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Zhou Z, Xu Z, Lai W, Chen X, Zeng L, Qian L, Liu X, Jiang W, Zhang Y, Hou G. Reduced myelin content in bipolar disorder: A study of inhomogeneous magnetization transfer. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:363-370. [PMID: 38615848 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous neuroimaging and pathological studies have found myelin-related abnormalities in bipolar disorder (BD), which prompted the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technology sensitive to neuropathological changes to explore its neuropathological basis. We holistically investigated alterations in myelin within BD patients by inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT), which is sensitive and specific to myelin content. METHODS Thirty-one BD and 42 healthy controls (HC) were involved. Four MR metrics, i.e., ihMT ratio (ihMTR), pseudo-quantitative ihMT (qihMT), magnetization transfer ratio and pseudo-quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT), were compared between groups using analysis methods based on whole-brain voxel-level and white matter regions of interest (ROI), respectively. RESULTS The voxel-wise analysis showed significantly inter-group differences of ihMTR and qihMT in the corpus callosum. The ROI-wise analysis showed that ihMTR, qihMT, and qMT values in BD group were significantly lower than that in HC group in the genu and body of corpus callosum, left anterior limb of the internal capsule, left anterior corona radiate, and bilateral cingulum (p < 0.001). And the qihMT in genu of corpus callosum and right cingulum were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms in BD group. LIMITATIONS This study is based on cross-sectional data and the sample size is limited. CONCLUSION These findings suggest the reduced myelin content of anterior midline structure in the bipolar patients, which might be a critical pathophysiological feature of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Zhou
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Ziyun Xu
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Wentao Lai
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Xiaoqiao Chen
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Lin Zeng
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Long Qian
- MR Research, GE Healthcare, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Wentao Jiang
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Yingli Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China.
| | - Gangqiang Hou
- Neuropsychiatry Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen 518118, China.
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Valošek J, Cohen-Adad J. Reproducible Spinal Cord Quantitative MRI Analysis with the Spinal Cord Toolbox. Magn Reson Med Sci 2024; 23:307-315. [PMID: 38479843 PMCID: PMC11234946 DOI: 10.2463/mrms.rev.2023-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord plays a pivotal role in the central nervous system, providing communication between the brain and the body and containing critical motor and sensory networks. Recent advancements in spinal cord MRI data acquisition and image analysis have shown a potential to improve the diagnostics, prognosis, and management of a variety of pathological conditions. In this review, we first discuss the significance of standardized spinal cord MRI acquisition protocol in multi-center and multi-manufacturer studies. Then, we cover open-access spinal cord MRI datasets, which are important for reproducible science and validation of new methods. Finally, we elaborate on the recent advances in spinal cord MRI data analysis techniques implemented in the open-source software package Spinal Cord Toolbox (SCT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Valošek
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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3
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Morris S, Swift-LaPointe T, Yung A, Prevost V, George S, Bauman A, Kozlowski P, Samadi-Bahrami Z, Fournier C, Mattu PS, Parker L, Streijger F, Hirsch-Reinshagen V, Moore GRW, Kwon BK, Laule C. Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers of the Injured Spinal Cord: A Comparative Study of Imaging and Histology in Human Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2024; 41:1223-1239. [PMID: 38318802 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
A significant problem in the diagnosis and management of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is the heterogeneity of secondary injury and the prediction of neurological outcome. Imaging biomarkers specific to myelin loss and inflammation after tSCI would enable detailed assessment of the pathophysiological processes underpinning secondary damage to the cord. Such biomarkers could be used to biologically stratify injury severity and better inform prognosis for neurological recovery. While much work has been done to establish magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers for SCI in animal models, the relationship between imaging findings and the underlying pathology has been difficult to discern in human tSCI because of the paucity of human spinal cord tissue. We utilized post-mortem spinal cords from individuals who had a tSCI to examine this relationship by performing ex vivo MRI scans before histological analysis. We investigated the correlation between the histological distribution of myelin loss and inflammatory cells in the injured spinal cord and a number of myelin and inflammation-sensitive MRI measures: myelin water fraction (MWF), inhomogeneous magnetization transfer ratio (ihMTR), and diffusion tensor and diffusion kurtosis imaging-derived fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial, radial, and mean diffusivity (AD, RD, MD). The histological features were analyzed by staining with Luxol Fast Blue (LFB) for myelin lipids and Class II major histocompatibility complex (Class II MHC) and CD68 for microglia and macrophages. Both MWF and ihMTR were strongly correlated with LFB staining for myelin, supporting the use of both as biomarkers for myelin loss after SCI. A decrease in ihMTR was also correlated with the presence of Class II MHC positive immune cells. FA and RD correlated with both Class II MHC and CD68 and may therefore be useful biomarkers for inflammation after tSCI. Our work demonstrates the utility of advanced MRI techniques sensitive to biological tissue damage after tSCI, which is an important step toward using these MRI techniques in the clinic to aid in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Morris
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Taylor Swift-LaPointe
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Yung
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Valentin Prevost
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shana George
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Bauman
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zahra Samadi-Bahrami
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caron Fournier
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Lisa Parker
- Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Femke Streijger
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Veronica Hirsch-Reinshagen
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - G R Wayne Moore
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brian K Kwon
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver Spine Surgery Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Departments of University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Radiology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Cengiz B, Koçak ÖK, Erdoğan T, Yanık E, Pek G, Savrun Y, Evren Boran H, Reha Kuruoğlu H. Excitability of somatosensory cortex is increased in ALS: A SEP recovery function study. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 155:58-64. [PMID: 37734132 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neuronal loss in the somatosensory, as well as the motor cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), indicative of a structural abnormality has been reported. Previously we have shown that afferent inhibition was impaired in ALS, suggestive of sensory involvement. In this study, we aimed to evaluate excitability changes in the somatosensory cortex of ALS patients. METHODS ALS patients underwent a paired pulse somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) paradigm at various interstimulus intervals (ISI). The amplitude ratio obtained by dividing the amplitude of paired pulse SEP stimulation S2 (paired pulse stimulation) to S1 (the single pulse stimulation) was considered the somatosensory cortex excitability parameter. Findings were compared to the results obtained from healthy controls. Resting motor threshold (RMT) was also assessed in the ALS group. RESULTS An increased S2/S1 ratio was found in the ALS group in every ISI examined. Additionally, the reduced inhibition correlated negatively with forced vital capacity, Medical Research Council sum score, median nerve compound muscle action potential amplitude, while there was a positive association with Penn upper motor neuron score and sural nerve conduction velocity. No correlation existed with RMT. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated increased somatosensory cortical excitability in ALS, which was associated with clinical parameters such as reduced pulmonary function and motor strength. SIGNIFICANCE Somatosensory cortical excitability is impaired in ALS. Whether this is associated with increased motor cortical excitability requires further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bülent Cengiz
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Neurology, Section of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Özlem Kurtkaya Koçak
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Neurology, Section of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Tuğba Erdoğan
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ece Yanık
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Pek
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Savrun
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - H Evren Boran
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Neurology, Section of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Turkey
| | - H Reha Kuruoğlu
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Neurology, Section of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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Chen LM, Wang F, Mishra A, Yang PF, Sengupta A, Reed JL, Gore JC. Longitudinal multiparametric MRI of traumatic spinal cord injury in animal models. Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 102:184-200. [PMID: 37343904 PMCID: PMC10528214 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.06.007] [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: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) technology enables non-invasive and quantitative assessments of the structural, molecular, and functional characteristics of various neurological diseases. Despite the recognized importance of studying spinal cord pathology, mpMRI applications in spinal cord research have been somewhat limited, partly due to technical challenges associated with spine imaging. However, advances in imaging techniques and improved image quality now allow longitudinal investigations of a comprehensive range of spinal cord pathological features by exploiting different endogenous MRI contrasts. This review summarizes the use of mpMRI techniques including blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT), and chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI in monitoring different aspects of spinal cord pathology. These aspects include cyst formation and axonal disruption, demyelination and remyelination, changes in the excitability of spinal grey matter and the integrity of intrinsic functional circuits, and non-specific molecular changes associated with secondary injury and neuroinflammation. These approaches are illustrated with reference to a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries (SCI). We highlight the benefits of using NHP SCI models to guide future studies of human spinal cord pathology, and demonstrate how mpMRI can capture distinctive features of spinal cord pathology that were previously inaccessible. Furthermore, the development of mechanism-based MRI biomarkers from mpMRI studies can provide clinically useful imaging indices for understanding the mechanisms by which injured spinal cords progress and repair. These biomarkers can assist in the diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of therapies for SCI patients, potentially leading to improved outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Min Chen
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Feng Wang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Arabinda Mishra
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Pai-Feng Yang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anirban Sengupta
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jamie L Reed
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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6
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Pisharady PK, Eberly LE, Adanyeguh IM, Manousakis G, Guliani G, Walk D, Lenglet C. Multimodal MRI improves diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity to longitudinal change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2023; 3:84. [PMID: 37328685 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00318-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in MRI acquisitions and image analysis have increased the utility of neuroimaging in understanding disease-related changes. In this work, we aim to demonstrate increased sensitivity to disease progression as well as improved diagnostic accuracy in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with multimodal MRI of the brain and cervical spinal cord. METHODS We acquired diffusion MRI data from the brain and cervical cord, and T1 data from the brain, of 20 participants with ALS and 20 healthy control participants. Ten ALS and 14 control participants, and 11 ALS and 13 control participants were re-scanned at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups respectively. We estimated cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes in diffusion metrics, cortical thickness, and fixel-based microstructure measures, i.e. fiber density and fiber cross-section. RESULTS We demonstrate improved disease diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity through multimodal analysis of brain and spinal cord metrics. The brain metrics also distinguished lower motor neuron-predominant ALS participants from control participants. Fiber density and cross-section provided the greatest sensitivity to longitudinal change. We demonstrate evidence of progression in a cohort of 11 participants with slowly progressive ALS, including in participants with very slow change in ALSFRS-R. More importantly, we demonstrate that longitudinal change is detectable at a six-month follow-up visit. We also report correlations between ALSFRS-R and the fiber density and cross-section metrics. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that multimodal MRI is useful in improving disease diagnosis, and fixel-based measures may serve as potential biomarkers of disease progression in ALS clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod Kumar Pisharady
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Lynn E Eberly
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Isaac M Adanyeguh
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Georgios Manousakis
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Gaurav Guliani
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - David Walk
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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Alsop DC, Ercan E, Girard OM, Mackay AL, Michal CA, Varma G, Vinogradov E, Duhamel G. Inhomogeneous magnetization transfer imaging: Concepts and directions for further development. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4808. [PMID: 35916067 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Off-resonance radio frequency irradiation can induce the ordering of proton spins in the dipolar fields of their neighbors, in molecules with restricted mobility. This dipolar order decays with a characteristic relaxation time, T1D , that is very different from the T1 and T2 relaxation of the nuclear alignment with the main magnetic field. Inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) imaging is a refinement of magnetization transfer (MT) imaging that isolates the MT signal dependence on dipolar order relaxation times within motion-constrained molecules. Because T1D relaxation is a unique contrast mechanism, ihMT may enable improved characterization of tissue. Initial work has stressed the high correlation between ihMT signal and myelin density. Dipolar order relaxation appears to be much longer in membrane lipids than other molecules. Recent work has shown, however, that ihMT acquisitions may also be adjusted to emphasize different ranges of T1D . These newer approaches may be sensitive to other microstructural components of tissue. Here, we review the concepts and history of ihMT and outline the requirements for further development to realize its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Alsop
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ece Ercan
- MR Clinical Science, Philips, Best, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alex L Mackay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Carl A Michal
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gopal Varma
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elena Vinogradov
- Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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8
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Taso M, Munsch F, Girard OM, Duhamel G, Alsop DC, Varma G. Fast-spin-echo versus rapid gradient-echo for 3D magnetization-prepared acquisitions: Application to inhomogeneous magnetization transfer. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:550-564. [PMID: 36306334 PMCID: PMC10848167 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29461] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the benefits of fast spin echo (FSE) imaging over rapid gradient-echo (RAGE) for magnetization-prepared inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) imaging. METHODS A 3D FSE sequence was modified to include an ihMT preparation (ihMT-FSE) with an optional CSF suppression based on an inversion-recovery (ihMT-FLAIR). After numeric simulations assessing SNR benefits of FSE and the potential impact of an additional inversion-recovery, ihMT-RAGE, ihMT-FSE, and ihMT-FLAIR sequences were compared in a group of six healthy volunteers, evaluating image quality, thermal, and physiological noise as well as quantification using an ihMT saturation (ihMTsat) approach. A preliminary exploration in the cervical spinal cord was also conducted in a group of three healthy volunteers. RESULTS Several fold improvements in thermal SNR were observed with ihMT-FSE in agreement with numerical simulations. However, we observed significantly higher physiological noise in ihMT-FSE compared to ihMT-RAGE that was mitigated in ihMT-FLAIR, which provided the best total SNR (+74% and +49% compared to ihMT-RAGE in the white and gray matter, P ≤ 0.004). IhMTsat quantification was successful in all cases with strong correlation between all sequences (r2 > 0.75). Early experiments showed potential for spinal cord imaging. CONCLUSIONS FSE generally offers higher SNR compared to gradient-echo based acquisitions for magnetization-prepared contrasts as illustrated here in the case of ihMT. However, physiological noise has a significant effect, but an inversion-recovery-based CSF suppression was shown to be efficient in mitigating effects of CSF motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Taso
- Division of MRI Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Fanny Munsch
- Division of MRI Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - David C. Alsop
- Division of MRI Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Gopal Varma
- Division of MRI Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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9
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Nigri A, Dalla Bella E, Ferraro S, Medina Carrion JP, Demichelis G, Bersano E, Consonni M, Bischof A, Stanziano M, Palermo S, Lauria G, Bruzzone MG, Papinutto N. Cervical spinal cord atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis across disease stages. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2023; 10:213-224. [PMID: 36599092 PMCID: PMC9930423 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spinal cord degeneration is a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The assessment of gray matter and white matter cervical spinal cord atrophy across clinical stages defined using the King's staging system could advance the understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression. METHODS We assessed the in vivo spatial pattern of gray and white matter atrophy along cervical spinal cord (C2 to C6 segments) using 2D phase-sensitive inversion recovery imaging in a cohort of 44 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, evaluating its change across the King's stages and the correlation with disability scored by the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) and disease duration. A mathematical model inferring the potential onset of cervical gray matter atrophy was developed. RESULTS In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients at King's stage 1, significant cervical spinal cord alterations were mainly identified in gray matter, whereas they involved both gray and white matter in patients at King's stage ≥ 2. Gray and white matter areas correlated with clinical disability at all cervical segments. C3-C4 level was the segment showing early gray matter atrophy starting about 7 to 20 months before symptom onset according to our model. INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest that cervical spinal cord atrophy spreads from gray to white matter across King's stages in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, making spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging an in vivo assessment tool to measure the progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nigri
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Eleonora Dalla Bella
- 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly,School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | | | - Greta Demichelis
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Enrica Bersano
- 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational MedicineUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Monica Consonni
- 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Antje Bischof
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of NeurologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA,Department of Neurology with Institute for Translational NeurologyUniversity Hospital MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Mario Stanziano
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly,ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
| | - Sara Palermo
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Giuseppe Lauria
- 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational MedicineUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | | | - Nico Papinutto
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of NeurologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
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10
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Toh C, Keslake A, Payne T, Onwuegbuzie A, Harding J, Baster K, Hoggard N, Shaw PJ, Wilkinson ID, Jenkins TM. Analysis of brain and spinal MRI measures in a common domain to investigate directional neurodegeneration in motor neuron disease. J Neurol 2023; 270:1682-1690. [PMID: 36509983 PMCID: PMC9971079 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical spinal cord is often performed in diagnostic evaluation of suspected motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS). Analysis of MRI-derived tissue damage metrics in a common domain facilitates group-level inferences on pathophysiology. This approach was applied to address competing hypotheses of directionality of neurodegeneration, whether anterograde, cranio-caudal dying-forward from precentral gyrus or retrograde, dying-back. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, MRI was performed on 75 MND patients and 13 healthy controls. Precentral gyral thickness was estimated from volumetric T1-weighted images using FreeSurfer, corticospinal tract fractional anisotropy (FA) from diffusion tensor imaging using FSL, and cross-sectional cervical cord area between C1-C8 levels using Spinal Cord Toolbox. To analyse these multimodal data within a common domain, individual parameter estimates representing tissue damage at each corticospinal tract level were first converted to z-scores, referenced to healthy control norms. Mixed-effects linear regression models were then fitted to these z-scores, with gradients hypothesised to represent directionality of neurodegeneration. RESULTS At group-level, z-scores did not differ significantly between precentral gyral and intracranial corticospinal tract tissue damage estimates (regression coefficient - 0.24, [95% CI - 0.62, 0.14], p = 0.222), but step-changes were evident between intracranial corticospinal tract and C1 (1.14, [95% CI 0.74, 1.53], p < 0.001), and between C5 and C6 cord levels (0.98, [95% CI 0.58, 1.38], p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Analysis of brain and cervical spinal MRI data in a common domain enabled investigation of pathophysiological hypotheses in vivo. A cranio-caudal step-change in MND patients was observed, and requires further investigation in larger cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Toh
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Keslake
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T Payne
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Onwuegbuzie
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J Harding
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - K Baster
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - N Hoggard
- Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - P J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - I D Wilkinson
- Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T M Jenkins
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Royal Perth Hospital, Victoria Square, Perth, WA, 6000, Australia.
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11
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Hertanu A, Soustelle L, Le Troter A, Buron J, Le Priellec J, Carvalho VND, Cayre M, Durbec P, Varma G, Alsop DC, Girard OM, Duhamel G. T 1D -weighted ihMT imaging - Part I. Isolation of long- and short-T 1D components by T 1D -filtering. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2313-2328. [PMID: 35037302 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify T1D -filtering methods, which can specifically isolate various ranges of T1D components as they may be sensitive to different microstructural properties. METHODS Modified Bloch-Provotorov equations describing a bi-T1D component biophysical model were used to simulate the inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) signal from ihMTRAGE sequences at high RF power and low duty-cycle with different switching time values for the dual saturation experiment: Δt = 0.0, 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 ms. Simulations were compared with experimental signals on the brain gray and white matter tissues of healthy mice at 7T. RESULTS The lengthening of Δt created ihMT high-pass T1D -filters, which efficiently eliminated the signal from T1D components shorter than 1 ms, while partially attenuating that of longer components (≥ 1 ms). Subtraction of ihMTR images obtained with Δt = 0.0 ms and Δt = 0.8 ms generated a new ihMT band-pass T1D -filter isolating short-T1D components in the 100-µs to 1-ms range. Simulated ihMTR values in central nervous system tissues were confirmed experimentally. CONCLUSION Long- and short-T1D components were successfully isolated with high RF power and low duty-cycle ihMT filters in the healthy mouse brain. Future studies should investigate the various T1D -range microstructural correlations in in vivo tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Hertanu
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Lucas Soustelle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Le Troter
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Buron
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Victor N D Carvalho
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ICR, Marseille, France
| | - Myriam Cayre
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Gopal Varma
- Division of MR Research, Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David C Alsop
- Division of MR Research, Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Olivier M Girard
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Duhamel
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
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12
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Hertanu A, Soustelle L, Buron J, Le Priellec J, Cayre M, Le Troter A, Varma G, Alsop DC, Durbec P, Girard OM, Duhamel G. T 1D -weighted ihMT imaging - Part II. Investigating the long- and short-T 1D components correlation with myelin content. Comparison with R 1 and the macromolecular proton fraction. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2329-2346. [PMID: 35001427 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the long- and short-T1D components correlation with myelin content using inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) high-pass and band-pass T1D -filters and to compare ihMT, R1 , and the macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) for myelin specific imaging. METHODS The 3D ihMT rapid gradient echo (ihMTRAGE) sequences with increasing switching times (Δt) were used to derive ihMT high-pass T1D -filters with increasing T1D cutoff values and an ihMT band-pass T1D -filter for components in the 100 µs to 1 ms range. 3D spoiled gradient echo quantitative MT (SPGR-qMT) protocols were used to derive R1 and MPF maps. The specificity of R1 , MPF, and ihMT T1D -filters was evaluated by comparison with two histological reference techniques for myelin imaging. RESULTS The higher contribution of long-T1D s as compared to the short components as Δt got longer led to an increase in the specificity to myelination. In contrast, focusing on the signal originating from a narrow range of short-T1D s (< 1 ms) as isolated by the band-pass T1D -filter led to lower specificity. In addition, the significantly lower r2 correlation coefficient of the band-pass T1D -filter suggests that the origin of short-T1D components is mostly associated with non-myelin protons. Also, the important contribution of short-T1D s to the estimated MPF, explains its low specificity to myelination as compared to the ihMT high-pass T1D -filters. CONCLUSION Long-T1D components imaging by means of ihMT high-pass T1D -filters is proposed as an MRI biomarker for myelin content. Future studies should enable the investigation of the sensitivity of ihMT T1D -filters for demyelinating processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Hertanu
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Lucas Soustelle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Buron
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Myriam Cayre
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Le Troter
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Gopal Varma
- Division of MR Research, Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David C Alsop
- Division of MR Research, Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Olivier M Girard
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Duhamel
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
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13
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Generic acquisition protocol for quantitative MRI of the spinal cord. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4611-4632. [PMID: 34400839 PMCID: PMC8811488 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00588-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative spinal cord (SC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presents many challenges, including a lack of standardized imaging protocols. Here we present a prospectively harmonized quantitative MRI protocol, which we refer to as the spine generic protocol, for users of 3T MRI systems from the three main manufacturers: GE, Philips and Siemens. The protocol provides guidance for assessing SC macrostructural and microstructural integrity: T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging for SC cross-sectional area computation, multi-echo gradient echo for gray matter cross-sectional area, and magnetization transfer and diffusion weighted imaging for assessing white matter microstructure. In a companion paper from the same authors, the spine generic protocol was used to acquire data across 42 centers in 260 healthy subjects. The key details of the spine generic protocol are also available in an open-access document that can be found at https://github.com/spine-generic/protocols . The protocol will serve as a starting point for researchers and clinicians implementing new SC imaging initiatives so that, in the future, inclusion of the SC in neuroimaging protocols will be more common. The protocol could be implemented by any trained MR technician or by a researcher/clinician familiar with MRI acquisition.
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14
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Li H, Zhang Q, Duan Q, Jin J, Hu F, Dang J, Zhang M. Brainstem Involvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Combined Structural and Diffusion Tensor MRI Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:675444. [PMID: 34149349 PMCID: PMC8206526 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.675444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The brainstem is an important component in the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although neuroimaging studies have shown multiple structural changes in ALS patients, few studies have investigated structural alterations in the brainstem. Herein, we compared the brainstem structure between patients with ALS and healthy controls. Methods A total of 33 patients with ALS and 33 healthy controls were recruited in this study. T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were acquired on a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) scanner. Volumetric and vertex-wised approaches were implemented to assess the differences in the brainstem’s morphological features between the two groups. An atlas-based region of interest (ROI) analysis was performed to compare the white matter integrity of the brainstem between the two groups. Additionally, a correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between ALS clinical characteristics and structural features. Results Volumetric analyses showed no significant difference in the subregion volume of the brainstem between ALS patients and healthy controls. In the shape analyses, ALS patients had a local abnormal surface contraction in the ventral medulla oblongata and ventral pons. Compared with healthy controls, ALS patients showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left corticospinal tract (CST) and bilateral frontopontine tracts (FPT) at the brainstem level, and higher radial diffusivity (RD) in bilateral CST and left FPT at the brainstem level by ROI analysis in DTI. Correlation analysis showed that disease severity was positively associated with FA in left CST and left FPT. Conclusion These findings suggest that the brainstem in ALS suffers atrophy, and degenerative processes in the brainstem may reflect disease severity in ALS. These findings may be helpful for further understanding of potential neural mechanisms in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haining Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qiuli Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qianqian Duan
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiaoting Jin
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fangfang Hu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingxia Dang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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15
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Rasoanandrianina H, Demortière S, Trabelsi A, Ranjeva JP, Girard O, Duhamel G, Guye M, Pelletier J, Audoin B, Callot V. Sensitivity of the Inhomogeneous Magnetization Transfer Imaging Technique to Spinal Cord Damage in Multiple Sclerosis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2020; 41:929-937. [PMID: 32414903 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a6554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The inhomogeneous magnetization transfer technique has demonstrated high specificity for myelin, and has shown sensitivity to multiple sclerosis-related impairment in brain tissue. Our aim was to investigate its sensitivity to spinal cord impairment in MS relative to more established MR imaging techniques (volumetry, magnetization transfer, DTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS Anatomic images covering the cervical spinal cord from the C1 to C6 levels and DTI, magnetization transfer/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer images at the C2/C5 levels were acquired in 19 patients with MS and 19 paired healthy controls. Anatomic images were segmented in spinal cord GM and WM, both manually and using the AMU40 atlases. MS lesions were manually delineated. MR metrics were analyzed within normal-appearing and lesion regions in anterolateral and posterolateral WM and compared using Wilcoxon rank tests and z scores. Correlations between MR metrics and clinical scores in patients with MS were evaluated using the Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS AMU40-based C1-to-C6 GM/WM automatic segmentations in patients with MS were evaluated relative to manual delineation. Mean Dice coefficients were 0.75/0.89, respectively. All MR metrics (WM/GM cross-sectional areas, normal-appearing and lesion diffusivities, and magnetization transfer/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer ratios) were observed altered in patients compared with controls (P < .05). Additionally, the absolute inhomogeneous magnetization transfer ratio z scores were significantly higher than those of the other MR metrics (P < .0001), suggesting a higher inhomogeneous magnetization transfer sensitivity toward spinal cord impairment in MS. Significant correlations with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (ρ = -0.73/P = .02, ρ = -0.81/P = .004) and the total Medical Research Council scale (ρ = 0.80/P = .009, ρ = -0.74/P = .02) were observed for inhomogeneous magnetization transfer and magnetization transfer ratio z scores, respectively, in normal-appearing WM regions, while weaker and nonsignificant correlations were obtained for DTI metrics. CONCLUSIONS With inhomogeneous magnetization transfer being highly sensitive to spinal cord damage in MS compared with conventional magnetization transfer and DTI, it could generate great clinical interest for longitudinal follow-up and potential remyelinating clinical trials. In line with other advanced myelin techniques with which it could be compared, it opens perspectives for multicentric investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Rasoanandrianina
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Reseaux, Aix-Marseille Université; iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory (H.R., J.P.R., V.C.), Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
| | - S Demortière
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Department of Neurology (S.D., J.P., B.A.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Timone, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - A Trabelsi
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France
| | - J P Ranjeva
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Reseaux, Aix-Marseille Université; iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory (H.R., J.P.R., V.C.), Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
| | - O Girard
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France
| | - G Duhamel
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France
| | - M Guye
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France
| | - J Pelletier
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Department of Neurology (S.D., J.P., B.A.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Timone, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - B Audoin
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Department of Neurology (S.D., J.P., B.A.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Timone, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - V Callot
- From the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France .,Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (H.R., S.D., A.T., J.P.R., O.G., G.D., M.G., J.P., B.A., V.C.), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.,Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Reseaux, Aix-Marseille Université; iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory (H.R., J.P.R., V.C.), Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
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16
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Ercan E, Varma G, Dimitrov IE, Xi Y, Pinho MC, Yu FF, Zhang S, Wang X, Madhuranthakam AJ, Lenkinski RE, Alsop DC, Vinogradov E. Combining inhomogeneous magnetization transfer and multipoint Dixon acquisition: Potential utility and evaluation. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:2136-2144. [PMID: 33107146 PMCID: PMC7821205 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The recently introduced inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) method has predominantly been applied for imaging the central nervous system. Future applications of ihMT, such as in peripheral nerves and muscles, will involve imaging in the vicinity of adipose tissues. This work aims to systematically investigate the partial volume effect of fat on the ihMT signal and to propose an efficient fat-separation method that does not interfere with ihMT measurements. METHODS First, the influence of fat on ihMT signal was studied using simulations. Next, the ihMT sequence was combined with a multi-echo Dixon acquisition for fat separation. The sequence was tested in 9 healthy volunteers using a 3T human scanner. The ihMT ratio (ihMTR) values were calculated in regions of interest in the brain and the spinal cord using standard acquisition (no fat saturation), water-only, in-phase, and out-of-phase reconstructions. The values obtained were compared with a standard fat suppression method, spectral presaturation with inversion recovery. RESULTS Simulations showed variations in the ihMTR values in the presence of fat, depending on the TEs used. The IhMTR values in the brain and spinal cord derived from the water-only ihMT multi-echo Dixon images were in good agreement with values from the unsuppressed sequence. The ihMT-spectral presaturation with inversion recovery combination resulted in 24%-35% lower ihMTR values compared with the standard non-fat-suppressed acquisition. CONCLUSION The presence of fat within a voxel affects the ihMTR calculations. The IhMT multi-echo Dixon method does not compromise the observable ihMT effect and can potentially be used to remove fat influence in ihMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Ercan
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gopal Varma
- Division of MR Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Radiology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ivan E Dimitrov
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Philips Healthcare, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yin Xi
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Department of Population and Data Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marco C Pinho
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fang F Yu
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xinzeng Wang
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Global MR Application and Workflow, GE Healthcare, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ananth J Madhuranthakam
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Robert E Lenkinski
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - David C Alsop
- Division of MR Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Radiology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Vinogradov
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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17
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Longitudinal changes in DTI parameters of specific spinal white matter tracts correlate with behavior following spinal cord injury in monkeys. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17316. [PMID: 33057016 PMCID: PMC7560889 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74234-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate how parameters derived from diffusion tensor imaging reflect axonal disruption and demyelination in specific white matter tracts within the spinal cord of squirrel monkeys following traumatic injuries, and their relationships to function and behavior. After a unilateral section of the dorsal white matter tract of the cervical spinal cord, we found that both lesioned dorsal and intact lateral tracts on the lesion side exhibited prominent disruptions in fiber orientation, integrity and myelination. The degrees of pathological changes were significantly more severe in segments below the lesion than above. The lateral tract on the opposite (non-injured) side was minimally affected by the injury. Over time, RD, FA, and AD values of the dorsal and lateral tracts on the injured side closely tracked measurements of the behavioral recovery. This unilateral section of the dorsal spinal tract provides a realistic model in which axonal disruption and demyelination occur together in the cord. Our data show that specific tract and segmental FA and RD values are sensitive to the effects of injury and reflect specific behavioral changes, indicating their potential as relevant indicators of recovery or for assessing treatment outcomes. These observations have translational value for guiding future studies of human subjects with spinal cord injuries.
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18
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Piredda GF, Hilbert T, Thiran JP, Kober T. Probing myelin content of the human brain with MRI: A review. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:627-652. [PMID: 32936494 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rapid and efficient transmission of electric signals among neurons of vertebrates is ensured by myelin-insulating sheaths surrounding axons. Human cognition, sensation, and motor functions rely on the integrity of these layers, and demyelinating diseases often entail serious cognitive and physical impairments. Magnetic resonance imaging radically transformed the way these disorders are monitored, offering an irreplaceable tool to noninvasively examine the brain structure. Several advanced techniques based on MRI have been developed to provide myelin-specific contrasts and a quantitative estimation of myelin density in vivo. Here, the vast offer of acquisition strategies developed to date for this task is reviewed. Advantages and pitfalls of the different approaches are compared and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Franco Piredda
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,LTS5, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tom Hilbert
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,LTS5, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Thiran
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,LTS5, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Kober
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,LTS5, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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19
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Varghese AM, Ghosh M, Bhagat SK, Vijayalakshmi K, Preethish-Kumar V, Vengalil S, Chevula PCR, Nashi S, Polavarapu K, Sharma M, Dhaliwal RS, Philip M, Nalini A, Alladi PA, Sathyaprabha TN, Raju TR. Chitotriosidase, a biomarker of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, accentuates neurodegeneration in spinal motor neurons through neuroinflammation. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:232. [PMID: 32762702 PMCID: PMC7412641 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01909-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cerebrospinal fluid from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients (ALS-CSF) induces neurodegenerative changes in motor neurons and gliosis in sporadic ALS models. Search for identification of toxic factor(s) in CSF revealed an enhancement in the level and enzyme activity of chitotriosidase (CHIT-1). Here, we have investigated its upregulation in a large cohort of samples and more importantly its role in ALS pathogenesis in a rat model. Methods CHIT-1 level in CSF samples from ALS (n = 158), non-ALS (n = 12) and normal (n = 48) subjects were measured using ELISA. Enzyme activity was also assessed (ALS, n = 56; non-ALS, n = 10 and normal-CSF, n = 45). Recombinant CHIT-1 was intrathecally injected into Wistar rat neonates. Lumbar spinal cord sections were stained for Iba1, glial fibrillary acidic protein and choline acetyl transferase to identify microglia, astrocytes and motor neurons respectively after 48 h of injection. Levels of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 were measured by ELISA. Findings CHIT-1 level in ALS-CSF samples was increased by 20-fold and it can distinguish ALS patients with a sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 83.3% at a cut off level of 1405.43 pg/ml. Enzyme activity of CHIT-1 was also 15-fold higher in ALS-CSF and has a sensitivity of 80.4% and specificity of 80% at cut off value of 0.1077989 μmol/μl/min. Combining CHIT-1 level and activity together gave a positive predictive value of 97.78% and negative predictive value of 100%. Administration of CHIT-1 increased microglial numbers and astrogliosis in the ventral horn with a concomitant increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Amoeboid-shaped microglial and astroglial cells were also present around the central canal. CHIT-1 administration also resulted in the reduction of motor neurons. Conclusions CHIT-1, an early diagnostic biomarker of sporadic ALS, activates glia priming them to attain a toxic phenotype resulting in neuroinflammation leading to motor neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Mary Varghese
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Mausam Ghosh
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Savita Kumari Bhagat
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - K Vijayalakshmi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Veeramani Preethish-Kumar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Seena Vengalil
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Pradeep-Chandra-Reddy Chevula
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Saraswati Nashi
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Kiran Polavarapu
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Meenakshi Sharma
- Division of Non Communicable Disease, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Mariamma Philip
- Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Atchayaram Nalini
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Phalguni Anand Alladi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Neurotoxicology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Talakad N Sathyaprabha
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India
| | - Trichur R Raju
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560 029, India.
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20
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Pisharady PK, Eberly LE, Cheong I, Manousakis G, Guliani G, Clark HB, Bathe M, Walk D, Lenglet C. Tract-specific analysis improves sensitivity of spinal cord diffusion MRI to cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Commun Biol 2020; 3:370. [PMID: 32651439 PMCID: PMC7351722 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1093-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord. Corticospinal tract degeneration is a defining feature of ALS. However, there have been very few longitudinal, controlled studies assessing diffusion MRI (dMRI) metrics in different fiber tracts along the spinal cord in general or the corticospinal tract in particular. Here we demonstrate that a tract-specific analysis, with segmentation of ascending and descending tracts in the spinal cord white matter, substantially increases the sensitivity of dMRI to disease-related changes in ALS. Our work also identifies the tracts and spinal levels affected in ALS, supporting electrophysiologic and pathologic evidence of involvement of sensory pathways in ALS. We note changes in diffusion metrics and cord cross-sectional area, with enhanced sensitivity to disease effects through a multimodal analysis, and with strong correlations between these metrics and spinal components of ALSFRS-R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod Kumar Pisharady
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Lynn E Eberly
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Ian Cheong
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Georgios Manousakis
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Gaurav Guliani
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - H Brent Clark
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Mark Bathe
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - David Walk
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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21
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Varma G, Munsch F, Burns B, Duhamel G, Girard OM, Guidon A, Lebel RM, Alsop DC. Three-dimensional inhomogeneous magnetization transfer with rapid gradient-echo (3D ihMTRAGE) imaging. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:2964-2980. [PMID: 32602958 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating the magnetization transfer (MT) preparations required for inhomogeneous MT (ihMT) within an MPRAGE-style acquisition. Such a sequence allows for reduced power deposition and easy inclusion of other modules. METHODS An ihMT MPRAGE-style sequence (ihMTRAGE) was initially simulated to investigate acquisition of the 3D ihMT data sequentially, or in an interleaved manner. The ihMTRAGE sequence was implemented on a 3T clinical scanner to acquire ihMT data from the brain and spine. RESULTS Both simulations and in vivo data provided an ihMT signal that was significantly greater using a sequential ihMTRAGE acquisition, compared with an interleaved implementation. Comparison with a steady-state ihMT acquisition (defined as having one MT RF pulse between successive acquisition modules) demonstrated how ihMTRAGE allows for a reduction in average power deposition, or greater ihMT signal at equal average power deposition. Inclusion of a prospective motion-correction module did not significantly affect the ihMT signal obtained from regions of interest in the brain. The ihMTRAGE acquisition allowed combination with a spatial saturation module to reduce phase wrap artifacts in a cervical spinal cord acquisition. CONCLUSIONS Use of preparations necessary for ihMT experiments within an MPRAGE-style sequence provides a useful alternative for acquiring 3D ihMT data. Compared with our steady-state implementation, ihMTRAGE provided reduced power deposition, while allowing use of the maximum intensity from off-resonance RF pulses. The 3D ihMTRAGE acquisition allowed combination of other modules with the preparation necessary for ihMT experiments, specifically motion compensation and spatial saturation modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopal Varma
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fanny Munsch
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David C Alsop
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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"Switchboard" malfunction in motor neuron diseases: Selective pathology of thalamic nuclei in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and primary lateral sclerosis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 27:102300. [PMID: 32554322 PMCID: PMC7303672 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is a key cerebral hub relaying a multitude of corticoefferent and corticoafferent connections and mediating distinct extrapyramidal, sensory, cognitive and behavioural functions. While the thalamus consists of dozens of anatomically well-defined nuclei with distinctive physiological roles, existing imaging studies in motor neuron diseases typically evaluate the thalamus as a single structure. Based on the unique cortical signatures observed in ALS and PLS, we hypothesised that similarly focal thalamic involvement may be observed if the nuclei are individually evaluated. A prospective imaging study was undertaken with 100 patients with ALS, 33 patients with PLS and 117 healthy controls to characterise the integrity of thalamic nuclei. ALS patients were further stratified for the presence of GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72. The thalamus was segmented into individual nuclei to examine their volumetric profile. Additionally, thalamic shape deformations were evaluated by vertex analyses and focal density alterations were examined by region-of-interest morphometry. Our data indicate that C9orf72 negative ALS patients and PLS patients exhibit ventral lateral and ventral anterior involvement, consistent with the ‘motor’ thalamus. Degeneration of the sensory nuclei was also detected in C9orf72 negative ALS and PLS. Both ALS groups and the PLS cohort showed focal changes in the mediodorsal-paratenial-reuniens nuclei, which mediate memory and executive functions. PLS patients exhibited distinctive thalamic changes with marked pulvinar and lateral geniculate atrophy compared to both controls and C9orf72 negative ALS. The considerable ventral lateral and ventral anterior pathology detected in both ALS and PLS support the emerging literature of extrapyramidal dysfunction in MND. The involvement of sensory nuclei is consistent with sporadic reports of sensory impairment in MND. The unique thalamic signature of PLS is in line with the distinctive clinical features of the phenotype. Our data confirm phenotype-specific patterns of thalamus involvement in motor neuron diseases with the preferential involvement of nuclei mediating motor and cognitive functions. Given the selective involvement of thalamic nuclei in ALS and PLS, future biomarker and natural history studies in MND should evaluate individual thalamic regions instead overall thalamic changes.
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23
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Kassubek J, Müller HP. Advanced neuroimaging approaches in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: refining the clinical diagnosis. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 20:237-249. [PMID: 31937156 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2020.1715798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: In the last decade, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has achieved tremendous advances in applications to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to increase the understanding of the associated pathophysiology. The aim of this review is to summarize recent progress in the development of MRI-based techniques aiming to support the clinical diagnosis in ALS.Areas covered: The review of structural and functional MRI applications to ALS and its variants (restricted phenotypes) is focused on the potential of MRI techniques which contribute to the diagnostic work-up of patients with the clinical presentation of a motor neuron disease. The potential of specific MRI methods for patient diagnosis and monitoring is discussed, and the future design of clinical MRI applications to ALS is conceptualized.Expert opinion: Current multiparametric MRI allows for the use as a clinical biological marker and a technical instrument in the clinical diagnosis of patients with ALS and also of patients with ALS variants. Composite neuroimaging indices of specific anatomical areas derived from different MRI techniques might guide in the diagnostic applications to ALS. Such a development of ALS-specific MRI-based composite scores with sufficient discriminative power versus ALS mimics at an individual level requires standardized advanced protocols and comprehensive analysis approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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24
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Anterior fissure, central canal, posterior septum and more: New insights into the cervical spinal cord gray and white matter regional organization using T1 mapping at 7T. Neuroimage 2020; 205:116275. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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25
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van der Burgh HK, Westeneng HJ, Meier JM, van Es MA, Veldink JH, Hendrikse J, van den Heuvel MP, van den Berg LH. Cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment of the upper cervical spinal cord in motor neuron disease. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:101984. [PMID: 31499409 PMCID: PMC6734179 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease characterized by both upper and lower motor neuron degeneration. While neuroimaging studies of the brain can detect upper motor neuron degeneration, these brain MRI scans also include the upper part of the cervical spinal cord, which offers the possibility to expand the focus also towards lower motor neuron degeneration. Here, we set out to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal disease effects in the upper cervical spinal cord in patients with ALS, progressive muscular atrophy (PMA: primarily lower motor neuron involvement) and primary lateral sclerosis (PLS: primarily upper motor neuron involvement), and their relation to disease severity and grey and white matter brain measurements. Methods We enrolled 108 ALS patients without C9orf72 repeat expansion (ALS C9–), 26 ALS patients with C9orf72 repeat expansion (ALS C9+), 28 PLS patients, 56 PMA patients and 114 controls. During up to five visits, longitudinal T1-weighted brain MRI data were acquired and used to segment the upper cervical spinal cord (UCSC, up to C3) and individual cervical segments (C1 to C4) to calculate cross-sectional areas (CSA). Using linear (mixed-effects) models, the CSA differences were assessed between groups and correlated with disease severity. Furthermore, a relationship between CSA and brain measurements was examined in terms of cortical thickness of the precentral gyrus and white matter integrity of the corticospinal tract. Results Compared to controls, CSAs at baseline showed significantly thinner UCSC in all groups in the MND spectrum. Over time, ALS C9– patients demonstrated significant thinning of the UCSC and, more specifically, of segment C3 compared to controls. Progressive thinning over time was also observed in C1 of PMA patients, while ALS C9+ and PLS patients did not show any longitudinal changes. Longitudinal spinal cord measurements showed a significant relationship with disease severity and we found a significant correlation between spinal cord and motor cortex thickness or corticospinal tract integrity for PLS and PMA, but not for ALS patients. Discussion Our findings demonstrate atrophy of the upper cervical spinal cord in the motor neuron disease spectrum, which was progressive over time for all but PLS patients. Cervical spinal cord imaging in ALS seems to capture different disease effects than brain neuroimaging. Atrophy of the cervical spinal cord is therefore a promising additional biomarker for both diagnosis and disease progression and could help in the monitoring of treatment effects in future clinical trials. Atrophy of upper cervical spinal cord is shown in the motor neuron disease spectrum. Progressive cervical spinal cord thinning occurs over time for all but PLS patients. Cervical spinal cord imaging is a potential biomarker for disease progression in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannelore K van der Burgh
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk-Jan Westeneng
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jil M Meier
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Michael A van Es
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jeroen Hendrikse
- Department of Radiology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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26
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Duhamel G, Prevost VH, Cayre M, Hertanu A, Mchinda S, Carvalho VN, Varma G, Durbec P, Alsop DC, Girard OM. Validating the sensitivity of inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) MRI to myelin with fluorescence microscopy. Neuroimage 2019; 199:289-303. [PMID: 31141736 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhomogeneous Magnetization Transfer (ihMT) is a development from the MT MRI technique. IhMT can be considered as a dipolar order relaxation time (T1D) weighted imaging modality whose signal has shown an enhanced selectivity for myelin-rich structures. However, a formal validation of the ihMT sensitivity relative to a gold standard myelin density measurement has not yet been reported. To address this need, we compared ihMT MRI with green fluorescence protein (GFP) microscopy, in a study performed on genetically-modified plp-GFP mice, considered as a reference technique for myelin-content assessment. Various ihMT protocols consisting of variable T1D-filtering and radiofrequency power temporal distributions, were used for comparison with fluorescence microscopy. Strong and significant linear relationships (r2 (0.87-0.96), p < 0.0001) were found between GFP and ihMT ratio signals across brain regions for all tested protocol variants. Conventional MT ratios showed weaker correlations (r2 (0.24-0.78), p ≤ 0.02) and a much larger signal fraction unrelated to myelin, hence corresponding to a much lower specificity for myelin. T1D-filtering reduced the ihMT signal fraction not attributed to myelin by almost twofold relative to zero filtering suggesting that at least half of the unrelated signal has a substantially shorter T1D than myelin. Overall, these results strongly support the sensitivity of ihMT to myelin content.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Duhamel
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France.
| | - V H Prevost
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France
| | - M Cayre
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM - UMR 7288, Marseille, France
| | - A Hertanu
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France
| | - S Mchinda
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France
| | - V N Carvalho
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France
| | - G Varma
- Department of Radiology, Division of MR Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - P Durbec
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM - UMR 7288, Marseille, France
| | - D C Alsop
- Department of Radiology, Division of MR Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - O M Girard
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM - UMR 7339, Marseille, France
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27
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El Mendili MM, Querin G, Bede P, Pradat PF. Spinal Cord Imaging in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Historical Concepts-Novel Techniques. Front Neurol 2019; 10:350. [PMID: 31031688 PMCID: PMC6474186 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult onset motor neuron disease with no effective disease modifying therapies at present. Spinal cord degeneration is a hallmark feature of ALS, highlighted in the earliest descriptions of the disease by Lockhart Clarke and Jean-Martin Charcot. The anterior horns and corticospinal tracts are invariably affected in ALS, but up to recently it has been notoriously challenging to detect and characterize spinal pathology in vivo. With recent technological advances, spinal imaging now offers unique opportunities to appraise lower motor neuron degeneration, sensory involvement, metabolic alterations, and interneuron pathology in ALS. Quantitative spinal imaging in ALS has now been used in cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs, applied to presymptomatic mutation carriers, and utilized in machine learning applications. Despite its enormous clinical and academic potential, a number of physiological, technological, and methodological challenges limit the routine use of computational spinal imaging in ALS. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of emerging spinal cord imaging methods and discuss their advantages, drawbacks, and biomarker potential in clinical applications, clinical trial settings, monitoring, and prognostic roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Mounir El Mendili
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (LIB), Sorbonne University, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Giorgia Querin
- Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (LIB), Sorbonne University, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (APHP), Paris, France
| | - Peter Bede
- Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (LIB), Sorbonne University, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (APHP), Paris, France.,Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pierre-François Pradat
- Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (LIB), Sorbonne University, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (APHP), Paris, France
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Papinutto N, Henry RG. Evaluation of Intra- and Interscanner Reliability of MRI Protocols for Spinal Cord Gray Matter and Total Cross-Sectional Area Measurements. J Magn Reson Imaging 2019; 49:1078-1090. [PMID: 30198209 PMCID: PMC6620602 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.26269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In vivo quantification of spinal cord atrophy in neurological diseases using MRI has attracted increasing attention. PURPOSE To compare across different platforms the most promising imaging techniques to assess human spinal cord atrophy. STUDY TYPE Test/retest multiscanner study. SUBJECTS Twelve healthy volunteers. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Three different 3T scanner platforms (Siemens, Philips, and GE) / optimized phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR), T1 -weighted (T1 -w), and T2 *-weighted (T2 *-w) protocols. ASSESSMENT On all images acquired, two operators assessed contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), and between WM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); one experienced operator measured total cross-sectional area (TCA) and GM area using JIM and the Spinal Cord Toolbox (SCT). STATISTICAL TESTS Coefficient of variation (COV); intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); mixed effect models; analysis of variance (t-tests). RESULTS For all the scanners, GM/WM CNR was higher for PSIR than T2 *-w (P < 0.0001) and WM/CSF CNR for T1 -w was the highest (P < 0.0001). For TCA, using JIM, median COVs were smaller than 1.5% and ICC >0.95, while using SCT, median COVs were in the range 2.2-2.75% and ICC 0.79-0.95. For GM, despite some failures of the automatic segmentation, median COVs using SCT on T2 *-w were smaller than using JIM manual PSIR segmentations. In the mixed effect models, the subject was always the main contributor to the variance of area measurements and scanner often contributed to TCA variance (P < 0.05). Using JIM, TCA measurements on T2 *-w were different than on PSIR (P = 0.0021) and T1 -w (P = 0.0018), while using SCT, no notable differences were found between T1 -w and T2 *-w (P = 0.18). JIM and SCT-derived TCA were not different on T1 -w (P = 0.66), while they were different for T2 *-w (P < 0.0001). GM area derived using SCT/T2 *-w versus JIM/PSIR were different (P < 0.0001). DATA CONCLUSION The present work sets reference values for the magnitude of the contribution of different effects to cord area measurement intra- and interscanner variability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1078-1090.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Papinutto
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California San Francisco94158San FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Roland G. Henry
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California San Francisco94158San FranciscoCAUSA
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The changing landscape of motor neuron disease imaging: the transition from descriptive studies to precision clinical tools. Curr Opin Neurol 2019; 31:431-438. [PMID: 29750730 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Neuroimaging in motor neuron disease (MND) has traditionally been seen as an academic tool with limited direct relevance to individualized patient care. This has changed radically in recent years as computational imaging has emerged as a viable clinical tool with true biomarker potential. This transition is not only fuelled by technological advances but also by important conceptual developments. RECENT FINDINGS The natural history of MND is now evaluated by presymptomatic, postmortem and multi-timepoint longitudinal imaging studies. The anatomical spectrum of MND imaging has also been expanded from an overwhelmingly cerebral focus to innovative spinal and muscle applications. In contrast to the group-comparisons of previous studies, machine-learning and deep-learning approaches are increasingly utilized to model real-life diagnostic dilemmas and aid prognostic classification. The focus from evaluating focal structural changes has shifted to the appraisal of network integrity by connectivity-based approaches. The armamentarium of MND imaging has also been complemented by novel PET-ligands, spinal toolboxes and the availability of magnetoencephalography and high-field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging platforms. SUMMARY In addition to the technological and conceptual advances, collaborative multicentre research efforts have also gained considerable momentum. This opinion-piece reviews emerging trends in MND imaging and their implications to clinical care and drug development.
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Barritt AW, Gabel MC, Cercignani M, Leigh PN. Emerging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques and Analysis Methods in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurol 2018; 9:1065. [PMID: 30564192 PMCID: PMC6288229 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective markers of disease sensitive to the clinical activity, symptomatic progression, and underlying substrates of neurodegeneration are highly coveted in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in order to more eloquently stratify the highly heterogeneous phenotype and facilitate the discovery of effective disease modifying treatments for patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising, non-invasive biomarker candidate whose acquisition techniques and analysis methods are undergoing constant evolution in the pursuit of parameters which more closely represent biologically-applicable tissue changes. Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI; a form of diffusion imaging), and quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging (qMTi) are two such emerging modalities which have each broadened the understanding of other neurological disorders and have the potential to provide new insights into structural alterations initiated by the disease process in ALS. Furthermore, novel neuroimaging data analysis approaches such as Event-Based Modeling (EBM) may be able to circumvent the requirement for longitudinal scanning as a means to comprehend the dynamic stages of neurodegeneration in vivo. Combining these and other innovative imaging protocols with more sophisticated techniques to analyse ever-increasing datasets holds the exciting prospect of transforming understanding of the biological processes and temporal evolution of the ALS syndrome, and can only benefit from multicentre collaboration across the entire ALS research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Barritt
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom.,Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre Haywards Heath, West Sussex, United Kingdom
| | - Matt C Gabel
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - P Nigel Leigh
- Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre Haywards Heath, West Sussex, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom
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Olney NT, Bischof A, Rosen H, Caverzasi E, Stern WA, Lomen-Hoerth C, Miller BL, Henry RG, Papinutto N. Measurement of spinal cord atrophy using phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) imaging in motor neuron disease. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208255. [PMID: 30496320 PMCID: PMC6264489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spectrum of motor neuron disease (MND) includes numerous phenotypes with various life expectancies. The degree of upper and lower motor neuron involvement can impact prognosis. Phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) imaging has been shown to detect in vivo gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) atrophy in the spinal cord of other patient populations but has not been explored in MND. METHODS In this study, total cord, WM and GM areas of ten patients with a diagnosis within the MND spectrum were compared to those of ten healthy controls (HC). Patients' diagnosis included amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis, primary muscular atrophy, facial onset sensory and motor neuronopathy and ALS-Frontotemporal dementia. Axial 2D PSIR images were acquired at four cervical disc levels (C2-C3, C3-C4, C5-C6 and C7-T1) with a short acquisition time (2 minutes) protocol. Total cross-sectional areas (TCA), GM and WM areas were measured using a combination of highly reliable manual and semi-automated methods. Cord areas in MND patients were compared with HC using linear regression analyses adjusted for age and sex. Correlation of WM and GM areas in MND patients was explored to gain insights into underlying atrophy patterns. RESULTS MND patients as a group had significantly smaller cervical cord GM area compared to HC at all four levels (C2-C3: p = .009; C3-C4: p = .001; C5-C6: p = .006; C7-T1: p = .002). WM area at C5-C6 level was significantly smaller (p = .001). TCA was significantly smaller at C3-C4 (p = .018) and C5-C6 (p = .002). No significant GM and WM atrophy was detected in the two patients with predominantly bulbar phenotype. Concomitant GM and WM atrophy was detected in solely upper or lower motor neuron level phenotypes. There was a significant correlation between GM and WM areas at all four levels in this diverse population of MND. CONCLUSION Spinal cord GM and WM atrophy can be detected in vivo in patients within the MND spectrum using a short acquisition time 2D PSIR imaging protocol. PSIR imaging shows promise as a method for quantifying spinal cord involvement and thus may be useful for diagnosis, prognosis and for monitoring disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T. Olney
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Antje Bischof
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology and Immunology Clinic, Departments of Medicine, Biomedicine and Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Howard Rosen
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Eduardo Caverzasi
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - William A. Stern
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Catherine Lomen-Hoerth
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Roland G. Henry
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Nico Papinutto
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Querin G, El Mendili MM, Lenglet T, Behin A, Stojkovic T, Salachas F, Devos D, Le Forestier N, Del Mar Amador M, Debs R, Lacomblez L, Meininger V, Bruneteau G, Cohen-Adad J, Lehéricy S, Laforêt P, Blancho S, Benali H, Catala M, Li M, Marchand-Pauvert V, Hogrel JY, Bede P, Pradat PF. The spinal and cerebral profile of adult spinal-muscular atrophy: A multimodal imaging study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 21:101618. [PMID: 30522974 PMCID: PMC6413472 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type III and IV are autosomal recessive, slowly progressive lower motor neuron syndromes. Nevertheless, wider cerebral involvement has been consistently reported in mouse models. The objective of this study is the characterisation of spinal and cerebral pathology in adult forms of SMA using multimodal quantitative imaging. Methods Twenty-five type III and IV adult SMA patients and 25 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in a spinal cord and brain imaging study. Structural measures of grey and white matter involvement and diffusion parameters of white matter integrity were evaluated at each cervical spinal level. Whole-brain and region-of-interest analyses were also conducted in the brain to explore cortical thickness, grey matter density and tract-based white matter alterations. Results In the spinal cord, considerable grey matter atrophy was detected between C2-C6 vertebral levels. In the brain, increased grey matter density was detected in motor and extra-motor regions of SMA patients. No white matter pathology was identified neither at brain and spinal level. Conclusions Adult forms of SMA are associated with selective grey matter degeneration in the spinal cord with preserved white matter integrity. The observed increased grey matter density in the motor cortex may represent adaptive reorganisation. (SMA) type 3 and 4 is a lower motor neuron syndrome. Nevertheless, wider involvement of the nervous system might be possible. 25 adults type 3 and 4 SMA patients were studied using brain and cervical spinal cord neuroimaging techniques. Grey matter atrophy was observed in the spinal cord. No white matter degeneration was present at brain and spinal level. Increased grey matter density was detected in cerebral motor regions and explained as compensatory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Querin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed-Mounir El Mendili
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Neurology, New York, USA
| | - Timothée Lenglet
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France; APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtriere, Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Behin
- APHP, Centre de Référence Maladies Neuromusculaires Paris-Est, Institut de Myologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Tanya Stojkovic
- APHP, Centre de Référence Maladies Neuromusculaires Paris-Est, Institut de Myologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - François Salachas
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France
| | - David Devos
- Department of Neurology, ALS Centre, Lille University, INSERM UMRS_1171, University Hospital Centre, LICEND COEN Centre, Lille, France; Department of Medical Pharmacology, Lille University, INSERM UMRS_1171, University Hospital Centre, LICEND COEN Centre, Lille, France
| | - Nadine Le Forestier
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France; Département de recherche en éthique, EA 1610: Etudes des sciences et techniques, Université Paris Sud/Paris Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Maria Del Mar Amador
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France
| | - Rabab Debs
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France
| | - Lucette Lacomblez
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France; APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Meininger
- Hôpital des Peupliers, Ramsay Générale de Santé, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Gaëlle Bruneteau
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphane Lehéricy
- APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtriere, Service de Neuroradiologie, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR-S975, Inserm U975, CNRS UMR7225, Centre de recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière - CRICM, Centre de Neuroimagerie de Recherche - CENIR, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Laforêt
- Neurology Department, Nord/Est/Ile de France neuromuscular center, Raymond-Poincaré Hospital, Garches, France; INSERM U1179, END-ICAP, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, Montigny-le-Bretonneux
| | - Sophie Blancho
- Institut pour la Recherche sur la Moelle Epinière et l'Encéphale (IRME), Paris, France
| | - Habib Benali
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France; Concordia University, PERFORM Centre, Electrical & Computer Engineering Division, Canada
| | - Martin Catala
- APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7622, INSERM ERL 1156, IBPS, Paris, France
| | - Menghan Li
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | | | - Jean-Yves Hogrel
- Institute of Myology, Neuromuscular Investigation Center, Paris, France
| | - Peter Bede
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France; APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France; Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pierre-François Pradat
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France; APHP, Département de Neurologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre référent SLA, Paris, France; Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute Ulster University, C-TRIC, Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry, Londonderry, United Kingdom.
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Gatto RG, Amin MY, Deyoung D, Hey M, Mareci TH, Magin RL. Ultra-High Field Diffusion MRI Reveals Early Axonal Pathology in Spinal Cord of ALS mice. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:20. [PMID: 30128146 PMCID: PMC6097419 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0122-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease characterized by a progressive degeneration of motor neurons leading to paralysis. Our previous MRI diffusion tensor imaging studies detected early white matter changes in the spinal cords of mice carrying the G93A-SOD1 mutation. Here, we extend those studies using ultra-high field MRI (17.6 T) and fluorescent microscopy to investigate the appearance of early structural and connectivity changes in the spinal cords of ALS mice. Methods The spinal cords from presymptomatic and symptomatic mice (80 to 120 days of age) were scanned (ex-vivo) using diffusion-weighted MRI. The fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivities were calculated for axial slices from the thoracic, cervical and lumbar regions of the spinal cords. The diffusion parameters were compared with fluorescence microscopy and membrane cellular markers from the same tissue regions. Results At early stages of the disease (day 80) in the lumbar region, we found, a 19% decrease in FA, a 9% decrease in AD and a 35% increase in RD. Similar changes were observed in cervical and thoracic spinal cord regions. Differences between control and ALS mice groups at the symptomatic stages (day 120) were larger. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy at 80 days, demonstrated a 22% reduction in axonal area and a 22% increase in axonal density. Tractography and quantitative connectome analyses measured by edge weights showed a 52% decrease in the lumbar regions of the spinal cords of this ALS mice group. A significant increase in ADC (23.3%) in the ALS mice group was related to an increase in aquaporin markers. Conclusions These findings suggest that the combination of ultra-high field diffusion MRI with fluorescent ALS mice reporters is a useful approach to detect and characterize presymptomatic white matter micro-ultrastructural changes and axonal connectivity anomalies in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- 1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 808 S. Wood St. Rm 578 M/C 512, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Manish Y Amin
- 2Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Daniel Deyoung
- 2Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Matthew Hey
- 3Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Thomas H Mareci
- 4Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Richard L Magin
- 5Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
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Combès B, Kerbrat A, Ferré JC, Callot V, Maranzano J, Badji A, Le Page E, Labauge P, Ayrignac X, Carra Dallière C, de Champfleur NM, Pelletier J, Maarouf A, de Seze J, Collongues N, Brassat D, Durand-Dubief F, Barillot C, Bannier E, Edan G. Focal and diffuse cervical spinal cord damage in patients with early relapsing-remitting MS: A multicentre magnetisation transfer ratio study. Mult Scler 2018; 25:1113-1123. [PMID: 29909771 DOI: 10.1177/1352458518781999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies including patients with well-established multiple sclerosis (MS) have shown a significant and disability-related reduction in the cervical spinal cord (SC) magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR). OBJECTIVES The objectives are to (1) assess whether MTR reduction is already measurable in the SC of patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and (2) describe its spatial distribution. METHODS We included 60 patients with RRMS <12 months and 34 age-matched controls at five centres. Axial T2*w, sagittal T2w, sagittal phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR), 3DT1w, and axial magnetisation transfer (MT) images were acquired from C1 to C7. Lesions were manually labelled and mean MTR values computed both for the whole SC and for normal-appearing SC in different regions of interest. RESULTS Mean whole SC MTR was significantly lower in patients than controls (33.7 vs 34.9 pu, p = 0.00005), even after excluding lesions (33.9 pu, p = 0.0003). We observed a greater mean reduction in MTR for vertebral levels displaying the highest lesion loads (C2-C4). In the axial plane, we observed a greater mean MTR reduction at the SC periphery and barycentre. CONCLUSION Cervical SC tissue damage measured using MTR is not restricted to macroscopic lesions in patients with early RRMS and is not homogeneously distributed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Combès
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Kerbrat
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France.,Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | - Jean Christophe Ferré
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France.,Radiology Department, CHU Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Virginie Callot
- AP-HM, Pôle d'Imagerie Médicale, Hôpital de La Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR 7339, CRMBM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Atef Badji
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jean Pelletier
- AP-HM, Pôle d'Imagerie Médicale, Hôpital de La Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,AP-HM, CHU Timone, Pole de Neurosciences Cliniques, Department of Neurology, Marseille, France
| | - Adil Maarouf
- AP-HM, Pôle d'Imagerie Médicale, Hôpital de La Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France.,AP-HM, CHU Timone, Pole de Neurosciences Cliniques, Department of Neurology, Marseille, France
| | - Jérôme de Seze
- CIC, INSERM 1434, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | | | | | - Christian Barillot
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
| | - Elise Bannier
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France.,Radiology Department, CHU Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Gilles Edan
- IRISA, UMR CNRS 6074, VisAGeS U1228, INSERM, INRIA, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France.,Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
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35
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Calabrese E, Adil SM, Cofer G, Perone CS, Cohen-Adad J, Lad SP, Johnson GA. Postmortem diffusion MRI of the entire human spinal cord at microscopic resolution. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 18:963-971. [PMID: 29876281 PMCID: PMC5988447 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The human spinal cord is a central nervous system structure that plays an important role in normal motor and sensory function, and can be affected by many debilitating neurologic diseases. Due to its clinical importance, the spinal cord is frequently the subject of imaging research. Common methods for visualizing spinal cord anatomy and pathology include histology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both of which have unique benefits and drawbacks. Postmortem microscopic resolution MRI of fixed specimens, sometimes referred to as magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM), combines many of the benefits inherent to both techniques. However, the elongated shape of the human spinal cord, along with hardware and scan time limitations, have restricted previous microscopic resolution MRI studies (both in vivo and ex vivo) to small sections of the cord. Here we present the first MRM dataset of the entire postmortem human spinal cord. These data include 50 μm isotropic resolution anatomic image data and 100 μm isotropic resolution diffusion data, made possible by a 280 h long multi-segment acquisition and automated image segment composition. We demonstrate the use of these data for spinal cord lesion detection, automated volumetric gray matter segmentation, and quantitative spinal cord morphometry including estimates of cross sectional dimensions and gray matter fraction throughout the length of the cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Calabrese
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Syed M Adil
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gary Cofer
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christian S Perone
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Shivanand P Lad
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - G Allan Johnson
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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