RESULTS Using three-compartment SPA modeling, group-averaged CBF = 51.5/36.8 ml/100 g/min, kw = 126.3/106.7 min-1 , PSw = 151.6/93.8 ml/100 g/min, Ew = 94.7/92.2%, τc = 1409.2/1431.8 ms, and Vc = 1.2/0.9 ml/100 g in gray/white matter, respectively. Temporal SNR of MCDW-pCASL perfusion signals increased 3-fold, and individual kw maps calculated by the LRL method achieved higher spatial resolution (3.5 mm3 isotropic) as compared with DP pCASL (3.5 × 3.5 × 8 mm3 ). CONCLUSION MCDW-pCASL allows visualization of intravascular/extravascular ASL signals across multiple PLDs. The three-compartment SPA model provides a comprehensive measurement of blood-brain barrier water dynamics from group-averaged data, and a simplified LRL method was proposed for individual kw quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingfeng Shao
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chenyang Zhao
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Qinyang Shou
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Keith S St Lawrence
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Danny JJ Wang
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Ohene Y, Harris WJ, Powell E, Wycech NW, Smethers KF, Lasič S, South K, Coutts G, Sharp A, Lawrence CB, Boutin H, Parker GJM, Parkes LM, Dickie BR. Filter exchange imaging with crusher gradient modelling detects increased blood-brain barrier water permeability in response to mild lung infection. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:25. [PMID: 37013549 PMCID: PMC10071630 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction occurs in many brain diseases, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that it is an early process in dementia which may be exacerbated by peripheral infection. Filter-exchange imaging (FEXI) is an MRI technique for measuring trans-membrane water exchange. FEXI data is typically analysed using the apparent exchange rate (AXR) model, yielding estimates of the AXR. Crusher gradients are commonly used to remove unwanted coherence pathways arising from longitudinal storage pulses during the mixing period. We first demonstrate that when using thin slices, as is needed for imaging the rodent brain, crusher gradients result in underestimation of the AXR. To address this, we propose an extended crusher-compensated exchange rate (CCXR) model to account for diffusion-weighting introduced by the crusher gradients, which is able to recover ground truth values of BBB water exchange (kin) in simulated data. When applied to the rat brain, kin estimates obtained using the CCXR model were 3.10 s-1 and 3.49 s-1 compared to AXR estimates of 1.24 s-1 and 0.49 s-1 for slice thicknesses of 4.0 mm and 2.5 mm respectively. We then validated our approach using a clinically relevant Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection. We observed a significant 70 ± 10% increase in BBB water exchange in rats during active infection (kin = 3.78 ± 0.42 s-1) compared to before infection (kin = 2.72 ± 0.30 s-1; p = 0.02). The BBB water exchange rate during infection was associated with higher levels of plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF), a marker of acute vascular inflammation. We also observed 42% higher expression of perivascular aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in infected animals compared to non-infected controls, while levels of tight junction proteins remain consistent between groups. In summary, we propose a modelling approach for FEXI data which removes the bias in estimated water-exchange rates associated with the use of crusher gradients. Using this approach, we demonstrate the impact of peripheral infection on BBB water exchange, which appears to be mediated by endothelial dysfunction and associated with an increase in perivascular AQP4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Ohene
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - William J Harris
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Elizabeth Powell
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nina W Wycech
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Katherine F Smethers
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Samo Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Random Walk Imaging, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kieron South
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Graham Coutts
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Sharp
- Evotec (UK) Ltd., Alderley Park, Block 23F, Mereside, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Catherine B Lawrence
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Hervé Boutin
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Geoff J M Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL, London, UK
- Bioxydyn Limited, Manchester, UK
| | - Laura M Parkes
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ben R Dickie
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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11
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Kecheliev V, Boss L, Maheshwari U, Konietzko U, Keller A, Razansky D, Nitsch RM, Klohs J, Ni R. Aquaporin 4 is differentially increased and dislocated in association with tau and amyloid-beta. Life Sci 2023; 321:121593. [PMID: 36934970 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Neurovascular-glymphatic dysfunction plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease and has been analysed mainly in relation to amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology. Here, we aim to investigate the neurovascular alterations and mapping of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) distribution and dislocation associated with tau and Aβ. MATERIALS AND METHODS Perfusion, susceptibility weighted imaging and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in the pR5 mouse model of 4-repeat tau and the arcAβ mouse model of amyloidosis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed using antibodies against AQP4, vessel, astroglia, microglia, phospho-tau and Aβ in brain tissue slices from pR5, arcAβ and non-transgenic mice. KEY FINDINGS pR5 mice showed regional atrophy, preserved cerebral blood flow, and reduced cerebral vessel density compared to non-transgenic mice, while arcAβ mice showed cerebral microbleeds and reduced cerebral vessel density. AQP4 dislocation and peri-tau enrichment in the hippocampus and increased AQP4 levels in the cortex and hippocampus were detected in pR5 mice compared to non-transgenic mice. In comparison, cortical AQP4 dislocation and cortical/hippocampal peri-plaque increases were observed in arcAβ mice. Increased expression of reactive astrocytes were detected around the tau inclusions in pR5 mice and Aβ plaques in arcAβ mice. SIGNIFICANCE We demonstrated the neurovascular alterations, microgliosis, astrogliosis and increased AQP4 regional expression in pR5 tau and arcAβ mice. We observed a divergent region-specific AQP4 dislocation and association with phospho-tau and Aβ pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasil Kecheliev
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leo Boss
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Upasana Maheshwari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Konietzko
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annika Keller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Razansky
- Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger M Nitsch
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Klohs
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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12
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Vielee ST, Wise JP. Among Gerontogens, Heavy Metals Are a Class of Their Own: A Review of the Evidence for Cellular Senescence. Brain Sci 2023; 13:500. [PMID: 36979310 PMCID: PMC10046019 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancements in modern medicine have improved the quality of life across the globe and increased the average lifespan of our population by multiple decades. Current estimates predict by 2030, 12% of the global population will reach a geriatric age and live another 3-4 decades. This swelling geriatric population will place critical stress on healthcare infrastructures due to accompanying increases in age-related diseases and comorbidities. While much research focused on long-lived individuals seeks to answer questions regarding how to age healthier, there is a deficit in research investigating what aspects of our lives accelerate or exacerbate aging. In particular, heavy metals are recognized as a significant threat to human health with links to a plethora of age-related diseases, and have widespread human exposures from occupational, medical, or environmental settings. We believe heavy metals ought to be classified as a class of gerontogens (i.e., chemicals that accelerate biological aging in cells and tissues). Gerontogens may be best studied through their effects on the "Hallmarks of Aging", nine physiological hallmarks demonstrated to occur in aged cells, tissues, and bodies. Evidence suggests that cellular senescence-a permanent growth arrest in cells-is one of the most pertinent hallmarks of aging and is a useful indicator of aging in tissues. Here, we discuss the roles of heavy metals in brain aging. We briefly discuss brain aging in general, then expand upon observations for heavy metals contributing to age-related neurodegenerative disorders. We particularly emphasize the roles and observations of cellular senescence in neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we discuss the observations for heavy metals inducing cellular senescence. The glaring lack of knowledge about gerontogens and gerontogenic mechanisms necessitates greater research in the field, especially in the context of the global aging crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T. Vielee
- Pediatrics Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - John P. Wise
- Pediatrics Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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13
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Wei Z, Liu H, Lin Z, Yao M, Li R, Liu C, Li Y, Xu J, Duan W, Lu H. Non-contrast assessment of blood-brain barrier permeability to water in mice: An arterial spin labeling study at cerebral veins. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119870. [PMID: 36640948 PMCID: PMC9908858 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical role in protecting the brain from toxins and pathogens. However, in vivo tools to assess BBB permeability are scarce and often require the use of exogenous contrast agents. In this study, we aimed to develop a non-contrast arterial-spin-labeling (ASL) based MRI technique to estimate BBB permeability to water in mice. By determining the relative fraction of labeled water spins that were exchanged into the brain tissue as opposed to those that remained in the cerebral veins, we estimated indices of global BBB permeability to water including water extraction fraction (E) and permeability surface-area product (PS). First, using multiple post-labeling delay ASL experiments, we estimated the bolus arrival time (BAT) of the labeled spins to reach the great vein of Galen (VG) to be 691.2 ± 14.5 ms (N = 5). Next, we investigated the dependence of the VG ASL signal on labeling duration and identified an optimal imaging protocol with a labeling duration of 1200 ms and a PLD of 100 ms. Quantitative E and PS values in wild-type mice were found to be 59.9 ± 3.2% and 260.9 ± 18.9 ml/100 g/min, respectively. In contrast, mice with Huntington's disease (HD) revealed a significantly higher E (69.7 ± 2.4%, P = 0.026) and PS (318.1 ± 17.1 ml/100 g/min, P = 0.040), suggesting BBB breakdown in this mouse model. Reproducibility studies revealed a coefficient-of-variation (CoV) of 4.9 ± 1.7% and 6.1 ± 1.2% for E and PS, respectively. The proposed method may open new avenues for preclinical research on pathophysiological mechanisms of brain diseases and therapeutic trials in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiliang Wei
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600N. Wolfe Street, Park 326, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Hongshuai Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Zixuan Lin
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600N. Wolfe Street, Park 326, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Minmin Yao
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ruoxuan Li
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Yuguo Li
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600N. Wolfe Street, Park 326, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiadi Xu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600N. Wolfe Street, Park 326, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wenzhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600N. Wolfe Street, Park 326, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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14
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Ford JN, Zhang Q, Sweeney EM, Merkler AE, de Leon MJ, Gupta A, Nguyen TD, Ivanidze J. Quantitative Water Permeability Mapping of Blood-Brain-Barrier Dysfunction in Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:867452. [PMID: 35462701 PMCID: PMC9024318 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.867452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood-brain-barrier (BBB) dysfunction is a hallmark of aging and aging-related disorders, including cerebral small vessel disease and Alzheimer's disease. An emerging biomarker of BBB dysfunction is BBB water exchange rate (kW) as measured by diffusion-weighted arterial spin labeling (DW-ASL) MRI. We developed an improved DW-ASL sequence for Quantitative Permeability Mapping and evaluated whole brain and region-specific kW in a cohort of 30 adults without dementia across the age spectrum. In this cross-sectional study, we found higher kW values in the cerebral cortex (mean = 81.51 min-1, SD = 15.54) compared to cerebral white matter (mean = 75.19 min-1, SD = 13.85) (p < 0.0001). We found a similar relationship for cerebral blood flow (CBF), concordant with previously published studies. Multiple linear regression analysis with kW as an outcome showed that age was statistically significant in the cerebral cortex (p = 0.013), cerebral white matter (p = 0.033), hippocampi (p = 0.043), orbitofrontal cortices (p = 0.042), and precunei cortices (p = 0.009), after adjusting for sex and number of vascular risk factors. With CBF as an outcome, age was statistically significant only in the cerebral cortex (p = 0.026) and precunei cortices (p = 0.020). We further found moderate negative correlations between white matter hyperintensity (WMH) kW and WMH volume (r = -0.51, p = 0.02), and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and WMH volume (r = -0.44, p = 0.05). This work illuminates the relationship between BBB water exchange and aging and may serve as the basis for BBB-targeted therapies for aging-related brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy N. Ford
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qihao Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth M. Sweeney
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Mony J. de Leon
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ajay Gupta
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Thanh D. Nguyen
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jana Ivanidze
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Jana Ivanidze,
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15
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Tao QQ, Lin RR, Chen YH, Wu ZY. Discerning the Role of Blood Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease. Aging Dis 2022; 13:1391-1404. [PMID: 36186141 PMCID: PMC9466977 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2022.0130-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease. The predominant characteristics of AD are the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain. Blood brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction as one of the causative factors of cognitive impairment is increasingly recognized in the last decades. However, the role of BBB dysfunction in AD pathogenesis is still not fully understood. It remains elusive whether BBB dysfunction is a consequence or causative fact of Aβ pathology, tau pathology, neuroinflammation, or other conditions. In this review, we summarized the major findings of BBB dysfunction in AD and the reciprocal relationships between BBB dysfunction, Aβ pathology, tau pathology, and neuroinflammation. In addition, the implications of BBB dysfunction in AD for delivering therapeutic drugs were presented. Finally, we discussed how to better determine the underlying mechanisms between BBB dysfunction and AD, as well as how to explore new therapies for BBB regulation to treat AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Zhi-Ying Wu, the Department of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. E-mail:
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16
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Mahroo A, Buck MA, Huber J, Breutigam NJ, Mutsaerts HJMM, Craig M, Chappell M, Günther M. Robust Multi-TE ASL-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity Measurements. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:719676. [PMID: 34924924 PMCID: PMC8678075 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.719676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple echo-time arterial spin labelling (multi-TE ASL) offers estimation of blood–tissue exchange dynamics by probing the T2 relaxation of the labelled spins. In this study, we provide a recipe for robust assessment of exchange time (Texch) as a proxy measure of blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity based on a test-retest analysis. This includes a novel scan protocol and an extension of the two-compartment model with an “intra-voxel transit time” (ITT) to address tissue transit effects. With the extended model, we intend to separate the underlying two distinct mechanisms of tissue transit and exchange. The performance of the extended model in comparison with the two-compartment model was evaluated in simulations. Multi-TE ASL sequence with two different bolus durations was used to acquire in vivo data (n = 10). Cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial transit time (ATT) and Texch were fitted with the two models, and mean grey matter values were compared. Additionally, the extended model also extracted ITT parameter. The test-retest reliability of Texch was assessed for intra-session, inter-session and inter-visit pairs of measurements. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and within-subject coefficient of variance (CoV) for grey matter were computed to assess the precision of the method. Mean grey matter Texch and ITT values were found to be 227.9 ± 37.9 ms and 310.3 ± 52.9 ms, respectively. Texch estimated by the extended model was 32.6 ± 5.9% lower than the two-compartment model. A significant ICC was observed for all three measures of Texch reliability (P < 0.05). Texch intra-session CoV, inter-session CoV and inter-visit CoV were found to be 6.6%, 7.9%, and 8.4%, respectively. With the described improvements addressing intra-voxel transit effects, multi-TE ASL shows good reproducibility as a non-invasive measure of BBB permeability. These findings offer an encouraging step forward to apply this potential BBB permeability biomarker in clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amnah Mahroo
- MR Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Mareike Alicja Buck
- MR Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany.,MR-Imaging and Spectroscopy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jörn Huber
- MR Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Henk J M M Mutsaerts
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martin Craig
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Chappell
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Günther
- MR Physics, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Bremen, Germany.,MR-Imaging and Spectroscopy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,mediri GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Lin Z, Sur S, Liu P, Li Y, Jiang D, Hou X, Darrow J, Pillai JJ, Yasar S, Rosenberg P, Albert M, Moghekar A, Lu H. Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown in Relationship to Alzheimer and Vascular Disease. Ann Neurol 2021; 90:227-238. [PMID: 34041783 PMCID: PMC8805295 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown has been suggested to be an early biomarker in human cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between BBB breakdown and brain pathology, most commonly Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular disease, is still poorly understood. The present study measured human BBB function in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients on 2 molecular scales, specifically BBB’s permeability to water and albumin molecules. Methods: Fifty-five elderly participants were enrolled, including 33 MCI patients and 22 controls. BBB permeability to water was measured with a new magnetic resonance imaging technique, water extraction with phase contrast arterial spin tagging. BBB permeability to albumin was determined using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum albumin ratio. Cognitive performance was assessed by domain-specific composite scores. AD pathology (including CSF Aβ and ptau) and vascular risk factors were examined. Results: Compared to cognitively normal subjects, BBB in MCI patients manifested an increased permeability to small molecules such as water but was no more permeable to large molecules such as albumin. BBB permeability to water was found to be related to AD markers of CSF Aβ and ptau. On the other hand, BBB permeability to albumin was found to be related to vascular risk factors, especially hypercholesterolemia, but was not related to AD pathology. BBB permeability to small molecules, but not to large molecules, was found to be predictive of cognitive function. Interpretation: These findings provide early evidence that BBB breakdown is related to both AD and vascular risks, but their effects can be differentiated by spatial scales. BBB permeability to small molecules has a greater impact on cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Sandeepa Sur
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Peiying Liu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yang Li
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Dengrong Jiang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Xirui Hou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jacqueline Darrow
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jay J Pillai
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Sevil Yasar
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Paul Rosenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Marilyn Albert
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Abhay Moghekar
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD
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18
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Lin Z, Jiang D, Liu D, Li Y, Uh J, Hou X, Pillai JJ, Qin Q, Ge Y, Lu H. Noncontrast assessment of blood-brain barrier permeability to water: Shorter acquisition, test-retest reproducibility, and comparison with contrast-based method. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:143-156. [PMID: 33559214 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Assessment of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability without the need for contrast agent is desirable, and the ability to measure the permeability to small molecules such as water may further increase the sensitivity in detecting diseases. This study proposed a time-efficient, noncontrast method to measure BBB permeability to water, evaluated its test-retest reproducibility, and compared it with a contrast agent-based method. METHODS A single-delay water extraction with phase-contrast arterial spin tagging (WEPCAST) method was devised in which spatial profile of the signal along the superior sagittal sinus was used to estimate bolus arrival time, and the WEPCAST signal at the corresponding location was used to compute water extraction fraction, which was combined with global cerebral blood flow to estimate BBB permeability surface area product to water. The reliability of WEPCAST sequence was examined in terms of intrasession, intersession, and inter-vendor (Philips [Ingenia, Best, the Netherlands] and Siemens [Prisma, Erlangen, Germany]) reproducibility. Finally, we compared this new technique to a contrast agent-based method. RESULTS Single-delay WEPCAST reduced the scan duration from approximately 20 min to 5 min. Extract fraction values estimated from single-delay WEPCAST showed good consistency with the multi-delay method (R = 0.82, P = .004). Group-averaged permeability surface area product values were found to be 137.5 ± 9.3 mL/100 g/min. Intrasession, intersession, and inter-vendor coefficient of variation of the permeability surface area product values were 6.6 ± 4.5%, 6.9 ± 3.7%, and 8.9 ± 3.0%, respectively. Finally, permeability surface area product obtained from WEPCAST MRI showed a significant correlation with that from the contrast-based method (R = .73, P = .02). CONCLUSION Single-delay WEPCAST MRI can measure BBB permeability to water within 5 min with an intrasession, intersession, and inter-vendor test-retest reproducibility of 6% to 9%. This method may provide a useful marker of BBB breakdown in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dengrong Jiang
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dapeng Liu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yang Li
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jinsoo Uh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Xirui Hou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jay J Pillai
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Qin Qin
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yulin Ge
- Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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