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Forstenpointner J, Maallo AMS, Elman I, Holmes S, Freeman R, Baron R, Borsook D. The Solitary Nucleus Connectivity to Key Autonomic Regions in Humans MRI and Literature based Considerations. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:3938-3966. [PMID: 35545280 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), is a key brainstem structure relaying interoceptive peripheral information to the interrelated brain centers for eliciting rapid autonomic responses and for shaping longer-term neuroendocrine and motor patterns. Structural and functional NTS' connectivity has been extensively investigated in laboratory animals. But there is limited information about NTS' connectome in humans. Using MRI, we examined diffusion and resting state data from 20 healthy participants in the Human Connectome Project. The regions within the brainstem (n=8), subcortical (n=6), cerebellar (n=2) and cortical (n=5) parts of the brain were selected via a systematic review of the literature and their white matter NTS connections were evaluated via probabilistic tractography along with functional and directional (i.e., Granger-causality) analyses. The underlying study confirms previous results from animal models and provides novel aspects on NTS integration in humans. Two key findings can be summarized: (i) the NTS predominantly processes afferent input and (ii) a lateralization towards a predominantly left-sided NTS processing. Our results lay the foundations for future investigations into the NTS' tripartite role comprised of interoreceptors' input integration, the resultant neurochemical outflow and cognitive/affective processing. The implications of these data add to the understanding of NTS' role in specific aspects of autonomic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Forstenpointner
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anne Margarette S Maallo
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Igor Elman
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Scott Holmes
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roy Freeman
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ralf Baron
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - David Borsook
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Radiology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Platt T, Ladd ME, Paech D. 7 Tesla and Beyond: Advanced Methods and Clinical Applications in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Invest Radiol 2021; 56:705-725. [PMID: 34510098 PMCID: PMC8505159 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Ultrahigh magnetic fields offer significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio, and several magnetic resonance applications additionally benefit from a higher contrast-to-noise ratio, with static magnetic field strengths of B0 ≥ 7 T currently being referred to as ultrahigh fields (UHFs). The advantages of UHF can be used to resolve structures more precisely or to visualize physiological/pathophysiological effects that would be difficult or even impossible to detect at lower field strengths. However, with these advantages also come challenges, such as inhomogeneities applying standard radiofrequency excitation techniques, higher energy deposition in the human body, and enhanced B0 field inhomogeneities. The advantages but also the challenges of UHF as well as promising advanced methodological developments and clinical applications that particularly benefit from UHF are discussed in this review article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Platt
- From the Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
| | - Mark E. Ladd
- From the Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen
| | - Daniel Paech
- Division of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
- Clinic for Neuroradiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Schneider TM, Ma J, Wagner P, Behl N, Nagel AM, Ladd ME, Heiland S, Bendszus M, Straub S. Multiparametric MRI for Characterization of the Basal Ganglia and the Midbrain. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:661504. [PMID: 34234639 PMCID: PMC8255625 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.661504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To characterize subcortical nuclei by multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and Methods: The following quantitative multiparametric MR data of five healthy volunteers were acquired on a 7T MRI system: 3D gradient echo (GRE) data for the calculation of quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM), GRE sequences with and without off-resonant magnetic transfer pulse for magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) calculation, a magnetization−prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echo sequence for T1 mapping, and (after a coil change) a density-adapted 3D radial pulse sequence for 23Na imaging. First, all data were co-registered to the GRE data, volumes of interest (VOIs) for 21 subcortical structures were drawn manually for each volunteer, and a combined voxel-wise analysis of the four MR contrasts (QSM, MTR, T1, 23Na) in each structure was conducted to assess the quantitative, MR value-based differentiability of structures. Second, a machine learning algorithm based on random forests was trained to automatically classify the groups of multi-parametric voxel values from each VOI according to their association to one of the 21 subcortical structures. Results The analysis of the integrated multimodal visualization of quantitative MR values in each structure yielded a successful classification among nuclei of the ascending reticular activation system (ARAS), the limbic system and the extrapyramidal system, while classification among (epi-)thalamic nuclei was less successful. The machine learning-based approach facilitated quantitative MR value-based structure classification especially in the group of extrapyramidal nuclei and reached an overall accuracy of 85% regarding all selected nuclei. Conclusion Multimodal quantitative MR enabled excellent differentiation of a wide spectrum of subcortical nuclei with reasonable accuracy and may thus enable sensitive detection of disease and nucleus-specific MR-based contrast alterations in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till M Schneider
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jackie Ma
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Wagner
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolas Behl
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mark E Ladd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy and Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Heiland
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sina Straub
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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Straub S, Mangesius S, Emmerich J, Indelicato E, Nachbauer W, Degenhardt KS, Ladd ME, Boesch S, Gizewski ER. Toward quantitative neuroimaging biomarkers for Friedreich's ataxia at 7 Tesla: Susceptibility mapping, diffusion imaging, R 2 and R 1 relaxometry. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:2219-2231. [PMID: 32731306 PMCID: PMC7590084 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a rare genetic disorder leading to degenerative processes. So far, no effective treatment has been found. Therefore, it is important to assist the development of medication with imaging biomarkers reflecting disease status and progress. Ten FRDA patients (mean age 37 ± 14 years; four female) and 10 age- and sex-matched controls were included. Acquisition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for quantitative susceptibility mapping, R1 , R2 relaxometry and diffusion imaging was performed at 7 Tesla. Results of volume of interest (VOI)-based analyses of the quantitative data were compared with a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) evaluation. Differences between patients and controls were assessed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA; p < 0.01) with age and sex as covariates, effect size of group differences, and correlations with disease characteristics with Spearman correlation coefficient. For the VBM analysis, a statistical threshold of 0.001 for uncorrected and 0.05 for corrected p-values was used. Statistically significant differences between FRDA patients and controls were found in five out of twelve investigated structures, and statistically significant correlations with disease characteristics were revealed. Moreover, VBM revealed significant white matter atrophy within regions of the brainstem, and the cerebellum. These regions overlapped partially with brain regions for which significant differences between healthy controls and patients were found in the VOI-based quantitative MRI evaluation. It was shown that two independent analyses provided overlapping results. Moreover, positive results on correlations with disease characteristics were found, indicating that these quantitative MRI parameters could provide more detailed information and assist the search for effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Straub
- Division of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Mangesius
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Neuroimaging Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Julian Emmerich
- Division of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Nachbauer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Katja S Degenhardt
- Division of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mark E Ladd
- Division of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Boesch
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elke R Gizewski
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Neuroimaging Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Mueller SG. Mapping internal brainstem structures using MP2RAGE derived T1 weighted and T1 relaxation images at 3 and 7 T. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2173-2186. [PMID: 31971322 PMCID: PMC7198362 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The brainstem is a site of early pathology in several neurodegenerative diseases. The overall goal of this project was (a) To develop a method to segment internal brainstem structures from MP2RAGE derived images. (b) To compare the segmentations at 3 and 7 T. (c) To investigate age effects on intensities and segmentations. MP2RAGE derived T1 weighted images (UNI) and T1 relaxation maps (T1map) were obtained from two public data sets (LEMON: 50 3 T data sets, ATAG: 46 7 T data sets). The UNI and T1map images were rescaled using a linear scaling procedure and a ratio (RATIO) image calculated. The brainstem was extracted and k‐mean clustering used to identify six intensity clusters from the UNI, T1map and RATIO at 3 and 7 T. Nonlinear diffeomorphic mapping was used to warp the six intensity clusters in subject space into a common space to generate probabilistic group averages/priors that were used to inform the final probabilistic segmentations at the single subject level for each field strength. The six clusters corresponded to six brainstem tissue types (three gray matter clusters and two white matter clusters and one csf/tissue boundary cluster). The quantitative comparison of the 3 and 7 T probabilistic averages showed subtle differences that affected the localization of age‐associated brainstem volume losses. The segmentation approach presented here identified the same brainstem gray and white matter structures at both field strengths. Further studies are necessary to investigate how resolution and field strength contribute to the subtle differences observed at the two field strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne G Mueller
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, California
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