1
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Kisel AA, Naumova AV, Yarnykh VL. Macromolecular Proton Fraction as a Myelin Biomarker: Principles, Validation, and Applications. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:819912. [PMID: 35221905 PMCID: PMC8863973 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.819912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) is a quantitative MRI parameter describing the magnetization transfer (MT) effect and defined as a relative amount of protons bound to biological macromolecules with restricted molecular motion, which participate in magnetic cross-relaxation with water protons. MPF attracted significant interest during past decade as a biomarker of myelin. The purpose of this mini review is to provide a brief but comprehensive summary of MPF mapping methods, histological validation studies, and MPF applications in neuroscience. Technically, MPF maps can be obtained using a variety of quantitative MT methods. Some of them enable clinically reasonable scan time and resolution. Recent studies demonstrated the feasibility of MPF mapping using standard clinical MRI pulse sequences, thus substantially enhancing the method availability. A number of studies in animal models demonstrated strong correlations between MPF and histological markers of myelin with a minor influence of potential confounders. Histological studies validated the capability of MPF to monitor both demyelination and re-myelination. Clinical applications of MPF have been mainly focused on multiple sclerosis where this method provided new insights into both white and gray matter pathology. Besides, several studies used MPF to investigate myelin role in other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Another promising area of MPF applications is the brain development studies. MPF demonstrated the capabilities to quantitatively characterize the earliest stage of myelination during prenatal brain maturation and protracted myelin development in adolescence. In summary, MPF mapping provides a technically mature and comprehensively validated myelin imaging technology for various preclinical and clinical neuroscience applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena A. Kisel
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna V. Naumova
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vasily L. Yarnykh
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- *Correspondence: Vasily L. Yarnykh,
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2
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Duan W, Sehrawat P, Zhou TD, Becker JT, Lopez OL, Gach HM, Dai W. Pattern of Altered Magnetization Transfer Rate in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:693-705. [PMID: 35694929 PMCID: PMC9382719 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220335] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are crucial for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring once disease modifying therapies become available. OBJECTIVE This study aims to quantify the forward magnetization transfer rate (kfor) map from brain tissue water to macromolecular protons and use it to identify the brain regions with abnormal kfor in AD and AD progression. METHODS From the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cognition study, magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) was acquired at baseline from 63 participants, including 20 normal controls (NC), 18 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 25 AD subjects. Of those, 53 participants completed a follow-up MRI scan and were divided into four groups: 15 stable NC, 12 NC-to-MCI, 12 stable MCI, and 14 MCI/AD-to-AD subjects. kfor maps were compared across NC, MCI, and AD groups at baseline for the cross-sectional study and across four longitudinal groups for the longitudinal study. RESULTS We found a lower kfor in the frontal gray matter (GM), parietal GM, frontal corona radiata (CR) white matter (WM) tracts, frontal and parietal superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) WM tracts in AD relative to both NC and MCI. Further, we observed progressive decreases of kfor in the frontal GM, parietal GM, frontal and parietal CR WM tracts, and parietal SLF WM tracts in stable MCI. In the parietal GM, parietal CR WM tracts, and parietal SLF WM tracts, we found trend differences between MCI/AD-to-AD and stable NC. CONCLUSION Forward magnetization transfer rate is a promising biomarker for AD diagnosis and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenna Duan
- Department of Computer Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
| | - Parshant Sehrawat
- Department of Computer Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
| | - Tony D. Zhou
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO
| | - James T. Becker
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Oscar L. Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - H. Michael Gach
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Weiying Dai
- Department of Computer Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
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3
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Orzyłowska A, Oakden W. Saturation Transfer MRI for Detection of Metabolic and Microstructural Impairments Underlying Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Sci 2021; 12:53. [PMID: 35053797 PMCID: PMC8773856 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia and difficult to study as the pool of subjects is highly heterogeneous. Saturation transfer (ST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods are quantitative modalities with potential for non-invasive identification and tracking of various aspects of AD pathology. In this review we cover ST-MRI studies in both humans and animal models of AD over the past 20 years. A number of magnetization transfer (MT) studies have shown promising results in human brain. Increased computing power enables more quantitative MT studies, while access to higher magnetic fields improves the specificity of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) techniques. While much work remains to be done, results so far are very encouraging. MT is sensitive to patterns of AD-related pathological changes, improving differential diagnosis, and CEST is sensitive to particular pathological processes which could greatly assist in the development and monitoring of therapeutic treatments of this currently incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Orzyłowska
- Department of Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8 (SPSK 4), 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Wendy Oakden
- Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada;
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Huang J, Lai JHC, Tse KH, Cheng GWY, Liu Y, Chen Z, Han X, Chen L, Xu J, Chan KWY. Deep neural network based CEST and AREX processing: Application in imaging a model of Alzheimer's disease at 3 T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:1529-1545. [PMID: 34657318 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To optimize and apply deep neural network based CEST (deepCEST) and apparent exchange dependent-relaxation (deepAREX) for imaging the mouse brain with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at 3T MRI. METHODS CEST and T1 data of central and anterior brain slices of 10 AD mice and 10 age-matched wild type (WT) mice were acquired at a 3T animal MRI scanner. The networks of deepCEST/deepAREX were optimized and trained on the WT data. The CEST/AREX contrasts of AD and WT mice predicted by the networks were analyzed and further validated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS After optimization and training on CEST data of WT mice, deepCEST/deepAREX could rapidly (~1 s) generate precise CEST and AREX results for unseen CEST data of AD mice, indicating the accuracy and generalization of the networks. Significant lower amide weighted (3.5 ppm) signal related to amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) plaque depositions, which was validated by immunohistochemistry results, was detected in both central and anterior brain slices of AD mice compared to WT mice. Decreased magnetization transfer (MT) signal was also found in AD mice especially in the anterior slice. CONCLUSION DeepCEST/deepAREX could rapidly generate accurate CEST/AREX contrasts in animal study. The well-optimized deepCEST/deepAREX have potential for AD differentiation at 3T MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianpan Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph H C Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kai-Hei Tse
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gerald W Y Cheng
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, China
| | - Zilin Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiongqi Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lin Chen
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jiadi Xu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kannie W Y Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, China.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
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5
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Mole JP, Fasano F, Evans J, Sims R, Kidd E, Aggleton JP, Metzler-Baddeley C. APOE-ε4-related differences in left thalamic microstructure in cognitively healthy adults. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19787. [PMID: 33188215 PMCID: PMC7666117 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75992-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
APOE-ε4 is a main genetic risk factor for developing late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and is thought to interact adversely with other risk factors on the brain. However, evidence regarding the impact of APOE-ε4 on grey matter structure in asymptomatic individuals remains mixed. Much attention has been devoted to characterising APOE-ε4-related changes in the hippocampus, but LOAD pathology is known to spread through the whole of the Papez circuit including the limbic thalamus. Here, we tested the impact of APOE-ε4 and two other risk factors, a family history of dementia and obesity, on grey matter macro- and microstructure across the whole brain in 165 asymptomatic individuals (38-71 years). Microstructural properties of apparent neurite density and dispersion, free water, myelin and cell metabolism were assessed with Neurite Orientation Density and Dispersion (NODDI) and quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) imaging. APOE-ε4 carriers relative to non-carriers had a lower macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) in the left thalamus. No risk effects were present for cortical thickness, subcortical volume, or NODDI indices. Reduced thalamic MPF may reflect inflammation-related tissue swelling and/or myelin loss in APOE-ε4. Future prospective studies should investigate the sensitivity and specificity of qMT-based MPF as a non-invasive biomarker for LOAD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jilu P Mole
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Fabrizio Fasano
- Siemens Healthcare, Henkestrasse 127, 91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - John Evans
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Rebecca Sims
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Haydn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Emma Kidd
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue,, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - John P Aggleton
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.
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6
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Makovac E, Serra L, Di Domenico C, Marra C, Caltagirone C, Cercignani M, Bozzali M. Quantitative Magnetization Transfer of White Matter Tracts Correlates with Diffusion Tensor Imaging Indices in Predicting the Conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 63:561-575. [PMID: 29689722 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have higher probability to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) than elderly controls. The detection of subtle changes in brain structure associated with disease progression and the development of tools to identify patients at high risk for dementia in a short time is crucial. Here, we used probabilistic white matter (WM) tractography to explore microstructural alterations within the main association, limbic, and commissural pathways in aMCI patients who converted to AD after 1 year follow-up (MCIconverters) and those who remained stable (MCIstable). Both diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) parameters have been considered for a comprehensive pathophysiological characterization of the WM damage. Overall, tract-specific parameters derived from qMT and DTI at baseline were able to differentiate aMCI patients who converted to AD from those who remained stable in time. In particular, the qMT exchange rate, RMB0, of the right uncinate fasciculus was significantly decreased in MCIconverters, whereas fractional anisotropy was significantly decreased in the bilateral superior cingulum in MCIconverters compared to MCIstable. These results confirm the involvement of WM and particularly of association fibers in the progression of AD, highlighting disconnection as a potential mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Makovac
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome
| | - Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome
| | | | | | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome.,Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome.,Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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7
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Cohen-Adad J. Microstructural imaging in the spinal cord and validation strategies. Neuroimage 2018; 182:169-183. [PMID: 29635029 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo histology using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a newly emerging research field that aims to non-invasively characterize tissue microstructure. The implications of in vivo histology are many, from discovering novel biomarkers to studying human development, to providing tools for disease diagnosis and monitoring the effects of novel treatments on tissue. This review focuses on quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques that are used to map spinal cord microstructure. Opening with a rationale for non-invasive imaging of the spinal cord, this article continues with a brief overview of the existing MRI techniques for axon and myelin imaging, followed by the specific challenges and potential solutions for acquiring and processing such data. The final part of this review focuses on histological validation, with suggested tissue preparation, acquisition and processing protocols for large-scale microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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8
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Whittaker HT, Zhu S, Di Curzio DL, Buist R, Li XM, Noy S, Wiseman FK, Thiessen JD, Martin M. T 1, diffusion tensor, and quantitative magnetization transfer imaging of the hippocampus in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Magn Reson Imaging 2018; 50:26-37. [PMID: 29545212 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology causes microstructural changes in the brain. These changes, if quantified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), could be studied for use as an early biomarker for AD. The aim of our study was to determine if T1 relaxation, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and quantitative magnetization transfer imaging (qMTI) metrics could reveal changes within the hippocampus and surrounding white matter structures in ex vivo transgenic mouse brains overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein with the Swedish mutation. Delineation of hippocampal cell layers using DTI color maps allows more detailed analysis of T1-weighted imaging, DTI, and qMTI metrics, compared with segmentation of gross anatomy based on relaxation images, and with analysis of DTI or qMTI metrics alone. These alterations are observed in the absence of robust intracellular Aβ accumulation or plaque deposition as revealed by histology. This work demonstrates that multiparametric quantitative MRI methods are useful for characterizing changes within the hippocampal substructures and surrounding white matter tracts of mouse models of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather T Whittaker
- Biopsychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2N2, Canada; Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Shenghua Zhu
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada
| | | | - Richard Buist
- Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada
| | - Xin-Min Li
- Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Suzanna Noy
- Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Frances K Wiseman
- Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D Thiessen
- Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada; Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melanie Martin
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada; Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada; Physics, University of Winnipeg, R3B 2N2, Canada
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9
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Sled JG. Modelling and interpretation of magnetization transfer imaging in the brain. Neuroimage 2017; 182:128-135. [PMID: 29208570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetization transfer contrast has yielded insight into brain tissue microstructure changes across the lifespan and in a range of disorders. This progress has been aided by the development of quantitative magnetization transfer imaging techniques able to extract intrinsic properties of the tissue that are independent of the specifics of the data acquisition. While the tissue properties extracted by these techniques do not map directly onto specific cellular structures or pathological processes, a growing body of work from animal models and histopathological correlations aids the in vivo interpretation of magnetization transfer properties of tissue. This review examines the biophysical models that have been developed to describe magnetization transfer contrast in tissue as well as the experimental evidence for the biological interpretation of magnetization transfer data in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Sled
- Hospital for Sick Children, Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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10
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Pool size ratio of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease derived from two different quantitative magnetization transfer approaches. Neuroradiology 2017; 59:1251-1263. [PMID: 28986653 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-017-1911-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We sought to measure quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) properties of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls (HCs) using a full qMT analysis and determine whether a rapid single-point measurement yields equivalent results for pool size ratio (PSR). METHODS Sixteen different MT-prepared MRI scans were obtained at 3 T from 16 PD patients and eight HCs, along with B1, B0, and relaxation time maps. Maps of PSR, free and macromolecular pool transverse relaxation times ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) and rate of MT exchange between pools (k mf ) were generated using a full qMT model. PSR maps were also generated using a single-point qMT model requiring just two MT-prepared images. qMT parameter values of the SNc, red nucleus, cerebral crus, and gray matter were compared between groups and methods. RESULTS PSR of the SNc was the only qMT parameter to differ significantly between groups (p < 0.05). PSR measured via single-point analysis was less variable than with the full MT model, provided slightly better differentiation of PD patients from HCs (area under curve 0.77 vs. 0.75) with sensitivity of 0.75 and specificity of 0.87, and was better than transverse relaxation time in distinguishing PD patients from HCs (area under curve 0.71, sensitivity 0.87, and specificity 0.50). CONCLUSION The increased PSR observed in the SNc of PD patients may provide a novel biomarker of PD, possibly associated with an increased macromolecular content. Single-point PSR mapping with reduced variability and shorter scan times relative to the full qMT model appears clinically feasible.
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11
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Wiest R, Burgunder JM, Kiefer C. Model-Based Magnetization Transfer Imaging Markers to Characterize Patients and Asymptomatic Gene Carriers in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurol 2017; 8:465. [PMID: 28932207 PMCID: PMC5592228 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Huntington's disease (HD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a long presymptomatic period that opens a window for potential therapies aimed at neuroprotection. Neuroimaging offers the potential to monitor disease-related progression of the disease burden (DB) using model-based magnetization transfer imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have conducted a cross-sectional study to stratify healthy age-matched controls, premanifest and symptomatic HD patients (n = 30) according to their macromolecular depositions in the caudate nucleus. We employed a binary spin-bath magnetization transfer (MT) method for a quantitative description of macromolecule deposits and interactions with their adjacent environment. RESULTS A region-of-interest based fuzzy clustering analysis identified representative clusters for several stages of the disease course related to its progression: one cluster represented subjects with a high DB <268 that encompassed all symptomatic HD patients and one presymptomatic gene carrier. The next cluster represented the presymptomatic gene carriers with a very low DB >230 and healthy controls. Three further clusters represented transition zones between both DB levels (230-268) consisting of presymptomatic carriers with DB values increasing with decreasing distance from the cluster that indicated low DB and healthy age-matched controls. CONCLUSION The proposed binary spin-bath MT method offers the potential to monitor DB and progression in HD. The method may augment qualitative MT techniques since it depicts tissue changes related to interactions between macromolecules and protons in disease specific brain regions that follow the neurodegenerative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Wiest
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Burgunder
- Neurology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Sichuan University, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Sun Yat Sen University, Chengdu, China
| | - Claus Kiefer
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
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12
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Praet J, Bigot C, Orije J, Naeyaert M, Shah D, Mai Z, Guns PJ, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Magnetization transfer contrast imaging detects early white matter changes in the APP/PS1 amyloidosis mouse model. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2016; 12:85-92. [PMID: 27408793 PMCID: PMC4925888 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Praet
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Jasmien Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Disha Shah
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Zhenhua Mai
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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13
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Promteangtrong C, Kolber M, Ramchandra P, Moghbel M, Houshmand S, Schöll M, Bai H, Werner TJ, Alavi A, Buchpiguel C. Multimodality Imaging Approach in Alzheimer disease. Part I: Structural MRI, Functional MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Magnetization Transfer Imaging. Dement Neuropsychol 2015; 9:318-329. [PMID: 29213981 PMCID: PMC5619314 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642015dn94000318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The authors make a complete review of the potential clinical applications of
traditional and novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in the
evaluation of patients with Alzheimer's disease, including structural MRI,
functional MRI, diffusion tension imaging and magnetization transfer
imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcus Kolber
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Priya Ramchandra
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mateen Moghbel
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Sina Houshmand
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael Schöll
- Karolinska Institutet, Alzheimer Neurobiology Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Halbert Bai
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Thomas J Werner
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Abass Alavi
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Carlos Buchpiguel
- Nuclear Medicine Service, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Nuclear Medicine Center, Radiology Institute, University of São Paulo General Hospital , São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Granziera C, Daducci A, Donati A, Bonnier G, Romascano D, Roche A, Bach Cuadra M, Schmitter D, Klöppel S, Meuli R, von Gunten A, Krueger G. A multi-contrast MRI study of microstructural brain damage in patients with mild cognitive impairment. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 8:631-9. [PMID: 26236628 PMCID: PMC4511616 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate pathological mechanisms underlying brain tissue alterations in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using multi-contrast 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods Forty-two MCI patients and 77 healthy controls (HC) underwent T1/T2* relaxometry as well as Magnetization Transfer (MT) MRI. Between-groups comparisons in MRI metrics were performed using permutation-based tests. Using MRI data, a generalized linear model (GLM) was computed to predict clinical performance and a support-vector machine (SVM) classification was used to classify MCI and HC subjects. Results Multi-parametric MRI data showed microstructural brain alterations in MCI patients vs HC that might be interpreted as: (i) a broad loss of myelin/cellular proteins and tissue microstructure in the hippocampus (p ≤ 0.01) and global white matter (p < 0.05); and (ii) iron accumulation in the pallidus nucleus (p ≤ 0.05). MRI metrics accurately predicted memory and executive performances in patients (p ≤ 0.005). SVM classification reached an accuracy of 75% to separate MCI and HC, and performed best using both volumes and T1/T2*/MT metrics. Conclusion Multi-contrast MRI appears to be a promising approach to infer pathophysiological mechanisms leading to brain tissue alterations in MCI. Likewise, parametric MRI data provide powerful correlates of cognitive deficits and improve automatic disease classification based on morphometric features. Forty-two MCI patients and 77 HC underwent multi-contrast quantitative MRI. MCI patients showed T1/T2* increase and MTR decrease in the hippocampus. MCI patients exhibited T1 increase in WM and T2* decrease in the pallidus. MRI metrics accurately predicted memory and executive function in patients. SVM classified MCI patients with 75% accuracy using volumetric/parametric MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Granziera
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland ; Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - A Daducci
- STI IEL LTS5, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - A Donati
- Service of Old-Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - G Bonnier
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - D Romascano
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - A Roche
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - M Bach Cuadra
- Department of Radiology, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland ; Signal Processing Core, Center for Biomedical Imaging, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - D Schmitter
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - S Klöppel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Section of Gerontopsychiatry, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
| | - R Meuli
- Department of Radiology, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - A von Gunten
- Service of Old-Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, CHUV, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland
| | - G Krueger
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland ; Heathcare IM S AW, Siemens Schweiz AG, Renens, VD, Switzerland
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15
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Tambasco N, Nigro P, Romoli M, Simoni S, Parnetti L, Calabresi P. Magnetization transfer MRI in dementia disorders, Huntington's disease and parkinsonism. J Neurol Sci 2015; 353:1-8. [PMID: 25891828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2015.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging is the most used technique of neuroimaging. Using recent advances in magnetic resonance application it is possible to investigate several changes in neurodegenerative disease. Among different techniques, magnetization-transfer imaging (MTI), a magnetic resonance acquisition protocol assessing the magnetization exchange between protons bound to water and those bound to macromolecules, is able to identify microstructural brain tissue changes peculiar of neurodegenerative diseases. This review provides a report on the MTI technique and its use in the dementia disorders, Huntington's disease and parkinsonisms, comprehensive of the predictive values of MTI in the identification of early-phase disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Tambasco
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Nigro
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Michele Romoli
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Simone Simoni
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lucilla Parnetti
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
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16
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Malyarenko DI, Zimmermann EM, Adler J, Swanson SD. Magnetization transfer in lamellar liquid crystals. Magn Reson Med 2014; 72:1427-34. [PMID: 24258798 PMCID: PMC4028438 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examines the relationship between quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) parameters and the molecular composition of a model lamellar liquid crystal (LLC) system composed of 1-decyl alcohol (decanol), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and water. METHODS Samples were made within a stable lamellar mesophase to provide different ratios of total semisolid protons (SDS + decanol) to water protons. Data were collected as a function of radiofrequency power, frequency offset, and temperature. qMT parameters were estimated by fitting a standard model to the data. Fitting results of four different semisolid line shapes were compared. RESULTS A super-Lorentzian line shape for the semisolid component provided the best fit. The estimated amount of semisolids was proportional to the ratio of decanol-to-water protons. Other qMT parameters exhibited nonlinear dependence on sample composition. Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) was a linear function of the semisolid fraction over a limited range of decanol concentration. CONCLUSION In LLC samples, MT between semisolid and water originates from intramolecular nOe among decanol aliphatic chain protons followed by proton exchange between decanol hydroxyl and water. Exchange kinetics is influenced by SDS, although SDS protons do not participate in MT. These studies provide clinically relevant range of semisolid fraction proportional to detected MTR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen M. Zimmermann
- Department of Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jeremy Adler
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Scott D. Swanson
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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17
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Stoppel CM, Vielhaber S, Eckart C, Machts J, Kaufmann J, Heinze HJ, Kollewe K, Petri S, Dengler R, Hopf JM, Schoenfeld MA. Structural and functional hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression in motor- and memory-related brain regions. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 5:277-90. [PMID: 25161894 PMCID: PMC4141983 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) multiple motor and extra-motor regions display structural and functional alterations. However, their temporal dynamics during disease-progression are unknown. To address this question we employed a longitudinal design assessing motor- and novelty-related brain activity in two fMRI sessions separated by a 3-month interval. In each session, patients and controls executed a Go/NoGo-task, in which additional presentation of novel stimuli served to elicit hippocampal activity. We observed a decline in the patients' movement-related activity during the 3-month interval. Importantly, in comparison to controls, the patients' motor activations were higher during the initial measurement. Thus, the relative decrease seems to reflect a breakdown of compensatory mechanisms due to progressive neural loss within the motor-system. In contrast, the patients' novelty-evoked hippocampal activity increased across 3 months, most likely reflecting the build-up of compensatory processes typically observed at the beginning of lesions. Consistent with a stage-dependent emergence of hippocampal and motor-system lesions, we observed a positive correlation between the ALSFRS-R or MRC-Megascores and the decline in motor activity, but a negative one with the hippocampal activation-increase. Finally, to determine whether the observed functional changes co-occur with structural alterations, we performed voxel-based volumetric analyses on magnetization transfer images in a separate patient cohort studied cross-sectionally at another scanning site. Therein, we observed a close overlap between the structural changes in this cohort, and the functional alterations in the other. Thus, our results provide important insights into the temporal dynamics of functional alterations during disease-progression, and provide support for an anatomical relationship between functional and structural cerebral changes in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Michael Stoppel
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Corresponding author.
| | - Stefan Vielhaber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- DZNE — German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Corresponding author.
| | - Cindy Eckart
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Institute for Systemic Neurosciences, University Clinic, Martinistr. 52, Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | - Judith Machts
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Hans-Jochen Heinze
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology, Brennecke Str. 6, Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Katja Kollewe
- Department of Neurology, Medical School Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-str. 1, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Medical School Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-str. 1, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Reinhard Dengler
- Department of Neurology, Medical School Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-str. 1, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Jens-Max Hopf
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology, Brennecke Str. 6, Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology, Brennecke Str. 6, Magdeburg 39118, Germany
- Kliniken Schmieder, Zum Tafelholz 8, Allensbach 78476, Germany
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18
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Bigot C, Vanhoutte G, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Magnetization transfer contrast imaging reveals amyloid pathology in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. Neuroimage 2013; 87:111-9. [PMID: 24188815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Revised: 10/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of amyloid plaques in the brain is one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, which might already be present in the early stage of the disease. Therefore it is important to track amyloid plaques as early as possible. In this paper, we report magnetization transfer contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MTC MRI) as a novel approach to detect amyloid plaques in vivo. Two mice models, APP/PS1 and BRI, developing amyloid pathology were investigated with MTC MRI, T2 relaxation measurements and immunohistochemistry (IHC). MT-ratios of several brain regions were compared to T2-values and correlated with quantitative IHC, revealing amyloid load and gliosis in different brain regions. APP/PS1 mice develop large compact plaques, resembling late stage Alzheimer's disease, while rather small and diffuse plaques are deposited in BRI mice, reflecting early stage of Alzheimer's disease. We found significantly higher MT-ratio's in the brain of APP/PS1 mice as compared to their controls and similar trends in BRI mice. A region based MT-ratio and IHC analysis and correlations between MT-ratios and quantitative IHC indicate amyloid plaques as the main substrate for altered MT-ratios in transgenic animals. We additionally demonstrated the improved sensitivity of MTC MRI to amyloid pathology as compared to traditional T2 relaxation measurements. Our results suggest that MTC MRI reveals extensive, and potentially even early amyloid pathology. Further unraveling the MT-effect of each pathological feature during each stage of AD might indicate MTC MRI as a useful diagnostic technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Bigot
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1 Uc, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Greetje Vanhoutte
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1 Uc, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1 Uc, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1 Uc, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
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19
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Mascalchi M, Ginestroni A, Bessi V, Toschi N, Padiglioni S, Ciulli S, Tessa C, Giannelli M, Bracco L, Diciotti S. Regional analysis of the magnetization transfer ratio of the brain in mild Alzheimer disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2013; 34:2098-104. [PMID: 23744687 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Manually drawn VOI-based analysis shows a decrease in magnetization transfer ratio in the hippocampus of patients with Alzheimer disease. We investigated with whole-brain voxelwise analysis the regional changes of the magnetization transfer ratio in patients with mild Alzheimer disease and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty patients with mild Alzheimer disease, 27 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 30 healthy elderly control subjects were examined with high-resolution T1WI and 3-mm-thick magnetization transfer images. Whole-brain voxelwise analysis of magnetization transfer ratio maps was performed by use of Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software and was supplemented by the analysis of the magnetization transfer ratio in FreeSurfer parcellation-derived VOIs. RESULTS Voxelwise analysis showed 2 clusters of significantly decreased magnetization transfer ratio in the left hippocampus and amygdala and in the left posterior mesial temporal cortex (fusiform gyrus) of patients with Alzheimer disease as compared with control subjects but no difference between patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and either patients with Alzheimer disease or control subjects. VOI analysis showed that the magnetization transfer ratio in the hippocampus and amygdala was significantly lower (bilaterally) in patients with Alzheimer disease when compared with control subjects (ANOVA with Bonferroni correction, at P < .05). Mean magnetization transfer ratio values in the hippocampus and amygdala in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were between those of healthy control subjects and those of patients with mild Alzheimer disease. Support vector machine-based classification demonstrated improved classification performance after inclusion of magnetization transfer ratio-related features, especially between patients with Alzheimer disease versus healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral but asymmetric decrease of magnetization transfer ratio reflecting microstructural changes of the residual GM is present not only in the hippocampus but also in the amygdala in patients with mild Alzheimer disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mascalchi
- Quantitative and Functional Neuroradiology Research Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences
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20
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Mascalchi M, Toschi N, Ginestroni A, Giannelli M, Nicolai E, Aiello M, Soricelli A, Diciotti S. Gender, age-related, and regional differences of the magnetization transfer ratio of the cortical and subcortical brain gray matter. J Magn Reson Imaging 2013; 40:360-6. [PMID: 24923993 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore gender, age-related, and regional differences of magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) of brain cortical and subcortical gray matter (GM). MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 102 healthy subjects (51 women and 51 men; range 25-84 years) were examined with 3-mm thick MT images. We assessed MTR in automatically segmented GM structures including frontal, parietal-insular, temporal, and occipital cortex, caudate, pallidus and putamen, and cerebellar cortex. A general linear model analysis was conducted to ascertain the linear and quadratic relationship among the MTR and gender, age, and anatomical structure. RESULTS The effect of gender was borderline (P = 0.07) in all GM structures (with higher MTR values in men), whereas age showed a significant linear as well as quadratic effect in all cortical and subcortical GM structures (P ≤ 0.001). Quadratic age-related decrease in MTR began at about 40 years of age. Mean and standard deviation (SD) of MTR had the following decreasing order: thalamus (58.3 + 0.8), pallidus (56.8 ± 1.3), caudate (55.5 ± 1.6) and putamen (54.6 ± 1.1); temporal (56.8 ± 0.9), parietal-insular (56.8 ± 1.1), frontal (56.5 ± 1.1), occipital (55.4 ± 1.0) and cerebellar (53.2 ± 1.0) cortex. In post-hoc testing, all regional pairwise differences were statistically significant except pallidus vs. temporal or parietal-insular cortex, caudate vs. occipital cortex, frontal vs. parietal-insular or temporal cortex. CONCLUSION MTR of the cortical and subcortical brain GM structures decreases quadratically after midlife and shows significant regional differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Mascalchi
- Quantitative and Functional Neuroradiology Program at Meyer Children's Hospital and Careggi Hospital of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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21
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Cosottini M, Cecchi P, Piazza S, Pesaresi I, Fabbri S, Diciotti S, Mascalchi M, Siciliano G, Bonuccelli U. Mapping cortical degeneration in ALS with magnetization transfer ratio and voxel-based morphometry. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68279. [PMID: 23874570 PMCID: PMC3706610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological and imaging data indicate that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem disease involving several cerebral cortical areas. Advanced quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques enable to explore in vivo the volume and microstructure of the cerebral cortex in ALS. We studied with a combined voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and magnetization transfer (MT) imaging approach the capability of MRI to identify the cortical areas affected by neurodegeneration in ALS patients. Eighteen ALS patients and 18 age-matched healthy controls were examined on a 1.5T scanner using a high-resolution 3D T1 weighted spoiled gradient recalled sequence with and without MT saturation pulse. A voxel-based analysis (VBA) was adopted in order to automatically compute the regional atrophy and MT ratio (MTr) changes of the entire cerebral cortex. By using a multimodal image analysis MTr was adjusted for local gray matter (GM) atrophy to investigate if MTr changes can be independent of atrophy of the cerebral cortex. VBA revealed several clusters of combined GM atrophy and MTr decrease in motor-related areas and extra-motor frontotemporal cortex. The multimodal image analysis identified areas of isolated MTr decrease in premotor and extra-motor frontotemporal areas. VBM and MTr are capable to detect the distribution of neurodegenerative alterations in the cortical GM of ALS patients, supporting the hypothesis of a multi-systemic involvement in ALS. MT imaging changes exist beyond volume loss in frontotemporal cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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22
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Dowell NG, Ruest T, Evans SL, King SL, Tabet N, Tofts PS, Rusted JM. MRI of carriers of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele-evidence for structural differences in normal-appearing brain tissue in e4+ relative to e4- young adults. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2013; 26:674-682. [PMID: 23364916 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.2912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Revised: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E is a protein involved in cholesterol and lipid transport. The gene coding for this protein has three different alleles: e2, e3 and e4. The e4 allele is recognised as a significant risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease in later life. Paradoxically, behavioural and functional evidence has demonstrated that the e4 allele may confer a cognitive advantage to the carrier in youth. In this article, a range of sophisticated and novel structural imaging techniques were used to identify subtle differences in the brain tissue of groups of young e4 and homozygous e3 carriers that might support this paradox. Using voxel-based morphometry of high-resolution structural MR images, we identified a higher white matter volume ratio in e4 relative to homozygous e3 carriers. Furthermore, diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics studies identified increases in axial diffusivity and mode of anisotropy in carriers of the e4 allele. In addition, quantitative magnetisation transfer data were analysed using tract-based spatial statistics. Evidence of a trend towards an increased transverse relaxation time of the bound proton pool was detected in e4 carriers, indicative of altered white matter composition. These changes were found to correlate with indices of cognitive performance across the two groups, supporting the notion that such subtle differences in white matter integrity may confer neural advantages that contribute to cognitive outcomes and, potentially, to performance differences, such as observed here in a test of verbal fluency and reported previously by other researchers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Dowell
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton, Sussex, UK.
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23
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Wiest R, Burren Y, Hauf M, Schroth G, Pruessner J, Zbinden M, Cattapan-Ludewig K, Kiefer C. Classification of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease using model-based MR and magnetization transfer imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2012; 34:740-6. [PMID: 23064592 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Early stratification of degenerative processes is a prerequisite to warrant therapeutic options in prodromal Alzheimer disease. Our aim was to investigate differences in cerebral macromolecular tissue composition between patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment, and age- and sex-matched healthy controls by using model-based magnetization transfer with a binary spin-bath magnetization transfer model and magnetization transfer ratio at 1.5 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS We investigated patients with de novo AD (n=18), MCI (n=18), and CTRLs (n=18). A region-of-interest analysis of the entorhinal cortex, hippocampal head and body, insula, and temporal neocortex was performed with fuzzy clustering to associate every subregion to a cluster representative for each group. RESULTS Cluster analysis achieved a concordance of 0.92 (50 of 54 subjects) between a combination of the calculated mMT parameters (kf,kr,T2r,F,T2f) in the entorhinal cortex and the neuropsychological diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity for the discrimination of AD from MCI reached 1 and 0.94, with a positive predictive value of 0.95 and a negative predictive value of 1. Compared with mMT, the concordance for MTR was 0.83 (45 of 54 subjects) with a lower specificity of 0.5 and positive predictive value of 0.67 to discriminate patients with AD and MCI. CONCLUSIONS mMT imaging detects macromolecule-related alterations and allows an improved classification of patients with early AD and MCI compared with MTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Wiest
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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24
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Giulietti G, Bozzali M, Figura V, Spanò B, Perri R, Marra C, Lacidogna G, Giubilei F, Caltagirone C, Cercignani M. Quantitative magnetization transfer provides information complementary to grey matter atrophy in Alzheimer's disease brains. Neuroimage 2011; 59:1114-22. [PMID: 21983184 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Revised: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Preliminary studies, based on a region-of-interest approach, suggest that quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT), an extension of magnetization transfer imaging, provides complementary information to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the characterisation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to extend these findings to the whole brain, using a voxel-wise approach. We recruited 19AD patients and 11 healthy subjects (HS). All subjects had an MRI acquisition at 3.0T including a T(1)-weighted volume, 12 MT-weighted volumes for qMT, and data for computing T(1) and B(1) maps. The T(1)-weighted volumes were processed to yield grey matter (GM) volumetric maps, while the other sequences were used to compute qMT parametric maps of the whole brain. qMT maps were warped to standard space and smoothed, and subsequently compared between groups. Of all the qMT parameters considered, only the forward exchange rate, RM(0)(B), showed significant group differences. These images were therefore retained for the multimodal statistical analysis, designed to locate brain regions of RM(0)(B) differences between AD and HS groups, adjusting for local GM atrophy. Widespread areas of reduced RM(0)(B) were found in AD patients, mainly located in the hippocampus, in the temporal lobe, in the posterior cingulate and in the parietal cortex. These results indicate that, among qMT parameters, RM(0)(B) is the most sensitive to AD pathology. This quantity is altered in the hippocampus of patients with AD (as found by previous works) but also in other brain areas, that PET studies have highlighted as involved with both, reduced glucose metabolism and amyloid β deposition. RM(0)(B) might reflect, through the measurement of the efficiency of MT exchange, some information with a specific pathological counterpart. Given previous evidence of a strict relationship between RM(0)(B) and intracellular pH, an intriguing speculation is that our findings might reflect metabolic changes related to mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been proposed as a contributor to neurodegeneration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Giulietti
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
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Bar-Or A, Rieckmann P, Traboulsee A, Yong VW. Targeting progressive neuroaxonal injury: lessons from multiple sclerosis. CNS Drugs 2011; 25:783-99. [PMID: 21870889 DOI: 10.2165/11587820-000000000-00000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are characterized by progressive neuroaxonal injury, suggesting a common pathophysiological pathway. Identification and development of neuroprotective therapies for such diseases has proven a major challenge, particularly because of an already substantial neuroaxonal compromise at the time of initial onset of clinical symptoms. Methods for early identification of neurodegeneration are therefore vital to ensure that neuroprotective therapies are applied as early as possible. Recent investigations have enhanced our understanding of the role of neuroaxonal injury in multiple sclerosis (MS). As MS generally manifests earlier in life and can be diagnosed much earlier in the course of the disease than the above-mentioned 'classic' neurodegenerative diseases, it is possible that MS could be used as a model disease to study degeneration and regeneration of the CNS. The mechanism of neuroaxonal injury in MS is believed to be inflammation-led neurodegeneration; however, the reverse may also be true (i.e. neuroaxonal degeneration may precede inflammation). Animal models of PD, AD and ALS have shown that it is likely that most cases of disease are due to initial inflammation, followed by a degenerative process, providing a parallel between MS and the classic neurodegenerative diseases. Other common factors between MS and the neurodegenerative diseases include iron and mitochondrial dysregulation, abnormalities in α-synuclein and tau protein, and a number of immune mediators. Conventional MRI techniques, using markers such as T2-weighted lesions, gadolinium-enhancing lesions and T1-weighted hypointensities, are readily available and routinely used in clinical practice; however, the utility of these MRI measures to predict disease progression in MS is limited. More recently, MRI techniques that provide more pathology-specific data have been applied in MS studies, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetization transfer ratio and myelin water imaging. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-MRI technique that quantifies optic nerve integrity and retinal ganglion cell loss as markers of neuroaxonal injury; more research is needed to evaluate whether information obtained from OCT is a reliable marker of axonal injury and long-term disability in MS. Using these advanced techniques, it may become possible to follow degeneration and regeneration longitudinally in patients with MS and to better differentiate the effects of drugs under investigation. Currently available immune-directed therapies that are approved by the US FDA for the first-line treatment of MS (interferon-β and glatiramer acetate) have been shown to decelerate the inflammatory process in MS; however, such therapy is less effective in preventing the progression of the disease and neuroaxonal injury. The use of MS as a clinical model to study modulation of neuroaxonal injury in the brain could have direct implications for the development of treatment strategies in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, PD and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Bar-Or
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal, QC, Canada
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26
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[Mild cognitive impairment: diagnostic value of different MR techniques]. Radiologe 2011; 51:285-92. [PMID: 21448679 DOI: 10.1007/s00117-010-2094-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In view of an increasingly aging population the prevalence of dementia is also expected to increase rapidly. As well as clinical, neuropsychological and laboratory procedures magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the early diagnosis of dementia which is important in the precursor stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). On the one hand this stage is associated with an increased risk of dementia and on the other hand an early treatment in this stage could attenuate development of the disease. In addition to morphological changes different functional MRI techniques can help in the early diagnosis of dementia and the precursor stages. Moreover, it is important to detect those MCI patients who are at particularly risk for developing dementia. In the differentiation of converters to non-converters initial studies suggest that particularly voxel-based morphometry, MR spectroscopy and diffusion tensor imaging can provide important additional information.
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Ginestroni A, Battaglini M, Diciotti S, Della Nave R, Mazzoni LN, Tessa C, Giannelli M, Piacentini S, De Stefano N, Mascalchi M. Magnetization transfer MR imaging demonstrates degeneration of the subcortical and cortical gray matter in Huntington disease. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2010; 31:1807-12. [PMID: 20813872 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a2225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE GM is typically affected in HD since the presymptomatic stage. Our aim was to investigate with MT MR imaging the microstructural changes of the residual brain subcortical and cortical GM in carriers of the HD gene and to preliminarily assess their correlation with the clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifteen HD gene carriers with a range of clinical severity and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent MT MR imaging on a 1.5T scanner. The MT ratio was measured automatically in several subcortical and cortical GM regions (striatal nuclei; thalami; and the neocortex of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes) by using FLS tools. RESULTS The MT ratio was significantly (P < .05 with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparison) decreased in all subcortical structures except the putamen and decreased diffusely in the cerebral cortex of HD carriers compared with controls. Close correlation was observed between the subcortical and cortical regional MT ratios and several clinical variables, including disease duration, motor disability, and scores in timed neuropsychological tests. CONCLUSIONS MT imaging demonstrates degeneration of the subcortical and cortical GM in HD carriers and might serve, along with volumetric assessment, as a surrogate marker in future clinical trials of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ginestroni
- Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Italy
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Wehrl HF, Sauter AW, Judenhofer MS, Pichler BJ. Combined PET/MR Imaging — Technology and Applications. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2010; 9:5-20. [DOI: 10.1177/153303461000900102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of PET and MR in one imaging device has certain advantages over conventional imaging modalities. These include: no additional radiation dose from the MR, superior soft tissue contrast and a multitude of tracers for PET. Certain technical challenges exist when designing a PET/MR system. On the one hand these stem from the presence of the strong MR magnetic field and the addition of PET components to the MR system. Different approaches are presented to overcome these technical obstacles ranging from long optical fibers to systems that use semiconductor light detectors for photon counting. The applications of combined PET/MR are profound in the field of oncology and allow imaging of the four main processes in cancer formation: apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, proliferation and metastasis. PET/MR has also many clinical and research applications in neurology and cardiology. Alternative techniques such as image fusion, hyperpolarized imaging, 17 O imaging and whole body diffusion are discussed in respect to their relevance regarding PET/MR. Simultaneous multifunctional and anatomical imaging using PET/MR has a great potential to impact biomedical imaging in research and clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. F. Wehrl
- University of Tuebingen, Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, Roentgenweg 13, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - A. W. Sauter
- University of Tuebingen, Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, Roentgenweg 13, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- University of Tuebingen, Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M. S. Judenhofer
- University of Tuebingen, Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, Roentgenweg 13, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - B. J. Pichler
- University of Tuebingen, Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, Roentgenweg 13, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
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