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Miller KL, Stagg CJ, Douaud G, Jbabdi S, Smith SM, Behrens TEJ, Jenkinson M, Chance SA, Esiri MM, Voets NL, Jenkinson N, Aziz TZ, Turner MR, Johansen-Berg H, McNab JA. Diffusion imaging of whole, post-mortem human brains on a clinical MRI scanner. Neuroimage 2011; 57:167-181. [PMID: 21473920 PMCID: PMC3115068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.03.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2011] [Revised: 03/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion imaging of post mortem brains has great potential both as a reference for brain specimens that undergo sectioning, and as a link between in vivo diffusion studies and "gold standard" histology/dissection. While there is a relatively mature literature on post mortem diffusion imaging of animals, human brains have proven more challenging due to their incompatibility with high-performance scanners. This study presents a method for post mortem diffusion imaging of whole, human brains using a clinical 3-Tesla scanner with a 3D segmented EPI spin-echo sequence. Results in eleven brains at 0.94 × 0.94 × 0.94 mm resolution are presented, and in a single brain at 0.73 × 0.73 × 0.73 mm resolution. Region-of-interest analysis of diffusion tensor parameters indicate that these properties are altered compared to in vivo (reduced diffusivity and anisotropy), with significant dependence on post mortem interval (time from death to fixation). Despite these alterations, diffusion tractography of several major tracts is successfully demonstrated at both resolutions. We also report novel findings of cortical anisotropy and partial volume effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla L Miller
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gwenaëlle Douaud
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saad Jbabdi
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen M Smith
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Timothy E J Behrens
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark Jenkinson
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven A Chance
- Clinical Neurology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Margaret M Esiri
- Clinical Neurology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Natalie L Voets
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ned Jenkinson
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tipu Z Aziz
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin R Turner
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Heidi Johansen-Berg
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jennifer A McNab
- A.A.Martinos Centre, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
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