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Wu X, Zhang Y, Xue M, Li J, Li X, Cui Z, Gao JH, Yang G. Heritability of functional gradients in the human subcortico-cortical connectivity. Commun Biol 2024; 7:854. [PMID: 38997510 PMCID: PMC11245549 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06551-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The human subcortex plays a pivotal role in cognition and is widely implicated in the pathophysiology of many psychiatric disorders. However, the heritability of functional gradients based on subcortico-cortical functional connectivity remains elusive. Here, leveraging twin functional MRI (fMRI) data from both the Human Connectome Project (n = 1023) and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 936) datasets, we construct large-scale subcortical functional gradients and delineate an increased principal functional gradient pattern from unimodal sensory/motor networks to transmodal association networks. We observed that this principal functional gradient is heritable, and the strength of heritability exhibits a heterogeneous pattern along a hierarchical unimodal-transmodal axis in subcortex for both young adults and children. Furthermore, employing a machine learning framework, we show that this heterogeneous pattern of the principal functional gradient in subcortex can accurately discern the relationship between monozygotic twin pairs and dizygotic twin pairs with an accuracy of 76.2% (P < 0.001). The heritability of functional gradients is associated with the anatomical myelin proxied by MRI-derived T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) ratio mapping in subcortex. This study provides new insights into the biological basis of subcortical functional hierarchy by revealing the structural and genetic properties of the subcortical functional gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wu
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mufan Xue
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jinlong Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xuesong Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Hong Gao
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institution of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China.
| | - Guoyuan Yang
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
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Stirnberg R, Deistung A, Reichenbach JR, Breteler MMB, Stöcker T. Rapid submillimeter QSM and R 2* mapping using interleaved multishot 3D-EPI at 7 and 3 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 38988040 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30216] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficiency of interleaved multishot 3D-EPI with standard image reconstruction for fast and robust high-resolution whole-brain quantitative susceptibility (QSM) andR 2 ∗ $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ mapping at 7 and 3T. METHODS Single- and multi-TE segmented 3D-EPI is combined with conventional CAIPIRINHA undersampling for up to 72-fold effective gradient echo (GRE) imaging acceleration. Across multiple averages, scan parameters are varied (e.g., dual-polarity frequency-encoding) to additionally correct forB 0 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_0 $$ -induced artifacts, geometric distortions and motion retrospectively. A comparison to established GRE protocols is made. Resolutions range from 1.4 mm isotropic (1 multi-TE average in 36 s) up to 0.4 mm isotropic (2 single-TE averages in approximately 6 min) with whole-head coverage. RESULTS Only 1-4 averages are needed for sufficient SNR with 3D-EPI, depending on resolution and field strength. Fast scanning and small voxels together with retrospective corrections result in substantially reduced image artifacts, which improves susceptibility andR 2 ∗ $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ mapping. Additionally, much finer details are obtained in susceptibility-weighted image projections through significantly reduced partial voluming. CONCLUSION Using interleaved multishot 3D-EPI, single-TE and multi-TE data can readily be acquired 10 times faster than with conventional, accelerated GRE imaging. Even 0.4 mm isotropic whole-head QSM within 6 min becomes feasible at 7T. At 3T, motion-robust 0.8 mm isotropic whole-brain QSM andR 2 ∗ $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ mapping with no apparent distortion in less than 7 min becomes clinically feasible. Stronger gradient systems may allow for even higher effective acceleration rates through larger EPI factors while maintaining optimal contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Stirnberg
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Deistung
- Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), University Medicine Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen R Reichenbach
- Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Monique M B Breteler
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology (IMBIE), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tony Stöcker
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Tu S, Vucic S, Kiernan MC. Pathological insights derived from neuroimaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: emerging clinical applications. Curr Opin Neurol 2024:00019052-990000000-00177. [PMID: 38958573 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Neuroimaging has been instrumental in shaping current understanding of the pathoanatomical signature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) across clinically well defined patient cohorts. The potential utility of imaging as an objective disease marker, however, remains poorly defined. RECENT FINDINGS Increasingly advanced quantitative and computational imaging studies have highlighted emerging clinical applications for neuroimaging as a complementary clinical modality for diagnosis, monitoring, and modelling disease propagation. Multimodal neuroimaging has demonstrated novel approaches for capturing primary motor disease. Extra-motor subcortical dysfunction is increasingly recognized as key modulators of disease propagation. SUMMARY The neural signature of cortical and subcortical dysfunction in ALS has been well defined at the population level. Objective metrics of focal primary motor dysfunction are increasingly sensitive and translatable to the individual patient level. Integrity of extra-motor subcortical abnormalities are recognized to represent critical pathways of the ALS disease 'connectome', predicting pathological spread. Neuroimaging plays a pivotal role in capturing upper motor neuron pathology in ALS. Their potential clinical role as objective disease markers for disease classification, longitudinal monitoring, and prognosis in ALS have become increasingly well defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicong Tu
- Brain and Mind Centre
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney
- Neuroscience Research Australia
| | - Steve Vucic
- Brain and Nerve Research Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney
- Neuroscience Research Australia
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Takemura H, Kruper JA, Miyata T, Rokem A. Tractometry of Human Visual White Matter Pathways in Health and Disease. Magn Reson Med Sci 2024; 23:316-340. [PMID: 38866532 PMCID: PMC11234945 DOI: 10.2463/mrms.rev.2024-0007] [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: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) provides a unique non-invasive view of human brain tissue properties. The present review article focuses on tractometry analysis methods that use dMRI to assess the properties of brain tissue within the long-range connections comprising brain networks. We focus specifically on the major white matter tracts that convey visual information. These connections are particularly important because vision provides rich information from the environment that supports a large range of daily life activities. Many of the diseases of the visual system are associated with advanced aging, and tractometry of the visual system is particularly important in the modern aging society. We provide an overview of the tractometry analysis pipeline, which includes a primer on dMRI data acquisition, voxelwise model fitting, tractography, recognition of white matter tracts, and calculation of tract tissue property profiles. We then review dMRI-based methods for analyzing visual white matter tracts: the optic nerve, optic tract, optic radiation, forceps major, and vertical occipital fasciculus. For each tract, we review background anatomical knowledge together with recent findings in tractometry studies on these tracts and their properties in relation to visual function and disease. Overall, we find that measurements of the brain's visual white matter are sensitive to a range of disorders and correlate with perceptual abilities. We highlight new and promising analysis methods, as well as some of the current barriers to progress toward integration of these methods into clinical practice. These barriers, such as variability in measurements between protocols and instruments, are targets for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Takemura
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - John A Kruper
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Toshikazu Miyata
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ariel Rokem
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Yablonski M, Zhou Z, Cao X, Schauman S, Liao C, Setsompop K, Yeatman JD. Fast and reliable quantitative measures of white matter development with magnetic resonance fingerprinting. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600735. [PMID: 38979185 PMCID: PMC11230456 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Developmental cognitive neuroscience aims to shed light on evolving relationships between brain structure and cognitive development. To this end, quantitative methods that reliably measure individual differences in brain tissue properties are fundamental. Standard qualitative MRI sequences are influenced by scan parameters and hardware-related biases, and also lack physical units, making the analysis of individual differences problematic. In contrast, quantitative MRI can measure physical properties of the tissue but with the cost of long scan durations and sensitivity to motion. This poses a critical limitation for studying young children. Here, we examine the reliability and validity of an efficient quantitative multiparameter mapping method - Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) - in children scanned longitudinally. We focus on T1 values in white matter, since quantitative T1 values are known to primarily reflect myelin content, a key factor in brain development. Forty-nine children aged 8-13y (mean 10.3y ±1.4) completed two scanning sessions 2-4 months apart. In each session, two 2-minute 3D-MRF scans at 1mm isotropic resolution were collected to evaluate the effect of scan duration on image quality and scan-rescan reliability. A separate calibration scan was used to measure B0 inhomogeneity and correct for bias. We examined the impact of scan time and B0 inhomogeneity correction on scan-rescan reliability of values in white matter, by comparing single 2-min and combined two 2-min scans, with and without B0-correction. Whole-brain voxel-based reliability analysis showed that combining two 2-min MRF scans improved reliability (pearson's r=0.87) compared with a single 2-min scan (r=0.84), while B0-correction had no effect on reliability in white matter (r=0.86 and 0.83 4-min vs 2-min). Using diffusion tractography, we delineated MRF-derived T1 profiles along major white matter fiber tracts and found similar or higher reliability for T1 from MRF compared to diffusion parameters (based on a 10-minute dMRI scan). Lastly, we found that T1 values in multiple white matter tracts were significantly correlated with age. In sum, MRF-derived T1 values were highly reliable in a longitudinal sample of children and replicated known age effects. Reliability in white matter was improved by longer scan duration but was not affected by B0-correction, making it a quick and straightforward scan to collect. We propose that MRF provides a promising avenue for acquiring quantitative brain metrics in children and patient populations where scan time and motion are of particular concern.
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Yablonskiy DA, Sukstanskii AL. Quantum dipole interactions and transient hydrogen bond orientation order in cells, cellular membranes and myelin sheath: Implications for MRI signal relaxation, anisotropy, and T 1 magnetic field dependence. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:2597-2611. [PMID: 38241135 PMCID: PMC10997466 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite significant impact on the study of human brain, MRI lacks a theory of signal formation that integrates quantum interactions involving proton dipoles (a primary MRI signal source) with brain intricate cellular environment. The purpose of the present study is developing such a theory. METHODS We introduce the Transient Hydrogen Bond (THB) model, where THB-mediated quantum dipole interactions between water and protons of hydrophilic heads of amphipathic biomolecules forming cells, cellular membranes and myelin sheath serve as a major source of MR signal relaxation. RESULTS The THB theory predicts the existence of a hydrogen-bond-driven structural order of dipole-dipole connections within THBs as a primary factor for the anisotropy observed in MRI signal relaxation. We have also demonstrated that the conventional Lorentzian spectral density function decreases too fast at high frequencies to adequately capture the field dependence of brain MRI signal relaxation. To bridge this gap, we introduced a stretched spectral density function that surpasses the limitations of Lorentzian dispersion. In human brain, our findings reveal that at any time point only about 4% to 7% of water protons are engaged in quantum encounters within THBs. These ultra-short (2 to 3 ns), but frequent quantum spin exchanges lead to gradual recovery of magnetization toward thermodynamic equilibrium, that is, relaxation of MRI signal. CONCLUSION By incorporating quantum proton interactions involved in brain imaging, the THB approach introduces new insights on the complex relationship between brain tissue cellular structure and MRI measurements, thus offering a promising new tool for better understanding of brain microstructure in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy A. Yablonskiy
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, 4525 Scott Ave. Room 3216, St. Louis MO, 63110
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorder, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, 4488 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Alexander L. Sukstanskii
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, 4525 Scott Ave. Room 3216, St. Louis MO, 63110
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Ding Z, Hu S, Su TY, Choi JY, Morris S, Wang X, Sakaie K, Murakami H, Huppertz HJ, Blümcke I, Jones S, Najm I, Ma D, Wang ZI. Combining magnetic resonance fingerprinting with voxel-based morphometric analysis to reduce false positives for focal cortical dysplasia detection. Epilepsia 2024; 65:1631-1643. [PMID: 38511905 PMCID: PMC11166521 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aim to improve focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) detection by combining high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) with voxel-based morphometric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis. METHODS We included 37 patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy and FCD (10 IIa, 15 IIb, 10 mild Malformation of Cortical Development [mMCD], and 2 mMCD with oligodendroglial hyperplasia and epilepsy [MOGHE]). Fifty-nine healthy controls (HCs) were also included. 3D lesion labels were manually created. Whole-brain MRF scans were obtained with 1 mm3 isotropic resolution, from which quantitative T1 and T2 maps were reconstructed. Voxel-based MRI postprocessing, implemented with the morphometric analysis program (MAP18), was performed for FCD detection using clinical T1w images, outputting clusters with voxel-wise lesion probabilities. Average MRF T1 and T2 were calculated in each cluster from MAP18 output for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) separately. Normalized MRF T1 and T2 were calculated by z-scores using HCs. Clusters that overlapped with the lesion labels were considered true positives (TPs); clusters with no overlap were considered false positives (FPs). Two-sample t-tests were performed to compare MRF measures between TP/FP clusters. A neural network model was trained using MRF values and cluster volume to distinguish TP/FP clusters. Ten-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate model performance at the cluster level. Leave-one-patient-out cross-validation was used to evaluate performance at the patient level. RESULTS MRF metrics were significantly higher in TP than FP clusters, including GM T1, normalized WM T1, and normalized WM T2. The neural network model with normalized MRF measures and cluster volume as input achieved mean area under the curve (AUC) of .83, sensitivity of 82.1%, and specificity of 71.7%. This model showed superior performance over direct thresholding of MAP18 FCD probability map at both the cluster and patient levels, eliminating ≥75% FP clusters in 30% of patients and ≥50% of FP clusters in 91% of patients. SIGNIFICANCE This pilot study suggests the efficacy of MRF for reducing FPs in FCD detection, due to its quantitative values reflecting in vivo pathological changes. © 2024 International League Against Epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Ding
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Biomedical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Siyuan Hu
- Biomedical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ting-Yu Su
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Biomedical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Joon Yul Choi
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Biomedical Engineering - Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Spencer Morris
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Biomedical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Quantitative Health Science - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ken Sakaie
- Imaging Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Hiroatsu Murakami
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Ingmar Blümcke
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Neuropathology - University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stephen Jones
- Imaging Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Imad Najm
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Dan Ma
- Biomedical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Zhong Irene Wang
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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Oz S, Saar G, Olszakier S, Heinrich R, Kompanets MO, Berlin S. Revealing the MRI-Contrast in Optically Cleared Brains. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400316. [PMID: 38647385 PMCID: PMC11165557 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The current consensus holds that optically-cleared specimens are unsuitable for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI); exhibiting absence of contrast. Prior studies combined MRI with tissue-clearing techniques relying on the latter's ability to eliminate lipids, thereby fostering the assumption that lipids constitute the primary source of ex vivo MRI-contrast. Nevertheless, these findings contradict an extensive body of literature that underscores the contribution of other features to contrast. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether non-delipidating clearing methods can produce MRI-compatible specimens or whether MRI-contrast can be re-established. These limitations hinder the development of multimodal MRI-light-microscopy (LM) imaging approaches. This study assesses the relation between MRI-contrast, and delipidation in optically-cleared whole brains following different tissue-clearing approaches. It is demonstrated that uDISCO and ECi-brains are MRI-compatible upon tissue rehydration, despite both methods' substantial delipidating-nature. It is also demonstrated that, whereas Scale-clearing preserves most lipids, Scale-cleared brain lack MRI-contrast. Furthermore, MRI-contrast is restored to lipid-free CLARITY-brains without introducing lipids. Our results thereby dissociate between the essentiality of lipids to MRI-contrast. A tight association is found between tissue expansion, hyperhydration and loss of MRI-contrast. These findings then enabled us to develop a multimodal MRI-LM-imaging approach, opening new avenues to bridge between the micro- and mesoscale for biomedical research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimrit Oz
- Department of NeuroscienceFaculty of MedicineTechnion‐Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Galit Saar
- Biomedical Core FacilityFaculty of MedicineTechnion‐Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Shunit Olszakier
- Department of NeuroscienceFaculty of MedicineTechnion‐Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Ronit Heinrich
- Department of NeuroscienceFaculty of MedicineTechnion‐Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Mykhail O. Kompanets
- L.M. Litvinenko Institute of Physico‐Organic Chemistry and Coal ChemistryNational Academy of Sciences of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Shai Berlin
- Department of NeuroscienceFaculty of MedicineTechnion‐Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
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Lancione M, Cencini M, Scaffei E, Cipriano E, Buonincontri G, Schulte RF, Pirkl CM, Buchignani B, Pasquariello R, Canapicchi R, Battini R, Biagi L, Tosetti M. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting-based myelin water fraction mapping for the assessment of white matter maturation and integrity in typical development and leukodystrophies. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5114. [PMID: 38390667 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
A quantitative biomarker for myelination, such as myelin water fraction (MWF), would boost the understanding of normative and pathological neurodevelopment, improving patients' diagnosis and follow-up. We quantified the fraction of a rapidly relaxing pool identified as MW using multicomponent three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) to evaluate white matter (WM) maturation in typically developing (TD) children and alterations in leukodystrophies (LDs). We acquired DTI and 3D MRF-based R1, R2 and MWF data of 15 TD children and 17 LD patients (9 months-12.5 years old) at 1.5 T. We computed normative maturation curves in corpus callosum and corona radiata and performed WM tract profile analysis, comparing MWF with R1, R2 and fractional anisotropy (FA). Normative maturation curves demonstrated a steep increase for all tissue parameters in the first 3 years of age, followed by slower growth for MWF while R1, R2R2 and FA reached a plateau. Unlike FA, MWF values were similar for regions of interest (ROIs) with different degrees of axonal packing, suggesting independence from fiber bundle macro-organization and higher myelin specificity. Tract profile analysis indicated a specific spatial pattern of myelination in the major fiber bundles, consistent across subjects. LD were better distinguished from TD by MWF rather than FA, showing reduced MWF with respect to age-matched controls in both ROI-based and tract analysis. In conclusion, MRF-based MWF provides myelin-specific WM maturation curves and is sensitive to alteration due to LDs, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for WM disorders. As MRF allows fast simultaneous acquisition of relaxometry and MWF, it can represent a valuable diagnostic tool to study and follow up developmental WM disorders in children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo Cencini
- Pisa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Emilio Cipriano
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Roberta Battini
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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10
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Bilgic B, Costagli M, Chan KS, Duyn J, Langkammer C, Lee J, Li X, Liu C, Marques JP, Milovic C, Robinson SD, Schweser F, Shmueli K, Spincemaille P, Straub S, van Zijl P, Wang Y. Recommended implementation of quantitative susceptibility mapping for clinical research in the brain: A consensus of the ISMRM electro-magnetic tissue properties study group. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1834-1862. [PMID: 38247051 PMCID: PMC10950544 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
This article provides recommendations for implementing QSM for clinical brain research. It is a consensus of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Electro-Magnetic Tissue Properties Study Group. While QSM technical development continues to advance rapidly, the current QSM methods have been demonstrated to be repeatable and reproducible for generating quantitative tissue magnetic susceptibility maps in the brain. However, the many QSM approaches available have generated a need in the neuroimaging community for guidelines on implementation. This article outlines considerations and implementation recommendations for QSM data acquisition, processing, analysis, and publication. We recommend that data be acquired using a monopolar 3D multi-echo gradient echo (GRE) sequence and that phase images be saved and exported in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format and unwrapped using an exact unwrapping approach. Multi-echo images should be combined before background field removal, and a brain mask created using a brain extraction tool with the incorporation of phase-quality-based masking. Background fields within the brain mask should be removed using a technique based on SHARP or PDF, and the optimization approach to dipole inversion should be employed with a sparsity-based regularization. Susceptibility values should be measured relative to a specified reference, including the common reference region of the whole brain as a region of interest in the analysis. The minimum acquisition and processing details required when reporting QSM results are also provided. These recommendations should facilitate clinical QSM research and promote harmonized data acquisition, analysis, and reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berkin Bilgic
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mauro Costagli
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Sciences (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Kwok-Shing Chan
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeff Duyn
- Advanced MRI Section, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Jongho Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Xu Li
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chunlei Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - José P Marques
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Carlos Milovic
- School of Electrical Engineering (EIE), Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile
| | - Simon Daniel Robinson
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Centre of Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ferdinand Schweser
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Karin Shmueli
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pascal Spincemaille
- MRI Research Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sina Straub
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Peter van Zijl
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- MRI Research Institute, Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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Yildirim MS, Schmidbauer VU, Micko A, Lechner L, Weber M, Furtner J, Wolfsberger S, Malla Houech IV, Cho A, Dovjak G, Kasprian G, Prayer D, Marik W. Multi-Dynamic-Multi-Echo-based MRI for the Pre-Surgical Determination of Sellar Tumor Consistency: a Quantitative Approach for Predicting Lesion Resectability. Clin Neuroradiol 2024:10.1007/s00062-024-01407-1. [PMID: 38639770 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-024-01407-1] [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: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pre-surgical information about tumor consistency could facilitate neurosurgical planning. This study used multi-dynamic-multi-echo (MDME)-based relaxometry for the quantitative determination of pituitary tumor consistency, with the aim of predicting lesion resectability. METHODS Seventy-two patients with suspected pituitary adenomas, who underwent preoperative 3 T MRI between January 2020 and January 2022, were included in this prospective study. Lesion-specific T1-/T2-relaxation times (T1R/T2R) and proton density (PD) metrics were determined. During surgery, data about tumor resectability were collected. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to investigate the diagnostic performance (sensitivity/specificity) for discriminating between easy- and hard-to-remove by aspiration (eRAsp and hRAsp) lesions. A Mann-Whitney-U-test was done for group comparison. RESULTS A total of 65 participants (mean age, 54 years ± 15, 33 women) were enrolled in the quantitative analysis. Twenty-four lesions were classified as hRAsp, while 41 lesions were assessed as eRAsp. There were significant differences in T1R (hRAsp: 1221.0 ms ± 211.9; eRAsp: 1500.2 ms ± 496.4; p = 0.003) and T2R (hRAsp: 88.8 ms ± 14.5; eRAsp: 137.2 ms ± 166.6; p = 0.03) between both groups. The ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.60-0.85) at p = 0.003 for T1R (cutoff value: 1248 ms; sensitivity/specificity: 78%/58%) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53-0.79) at p = 0.03 for T2R (cutoff value: 110 ms; sensitivity/specificity: 39%/96%). CONCLUSION MDME-based relaxometry enables a non-invasive, pre-surgical characterization of lesion consistency and, therefore, provides a modality with which to predict tumor resectability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Salih Yildirim
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Victor Ulrich Schmidbauer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Micko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisa Lechner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Weber
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Furtner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Wolfsberger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anna Cho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Dovjak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Marik
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Mueller SG. 7T MP2RAGE for cortical myelin segmentation: Impact of aging. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299670. [PMID: 38626149 PMCID: PMC11020839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myelin and iron are major contributors to the cortical MR signal. The aim of this study was to investigate 1. Can MP2RAGE-derived contrasts at 7T in combination with k-means clustering be used to distinguish between heavily and sparsely myelinated layers in cortical gray matter (GM)? 2. Does this approach provide meaningful biological information? METHODS The following contrasts were generated from the 7T MP2RAGE images from 45 healthy controls (age: 19-75, f/m = 23/22) from the ATAG data repository: 1. T1 weighted image (UNI). 2. T1 relaxation image (T1map). 3. INVC/T1map ratio (RATIO). K-means clustering identified 6 clusters/tissue maps (csf, csf/gm-transition, wm, wm/gm transition, heavily myelinated cortical GM (dGM), sparsely myelinated cortical GM (sGM)). These tissue maps were then processed with SPM/DARTEL (volume-based analyses) and Freesurfer (surface-based analyses) and dGM and sGM volume/thickness of young adults (n = 27, 19-27 years) compared to those of older adults (n = 18, 42-75 years) at p<0.001 uncorrected. RESULTS The resulting maps showed good agreement with histological maps in the literature. Volume- and surface analyses found age-related dGM loss/thinning in the mid-posterior cingulate and parahippocampal/entorhinal gyrus and age-related sGM losses in lateral, mesial and orbitofrontal frontal, insular cortex and superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSION The MP2RAGE derived UNI, T1map and RATIO contrasts can be used to identify dGM and sGM. Considering the close relationship between cortical myelo- and cytoarchitecture, the findings reported here indicate that this new technique might provide new insights into the nature of cortical GM loss in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne G. Mueller
- Dept. of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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Frigon EM, Gérin-Lajoie A, Dadar M, Boire D, Maranzano J. Comparison of histological procedures and antigenicity of human post-mortem brains fixed with solutions used in gross anatomy laboratories. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1372953. [PMID: 38659652 PMCID: PMC11039794 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1372953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Brain banks provide small tissue samples to researchers, while gross anatomy laboratories could provide larger samples, including complete brains to neuroscientists. However, they are preserved with solutions appropriate for gross-dissection, different from the classic neutral-buffered formalin (NBF) used in brain banks. Our previous work in mice showed that two gross-anatomy laboratory solutions, a saturated-salt-solution (SSS) and an alcohol-formaldehyde-solution (AFS), preserve antigenicity of the main cellular markers (neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and myelin). Our goal is now to compare the quality of histology and antigenicity preservation of human brains fixed with NBF by immersion (practice of brain banks) vs. those fixed with a SSS and an AFS by whole body perfusion, practice of gross-anatomy laboratories. Methods We used a convenience sample of 42 brains (31 males, 11 females; 25-90 years old) fixed with NBF (N = 12), SSS (N = 13), and AFS (N = 17). One cm3 tissue blocks were cut, cryoprotected, frozen and sliced into 40 μm sections. The four cell populations were labeled using immunohistochemistry (Neurons = neuronal-nuclei = NeuN, astrocytes = glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein = GFAP, microglia = ionized-calcium-binding-adaptor-molecule1 = Iba1 and oligodendrocytes = myelin-proteolipid-protein = PLP). We qualitatively assessed antigenicity and cell distribution, and compared the ease of manipulation of the sections, the microscopic tissue quality, and the quality of common histochemical stains (e.g., Cresyl violet, Luxol fast blue, etc.) across solutions. Results Sections of SSS-fixed brains were more difficult to manipulate and showed poorer tissue quality than those from brains fixed with the other solutions. The four antigens were preserved, and cell labeling was more often homogeneous in AFS-fixed specimens. NeuN and GFAP were not always present in NBF and SSS samples. Some antigens were heterogeneously distributed in some specimens, independently of the fixative, but an antigen retrieval protocol successfully recovered them. Finally, the histochemical stains were of sufficient quality regardless of the fixative, although neurons were more often paler in SSS-fixed specimens. Conclusion Antigenicity was preserved in human brains fixed with solutions used in human gross-anatomy (albeit the poorer quality of SSS-fixed specimens). For some specific variables, histology quality was superior in AFS-fixed brains. Furthermore, we show the feasibility of frequently used histochemical stains. These results are promising for neuroscientists interested in using brain specimens from anatomy laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve-Marie Frigon
- Department of Anatomy, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | - Amy Gérin-Lajoie
- Department of Anatomy, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | - Mahsa Dadar
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Denis Boire
- Department of Anatomy, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | - Josefina Maranzano
- Department of Anatomy, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Voon CC, Wiltgen T, Wiestler B, Schlaeger S, Mühlau M. Quantitative susceptibility mapping in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103598. [PMID: 38582068 PMCID: PMC11002889 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a quantitative measure based on magnetic resonance imaging sensitive to iron and myelin content. This makes QSM a promising non-invasive tool for multiple sclerosis (MS) in research and clinical practice. OBJECTIVE We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of QSM in MS. METHODS Our review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022309563). We searched five databases for studies published between inception and 30th April 2023. We identified 83 English peer-reviewed studies that applied QSM images on MS cohorts. Fifty-five included studies had at least one of the following outcome measures: deep grey matter QSM values in MS, either compared to healthy controls (HC) (k = 13) or correlated with the score on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (k = 7), QSM lesion characteristics (k = 22) and their clinical correlates (k = 17), longitudinal correlates (k = 11), histological correlates (k = 7), or correlates with other imaging techniques (k = 12). Two meta-analyses on deep grey matter (DGM) susceptibility data were performed, while the remaining findings could only be analyzed descriptively. RESULTS After outlier removal, meta-analyses demonstrated a significant increase in the basal ganglia susceptibility (QSM values) in MS compared to HC, caudate (k = 9, standardized mean difference (SDM) = 0.54, 95 % CI = 0.39-0.70, I2 = 46 %), putamen (k = 9, SDM = 0.38, 95 % CI = 0.19-0.57, I2 = 59 %), and globus pallidus (k = 9, SDM = 0.48, 95 % CI = 0.28-0.67, I2 = 60 %), whereas thalamic QSM values exhibited a significant reduction (k = 12, SDM = -0.39, 95 % CI = -0.66--0.12, I2 = 84 %); these susceptibility differences in MS were independent of age. Further, putamen QSM values positively correlated with EDSS (k = 4, r = 0.36, 95 % CI = 0.16-0.53, I2 = 0 %). Regarding rim lesions, four out of seven studies, representing 73 % of all patients, reported rim lesions to be associated with more severe disability. Moreover, lesion development from initial detection to the inactive stage is paralleled by increasing, plateauing (after about two years), and gradually decreasing QSM values, respectively. Only one longitudinal study provided clinical outcome measures and found no association. Histological data suggest iron content to be the primary source of QSM values in DGM and at the edges of rim lesions; further, when also considering data from myelin water imaging, the decrease of myelin is likely to drive the increase of QSM values within WM lesions. CONCLUSIONS We could provide meta-analytic evidence for DGM susceptibility changes in MS compared to HC; basal ganglia susceptibility is increased and, in the putamen, associated with disability, while thalamic susceptibility is decreased. Beyond these findings, further investigations are necessary to establish the role of QSM in MS for research or even clinical routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Ci Voon
- Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tun Wiltgen
- Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Wiestler
- Dept. of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah Schlaeger
- Dept. of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mark Mühlau
- Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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15
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Choi S, Lake S, Harrison DM. Evaluation of the Blood-Brain Barrier, Demyelination, and Neurodegeneration in Paramagnetic Rim Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis on 7 Tesla MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:941-951. [PMID: 37276054 PMCID: PMC10754232 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) are associated with chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). 7-Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can evaluate the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in addition to the tissue myelination status and cell loss. PURPOSE To use MRI metrics to investigate underlying physiology and clinical importance of PRLs. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS Thirty-six participants (mean-age 47, 23 females, 13 males) of mixed MS subtypes. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 7T, MP2RAGE, MULTI-ECHO 3D-GRE, FLAIR. ASSESSMENT Lesion heterogeneity; longitudinal changes in lesion counts; comparison of T1, R2*, and χ; association between baseline lesion types and disease progression (2-3 annual MRI visits with additional years of annual clinical follow-up). STATISTICAL TESTS Two-sample t-test, Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test, Pearson's chi-square test, two-group comparison with linear-mixed-effect model, mixed-effect ANOVA, logistic regression. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS A total of 58.3% of participants had at least one PRL at baseline. Higher male proportion in PRL+ group was found. Average change in PRL count was 0.20 (SD = 2.82) for PRLs and 0.00 (SD = 0.82) for mottled lesions. Mean and median pre-/post-contrast T1 were longer in PRL+ than in PRL-. No differences in mean χ were seen for lesions grouped by PRL (P = 0.310, pre-contrast; 0.086, post-contrast) or PRL/M presence (P = 0.234, pre-contrast; 0.163, post-contrast). Median χ were less negative in PRL+ and PRL/M+ than in PRL- and PRL/M-. Mean and median pre-/post-contrast R2* were slower in PRL+ compared to PRL-. Mean and median pre-/post-contrast R2* were slower in PRL/M+ than in PRL/M-. PRL presence at baseline was associated with confirmed EDSS Plus progression (OR 3.75 [1.22-7.59]) and PRL/M+ at baseline with confirmed EDSS Plus progression (OR 3.63 [1.14-7.43]). DATA CONCLUSION Evidence of BBB breakdown in PRLs was not seen. Quantitative metrics confirmed prior results suggesting greater demyelination, cell loss, and possibly disruption of tissue anisotropy in PRLs. EVIDENCE LEVEL 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjin Choi
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland
| | - Sarah Lake
- Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Brown University
| | - Daniel M. Harrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
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16
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Wallstein N, Müller R, Pampel A, Möller HE. Radiation damping at clinical field strength: Characterization and compensation in quantitative measurements. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1239-1253. [PMID: 38010072 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In any MR experiment, the bulk magnetization acts on itself, caused by the induced current in the RF receiver circuit that generates an oscillating damping field. This effect, known as "radiation damping" (RD), is usually weak and, therefore, unconsidered in MRI, but can affect quantitative studies performed with dedicated coils that provide a high SNR. The current work examined RD in a setup for investigations of small tissue specimens including a quantitative characterization of the spin-coil system. THEORY AND METHODS A custom-made Helmholtz coil (radius and spacing 16 mm) was interfaced to a transmit-receive (Tx/Rx) switch with integrated passive feedback for modulation or suppression of RD similar to preamplifier decoupling. Pulse sequences included pulse-width arrays to demonstrate the absence/ presence of RD and difference techniques employing gradient pulses or composite RF pulses to quantify RD effects during free precession and transmission, respectively. Experiments were performed at 3T in small samples of MnCl2 solution. RESULTS Significant RD effects may impact RF pulse application and evolution periods. Effective damping time constants were comparable to typical T2 * times or echo spacings in multi-echo sequences. Measurements of the phase relation showed that deviations from the commonly assumed 90° angle between the damping field and the transverse magnetization may occur. CONCLUSION Radiation damping may affect the accuracy of quantitative MR measurements performed with dedicated RF coils. Efficient mitigation can be achieved hardware-based or by appropriate consideration in the pulse sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Wallstein
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods & Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roland Müller
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods & Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - André Pampel
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods & Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Harald E Möller
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods & Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Northall A, Doehler J, Weber M, Tellez I, Petri S, Prudlo J, Vielhaber S, Schreiber S, Kuehn E. Multimodal layer modelling reveals in vivo pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2024; 147:1087-1099. [PMID: 37815224 PMCID: PMC10907094 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of motor control. Current understanding of ALS pathology is largely based on post-mortem investigations at advanced disease stages. A systematic in vivo description of the microstructural changes that characterize early stage ALS, and their subsequent development, is so far lacking. Recent advances in ultra-high field (7 T) MRI data modelling allow us to investigate cortical layers in vivo. Given the layer-specific and topographic signature of ALS pathology, we combined submillimetre structural 7 T MRI data (qT1, QSM), functional localizers of body parts (upper limb, lower limb, face) and layer modelling to systematically describe pathology in the primary motor cortex (M1), in 12 living ALS patients with reference to 12 matched controls. Longitudinal sampling was performed for a subset of patients. We calculated multimodal pathology maps for each layer (superficial layer, layer 5a, layer 5b, layer 6) of M1 to identify hot spots of demyelination, iron and calcium accumulation in different cortical fields. We show preserved mean cortical thickness and layer architecture of M1, despite significantly increased iron in layer 6 and significantly increased calcium in layer 5a and superficial layer, in patients compared to controls. The behaviourally first-affected cortical field shows significantly increased iron in L6 compared to other fields, while calcium accumulation is atopographic and significantly increased in the low myelin borders between cortical fields compared to the fields themselves. A subset of patients with longitudinal data shows that the low myelin borders are particularly disrupted and that calcium hot spots, but to a lesser extent iron hot spots, precede demyelination. Finally, we highlight that a very slow progressing patient (Patient P4) shows a distinct pathology profile compared to the other patients. Our data show that layer-specific markers of in vivo pathology can be identified in ALS patients with a single 7 T MRI measurement after first diagnosis, and that such data provide critical insights into the individual disease state. Our data highlight the non-topographic architecture of ALS disease spread and the role of calcium, rather than iron accumulation, in predicting future demyelination. We also highlight a potentially important role of low myelin borders, that are known to connect to multiple areas within the M1 architecture, in disease spread. Finally, the distinct pathology profile of a very-slow progressing patient (Patient P4) highlights a distinction between disease duration and progression. Our findings demonstrate the importance of in vivo histology imaging for the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Northall
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Juliane Doehler
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Miriam Weber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Igor Tellez
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hanover 30625, Germany
| | - Johannes Prudlo
- Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Centre, Rostock 18147, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock 18147, Germany
| | - Stefan Vielhaber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schreiber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Esther Kuehn
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), Tübingen 72076, Germany
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Chen Y, Baraz J, Xuan SY, Yang X, Castoro R, Xuan Y, Roth AR, Dortch RD, Li J. Multiparametric Quantitative MRI of Peripheral Nerves in the Leg: A Reliability Study. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:563-574. [PMID: 37191075 PMCID: PMC11188919 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with polyneuropathies typically have demyelination and/or axonal degeneration in peripheral nerves. Currently, there is a lack of imaging biomarkers to track the changes in these pathologies. PURPOSE To develop and evaluate the reliability of a multiparametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) method of peripheral nerves in the leg. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS Seventeen healthy volunteers (36.2 ± 13.8 years old, 9 males) with 10 of them scanned twice for test-retest. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 3 T, three-dimensional gradient echo and diffusion tensor imaging. ASSESSMENT A qMRI protocol and processing pipeline was established for quantifying the following nerve parameters that are sensitive to myelin and axonal pathologies: magnetization transfer (MT) ratio (MTR), MT saturation index (MTsat), T2 *, T1 , proton density (PD), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean/axial/radial diffusivities (MD, AD, and RD). The qMRI protocol also measures the volume of nerve fascicles (fVOL) and the fat fraction (FF) of muscles. STATISTICAL TESTS The intersession reproducibility and inter-rater reliability of each qMRI parameter were assessed by Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Pairwise Pearson correlation analyses were performed to investigate the intrinsic association between qMRI parameters. Distal-to-proximal variations were evaluated by paired t-tests with Bonferroni-Holm multiple comparison corrections. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS The MTR, MTsat, T2 *, T1 , PD, FA, AD, and fVOL of the sciatic and tibial nerves, and the FF of leg muscles, had an overall good-to-excellent test-retest agreement (ICC varying from 0.78 to 0.99). All the qMRI parameters had good-to-excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC > 0.80). The data demonstrated a pattern of distal-to-proximal changes of an increased nerve MTsat and FA, and a decreased nerve T1 , PD, MD, and RD, as well as a significantly increased muscle FF. DATA CONCLUSION The proposed multiparametric qMRI method of the peripheral nerves is highly reproducible and provided healthy control data which will be used in developing monitoring biomarkers in patients with polyneuropathies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jacob Baraz
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Stephanie Yan Xuan
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ryan Castoro
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yang Xuan
- Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Alison R. Roth
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Richard D. Dortch
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
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Travers BG, Surgent O, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Dean DC, Adluru N, Kecskemeti SR, Kirk GR, Alexander AL, Zhu J, Skaletski EC, Naik S, Duran M. Role of autonomic, nociceptive, and limbic brainstem nuclei in core autism features. Autism Res 2024; 17:266-279. [PMID: 38278763 PMCID: PMC10922575 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Although multiple theories have speculated about the brainstem reticular formation's involvement in autistic behaviors, the in vivo imaging of brainstem nuclei needed to test these theories has proven technologically challenging. Using methods to improve brainstem imaging in children, this study set out to elucidate the role of the autonomic, nociceptive, and limbic brainstem nuclei in the autism features of 145 children (74 autistic children, 6.0-10.9 years). Participants completed an assessment of core autism features and diffusion- and T1-weighted imaging optimized to improve brainstem images. After data reduction via principal component analysis, correlational analyses examined associations among autism features and the microstructural properties of brainstem clusters. Independent replication was performed in 43 adolescents (24 autistic, 13.0-17.9 years). We found specific nuclei, most robustly the parvicellular reticular formation-alpha (PCRtA) and to a lesser degree the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) and ventral tegmental parabrachial pigmented complex (VTA-PBP), to be associated with autism features. The PCRtA and some of the LPB associations were independently found in the replication sample, but the VTA-PBP associations were not. Consistent with theoretical perspectives, the findings suggest that individual differences in pontine reticular formation nuclei contribute to the prominence of autistic features. Specifically, the PCRtA, a nucleus involved in mastication, digestion, and cardio-respiration in animal models, was associated with social communication in children, while the LPB, a pain-network nucleus, was associated with repetitive behaviors. These findings highlight the contributions of key autonomic brainstem nuclei to the expression of core autism features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G. Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Olivia Surgent
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Douglas C. Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Gregory R. Kirk
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L. Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Emily C. Skaletski
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sonali Naik
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Monica Duran
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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20
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Yee Y, Ellegood J, French L, Lerch JP. Organization of thalamocortical structural covariance and a corresponding 3D atlas of the mouse thalamus. Neuroimage 2024; 285:120453. [PMID: 37979895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
For information from sensory organs to be processed by the brain, it is usually passed to appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex. Almost all of this information passes through the thalamus, a relay structure that reciprocally connects to the vast majority of the cortex. The thalamus facilitates this information transfer through a set of thalamocortical connections that vary in cellular structure, molecular profiles, innervation patterns, and firing rates. Additionally, corticothalamic connections allow for intracortical information transfer through the thalamus. These efferent and afferent connections between the thalamus and cortex have been the focus of many studies, and the importance of cortical connectivity in defining thalamus anatomy is demonstrated by multiple studies that parcellate the thalamus based on cortical connectivity profiles. Here, we examine correlated morphological variation between the thalamus and cortex, or thalamocortical structural covariance. For each voxel in the thalamus as a seed, we construct a cortical structural covariance map that represents correlated cortical volume variation, and examine whether high structural covariance is observed in cortical areas that are functionally relevant to the seed. Then, using these cortical structural covariance maps as features, we subdivide the thalamus into six non-overlapping regions (clusters of voxels), and assess whether cortical structural covariance is associated with cortical connectivity that specifically originates from these regions. We show that cortical structural covariance is high in areas of the cortex that are functionally related to the seed voxel, cortical structural covariance varies along cortical depth, and sharp transitions in cortical structural covariance profiles are observed when varying seed locations in the thalamus. Subdividing the thalamus based on structural covariance, we additionally demonstrate that the six thalamic clusters of voxels stratify cortical structural covariance along the dorsal-ventral, medial-lateral, and anterior-posterior axes. These cluster-associated structural covariance patterns are prominently detected in cortical regions innervated by fibers projecting out of their related thalamic subdivisions. Together, these results advance our understanding of how the thalamus and the cortex couple in their volumes. Our results indicate that these volume correlations reflect functional organization and structural connectivity, and further provides a novel segmentation of the mouse thalamus that can be used to examine thalamic structural variation and thalamocortical structural covariation in disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Yee
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Leon French
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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21
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Raynaud Q, Di Domenicantonio G, Yerly J, Dardano T, van Heeswijk RB, Lutti A. A characterization of cardiac-induced noise in R 2 * maps of the brain. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:237-251. [PMID: 37708206 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cardiac pulsation increases the noise level in brain maps of the transverse relaxation rate R2 *. Cardiac-induced noise is challenging to mitigate during the acquisition of R2 * mapping data because its characteristics are unknown. In this work, we aim to characterize cardiac-induced noise in brain maps of the MRI parameter R2 *. METHODS We designed a sampling strategy to acquire multi-echo 3D data in 12 intervals of the cardiac cycle, monitored with a fingertip pulse-oximeter. We measured the amplitude of cardiac-induced noise in this data and assessed the effect of cardiac pulsation on R2 * maps computed across echoes. The area of k-space that contains most of the cardiac-induced noise in R2 * maps was then identified. Based on these characteristics, we introduced a tentative sampling strategy that aims to mitigate cardiac-induced noise in R2 * maps of the brain. RESULTS In inferior brain regions, cardiac pulsation accounts for R2 * variations of up to 3 s-1 across the cardiac cycle (i.e., ∼35% of the overall variability). Cardiac-induced fluctuations occur throughout the cardiac cycle, with a reduced intensity during the first quarter of the cycle. A total of 50% to 60% of the overall cardiac-induced noise is localized near the k-space center (k < 0.074 mm-1 ). The tentative cardiac noise mitigation strategy reduced the variability of R2 * maps across repetitions by 11% in the brainstem and 6% across the whole brain. CONCLUSION We provide a characterization of cardiac-induced noise in brain R2 * maps that can be used as a basis for the design of mitigation strategies during data acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Raynaud
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department for Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Di Domenicantonio
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department for Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Yerly
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Dardano
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department for Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruud B van Heeswijk
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department for Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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22
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Weiss V, Kokošová V, Valenta Z, Doležalová I, Baláž M, Mangia S, Michaeli S, Vojtíšek L, Nestrašil I, Herzig R, Filip P. Distance from main arteries influences microstructural and functional brain tissue characteristics. Neuroimage 2024; 285:120502. [PMID: 38103623 PMCID: PMC10804248 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the substantial dependence of neurons on continuous supply of energy, the distribution of major cerebral arteries opens a question whether the distance from the main supply arteries constitutes a modulating factor for the microstructural and functional properties of brain tissue. To tackle this question, multimodal MRI acquisitions of 102 healthy volunteers over the full adult age span were utilised. Relaxation along a fictitious field in the rotating frame of rank n = 4 (RAFF4), adiabatic T1ρ, T2ρ, and intracellular volume fraction (fICVF) derived from diffusion-weighted imaging were implemented to quantify microstructural (cellularity, myelin density, iron concentration) tissue characteristics and degree centrality and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations to probe for functional metrics. Inverse correlation of arterial distance with robust homogeneity was detected for T1ρ, T2ρ and RAFF4 for cortical grey matter and white matter, showing substantial complex microstructural differences between brain tissue close and farther from main arterial trunks. Albeit with wider variability, functional metrics pointed to increased connectivity and neuronal activity in areas farther from main arteries. Surprisingly, multiple of these microstructural and functional distance-based gradients diminished with higher age, pointing to uniformization of brain tissue with ageing. All in all, this pilot study provides a novel insight on brain regionalisation based on artery distance, which merits further investigation to validate its biological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Weiss
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital of St. Anne, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, Charles University Faculty of Medicine, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Viktória Kokošová
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital of St. Anne, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Valenta
- Department of Statistical Modelling, Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Doležalová
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital of St. Anne, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Baláž
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital of St. Anne, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Silvia Mangia
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Shalom Michaeli
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Lubomír Vojtíšek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Igor Nestrašil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Roman Herzig
- Department of Neurology, Charles University Faculty of Medicine, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Stroke Center, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Filip
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America; Department of Neurology, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
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23
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Mahmoudi N, Dadak M, Bronzlik P, Maudsley AA, Sheriff S, Lanfermann H, Ding XQ. Microstructural and Metabolic Changes in Normal Aging Human Brain Studied with Combined Whole-Brain MR Spectroscopic Imaging and Quantitative MR Imaging. Clin Neuroradiol 2023; 33:993-1005. [PMID: 37336867 PMCID: PMC10654209 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-023-01300-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to detect age-related brain metabolic and microstructural changes in healthy human brains by the use of whole-brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H‑MRSI) and quantitative MR imaging (qMRI). METHODS In this study, 60 healthy participants with evenly distributed ages (between 21 and 69 years) and sex underwent MRI examinations at 3T including whole-brain 1H‑MRSI. The concentrations of the metabolites N‑acetylaspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho), total creatine and phosphocreatine (tCr), glutamine and glutamate (Glx), and myo-inositol (mI), as well as the brain relaxation times T2, T2' and T1 were measured in 12 regions of interest (ROI) in each hemisphere. Correlations between measured parameters and age were estimated with linear regression analysis and Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS Significant age-related changes of brain regional metabolite concentrations and tissue relaxation times were found: NAA decreased in eight of twelve ROIs, Cho increased in three ROIs, tCr in four ROIs, and mI in three ROIs. Glx displayed a significant decrease in one ROI and an increase in another ROI. T1 increased in four ROIs and T2 in one ROI, while T2' decreased in two ROIs. A negative correlation of tCr concentrations with T2' relaxation time was found in one ROI as well as the positive correlations of age-related T1 relaxation time with concentrations of tCr, mI, Glx and Cho in another ROI. CONCLUSION Normal aging in human brain is associated with coexistent brain regional metabolic alterations and microstructural changes, which may be related to age-related decline in cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of life in the older population.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mahmoudi
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - M Dadak
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, St. Vincenz Hospital Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany
| | - P Bronzlik
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - A A Maudsley
- Department of Radiology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - S Sheriff
- Department of Radiology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - H Lanfermann
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - X-Q Ding
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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24
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Kruggel F, Solodkin A. Analyzing the cortical fine structure as revealed by ex-vivo anatomical MRI. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:2146-2161. [PMID: 37522626 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The human cortex has a rich fiber structure as revealed by myelin-staining of histological slices. Myelin also contributes to the image contrast in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Recent advances in Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner and imaging technology allowed the acquisition of an ex-vivo data set at an isotropic resolution of 100 µm. This study focused on a computational analysis of this data set with the aim of bridging between histological knowledge and MRI-based results. This work highlights: (1) the design and implementation of a processing chain that extracts intracortical features from a high-resolution MR image; (2) a demonstration of the correspondence between MRI-based cortical intensity profiles and the myelo-architectonic layering of the cortex; (3) the characterization and classification of four basic myelo-architectonic profile types; (4) the distinction of cortical regions based on myelo-architectonic features; and (5) the segmentation of cortical modules in the entorhinal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frithjof Kruggel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Ana Solodkin
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas, Richardson, Texas, USA
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25
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Satoh R, Weigand SD, Pham T, Ali F, Arani A, Senjem ML, Jack CR, Whitwell JL, Josephs KA. Magnetic Susceptibility in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Variants, Parkinson's Disease, and Corticobasal Syndrome. Mov Disord 2023; 38:2282-2290. [PMID: 37772771 PMCID: PMC10840892 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that magnetic susceptibility is increased in several subcortical regions in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, it is still unclear how subcortical and cortical susceptibilities vary across different PSP variants, Parkinson's disease (PD), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). OBJECTIVE This study aims to clarify the susceptibility profiles in the subcortical and cortical regions in different PSP variants, PD, and CBS. METHODS Sixty-four patients, 20 PSP-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS), 9 PSP-parkinsonism (PSP-P), 7 PSP-progressive gait freezing, 4 PSP-postural instability, 11 PD, and 13 CBS, and 20 cognitively normal control subjects underwent a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scan to reconstruct quantitative susceptibility maps. Region-of-interest analysis was performed to obtain susceptibility in several subcortical and cortical regions. Bayesian linear mixed effect models were used to estimate susceptibility within group and differences between groups. RESULTS In the subcortical regions, patients with PSP-RS and PSP-P showed greater susceptibility than control subjects in the pallidum, substantia nigra, red nucleus, and cerebellar dentate (P < 0.05). Patients with PSP-RS also showed greater susceptibility than patients with PSP-progressive gait freezing, PD, and CBS in the red nucleus and cerebellar dentate, and patients with PSP-P showed greater susceptibility than PD in the red nucleus. Patients with PSP-postural instability and CBS showed greater susceptibility than control subjects in the pallidum and substantia nigra. No significant differences were observed in any cortical region. CONCLUSIONS The PSP variants and CBS had different patterns of magnetic susceptibility in the subcortical regions. The findings will contribute to our understanding about iron profiles and pathophysiology of PSP and may provide a potential biomarker to differentiate PSP variants, PD, and CBS. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Satoh
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Stephen D Weigand
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Thu Pham
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Farwa Ali
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Arvin Arani
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Matthew L. Senjem
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
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26
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Talwar P, Deantoni M, Van Egroo M, Muto V, Chylinski D, Koshmanova E, Jaspar M, Meyer C, Degueldre C, Berthomier C, Luxen A, Salmon E, Collette F, Dijk DJ, Schmidt C, Phillips C, Maquet P, Sherif S, Vandewalle G. In vivo marker of brainstem myelin is associated to quantitative sleep parameters in healthy young men. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20873. [PMID: 38012207 PMCID: PMC10682495 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47753-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The regional integrity of brain subcortical structures has been implicated in sleep-wake regulation, however, their associations with sleep parameters remain largely unexplored. Here, we assessed association between quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (qMRI)-derived marker of the myelin content of the brainstem and the variability in the sleep electrophysiology in a large sample of 18-to-31 years healthy young men (N = 321; ~ 22 years). Separate Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) revealed that sleep onset latency and slow wave energy were significantly associated with MTsat estimates in the brainstem (pcorrected ≤ 0.03), with overall higher MTsat value associated with values reflecting better sleep quality. The association changed with age, however (MTsat-by-age interaction-pcorrected ≤ 0.03), with higher MTsat value linked to better values in the two sleep metrics in the younger individuals of our sample aged ~ 18 to 20 years. Similar associations were detected across different parts of the brainstem (pcorrected ≤ 0.03), suggesting that the overall maturation and integrity of the brainstem was associated with both sleep metrics. Our results suggest that myelination of the brainstem nuclei essential to regulation of sleep is associated with inter-individual differences in sleep characteristics during early adulthood. They may have implications for sleep disorders or neurological diseases related to myelin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puneet Talwar
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Michele Deantoni
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Maxime Van Egroo
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Vincenzo Muto
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wallonia, Belgium
- Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Daphne Chylinski
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Ekaterina Koshmanova
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Jaspar
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wallonia, Belgium
| | - Christelle Meyer
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wallonia, Belgium
| | - Christian Degueldre
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - André Luxen
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Eric Salmon
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fabienne Collette
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - D-J Dijk
- Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Christina Schmidt
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Christophe Phillips
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- In Silico Medicine Unit, GIGA-Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Pierre Maquet
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wallonia, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Siya Sherif
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Vandewalle
- GIGA-Institute, CRC-In Vivo Imaging Unit, Bâtiment B30, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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27
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Li SY, Zhao X, Cheng MY, Lu L, Guo JX, Xuan DS, Sun YB, Xing QN, Meng LS, Liao JJ, Cui SH, Zhang LJ, Feng ZQ, Zhang XA. Quantitative Relaxometry Assessment of Brain Microstructural Abnormality of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Synthetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging. J Comput Assist Tomogr 2023; 47:959-966. [PMID: 37948372 DOI: 10.1097/rct.0000000000001507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to perform an assessment of brain microstructure in children with autism aged 2 to 5 years using relaxation times acquired by synthetic magnetic resonance imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ASD group) and 17 children with global developmental delay (GDD) (GDD group) were enrolled, and synthetic magnetic resonance imaging was performed to obtain T1 and T2 relaxation times. The differences in brain relaxation times between the 2 groups of children were compared, and the correlation between significantly changed T1/T2 and clinical neuropsychological scores in the ASD group was analyzed. RESULTS Compared with the GDD group, shortened T1 relaxation times in the ASD group were distributed in the genu of corpus callosum (GCC) ( P = 0.003), splenium of corpus callosum ( P = 0.002), and right thalamus (TH) ( P = 0.014), whereas shortened T2 relaxation times in the ASD group were distributed in GCC ( P = 0.011), left parietal white matter ( P = 0.035), and bilateral TH (right, P = 0.014; left, P = 0.016). In the ASD group, the T2 of the left parietal white matter is positively correlated with gross motor (developmental quotient [DQ] 2) and personal-social behavior (DQ5), respectively ( r = 0.377, P = 0.028; r = 0.392, P = 0.022); the T2 of the GCC was positively correlated with DQ5 ( r = 0.404, P = 0.018); and the T2 of the left TH is positively correlated with DQ2 and DQ5, respectively ( r = 0.433, P = 0.009; r = 0.377, P = 0.028). All significantly changed relaxation values were not significantly correlated with Childhood Autism Rating Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS The shortened relaxometry times in the brain of children with ASD may be associated with the increased myelin content and decreased water content in the brain of children with ASD in comparison with GDD, contributing the understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. Therefore, the T1 and T2 relaxometry may be used as promising imaging markers for ASD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang-Yu Li
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Xin Zhao
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Mei-Ying Cheng
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Lin Lu
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | | | - De-Sheng Xuan
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Yong-Bing Sun
- Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qing-Na Xing
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Ling-Song Meng
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Jun-Jie Liao
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Shu-Hong Cui
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Ling-Jie Zhang
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Zhan-Qi Feng
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
| | - Xiao-An Zhang
- From the Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou
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28
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Parent O, Bussy A, Devenyi GA, Dai A, Costantino M, Tullo S, Salaciak A, Bedford S, Farzin S, Béland ML, Valiquette V, Villeneuve S, Poirier J, Tardif CL, Dadar M, Chakravarty MM. Assessment of white matter hyperintensity severity using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad279. [PMID: 37953840 PMCID: PMC10636521 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
White matter hyperintensities are radiological abnormalities reflecting cerebrovascular dysfunction detectable using MRI. White matter hyperintensities are often present in individuals at the later stages of the lifespan and in prodromal stages in the Alzheimer's disease spectrum. Tissue alterations underlying white matter hyperintensities may include demyelination, inflammation and oedema, but these are highly variable by neuroanatomical location and between individuals. There is a crucial need to characterize these white matter hyperintensity tissue alterations in vivo to improve prognosis and, potentially, treatment outcomes. How different MRI measure(s) of tissue microstructure capture clinically-relevant white matter hyperintensity tissue damage is currently unknown. Here, we compared six MRI signal measures sampled within white matter hyperintensities and their associations with multiple clinically-relevant outcomes, consisting of global and cortical brain morphometry, cognitive function, diagnostic and demographic differences and cardiovascular risk factors. We used cross-sectional data from 118 participants: healthy controls (n = 30), individuals at high risk for Alzheimer's disease due to familial history (n = 47), mild cognitive impairment (n = 32) and clinical Alzheimer's disease dementia (n = 9). We sampled the median signal within white matter hyperintensities on weighted MRI images [T1-weighted (T1w), T2-weighted (T2w), T1w/T2w ratio, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)] as well as the relaxation times from quantitative T1 (qT1) and T2* (qT2*) images. qT2* and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signals within white matter hyperintensities displayed different age- and disease-related trends compared to normal-appearing white matter signals, suggesting sensitivity to white matter hyperintensity-specific tissue deterioration. Further, white matter hyperintensity qT2*, particularly in periventricular and occipital white matter regions, was consistently associated with all types of clinically-relevant outcomes in both univariate and multivariate analyses and across two parcellation schemes. qT1 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery measures showed consistent clinical relationships in multivariate but not univariate analyses, while T1w, T2w and T1w/T2w ratio measures were not consistently associated with clinical variables. We observed that the qT2* signal was sensitive to clinically-relevant microstructural tissue alterations specific to white matter hyperintensities. Our results suggest that combining volumetric and signal measures of white matter hyperintensity should be considered to fully characterize the severity of white matter hyperintensities in vivo. These findings may have implications in determining the reversibility of white matter hyperintensities and the potential efficacy of cardio- and cerebrovascular treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Parent
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Aurélie Bussy
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Gabriel Allan Devenyi
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Alyssa Dai
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Manuela Costantino
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Stephanie Tullo
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Alyssa Salaciak
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Saashi Bedford
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Sarah Farzin
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Marie-Lise Béland
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Vanessa Valiquette
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Sylvia Villeneuve
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- Center for the Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Judes Poirier
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- Center for the Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Christine Lucas Tardif
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Mahsa Dadar
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
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29
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Corbin N, Oliveira R, Raynaud Q, Di Domenicantonio G, Draganski B, Kherif F, Callaghan MF, Lutti A. Statistical analyses of motion-corrupted MRI relaxometry data computed from multiple scans. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 398:109950. [PMID: 37598941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Consistent noise variance across data points (i.e. homoscedasticity) is required to ensure the validity of statistical analyses of MRI data conducted using linear regression methods. However, head motion leads to degradation of image quality, introducing noise heteroscedasticity into ordinary-least square analyses. NEW METHOD The recently introduced QUIQI method restores noise homoscedasticity by means of weighted least square analyses in which the weights, specific for each dataset of an analysis, are computed from an index of motion-induced image quality degradation. QUIQI was first demonstrated in the context of brain maps of the MRI parameter R2 * , which were computed from a single set of images with variable echo time. Here, we extend this framework to quantitative maps of the MRI parameters R1, R2 * , and MTsat, computed from multiple sets of images. RESULTS QUIQI restores homoscedasticity in analyses of quantitative MRI data computed from multiple scans. QUIQI allows for optimization of the noise model by using metrics quantifying heteroscedasticity and free energy. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS QUIQI restores homoscedasticity more effectively than insertion of an image quality index in the analysis design and yields higher sensitivity than simply removing the datasets most corrupted by head motion from the analysis. CONCLUSION QUIQI provides an optimal approach to group-wise analyses of a range of quantitative MRI parameter maps that is robust to inherent homoscedasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Corbin
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/University Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rita Oliveira
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Quentin Raynaud
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Di Domenicantonio
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ferath Kherif
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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30
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Filo S, Shaharabani R, Bar Hanin D, Adam M, Ben-David E, Schoffman H, Margalit N, Habib N, Shahar T, Mezer AA. Non-invasive assessment of normal and impaired iron homeostasis in the brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5467. [PMID: 37699931 PMCID: PMC10497590 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40999-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Strict iron regulation is essential for normal brain function. The iron homeostasis, determined by the milieu of available iron compounds, is impaired in aging, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. However, non-invasive assessment of different molecular iron environments implicating brain tissue's iron homeostasis remains a challenge. We present a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology sensitive to the iron homeostasis of the living brain (the r1-r2* relaxivity). In vitro, our MRI approach reveals the distinct paramagnetic properties of ferritin, transferrin and ferrous iron ions. In the in vivo human brain, we validate our approach against ex vivo iron compounds quantification and gene expression. Our approach varies with the iron mobilization capacity across brain regions and in aging. It reveals brain tumors' iron homeostasis, and enhances the distinction between tumor tissue and non-pathological tissue without contrast agents. Therefore, our approach may allow for non-invasive research and diagnosis of iron homeostasis in living human brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shir Filo
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Rona Shaharabani
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel Bar Hanin
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Miriam Adam
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eliel Ben-David
- The Department of Radiology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hanan Schoffman
- The Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nevo Margalit
- The Department of Neurosurgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Naomi Habib
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tal Shahar
- The Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Department of Neurosurgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Department of Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aviv A Mezer
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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31
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Royer J, Larivière S, Rodriguez-Cruces R, Cabalo DG, Tavakol S, Auer H, Ngo A, Park BY, Paquola C, Smallwood J, Jefferies E, Caciagli L, Bernasconi A, Bernasconi N, Frauscher B, Bernhardt BC. Cortical microstructural gradients capture memory network reorganization in temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain 2023; 146:3923-3937. [PMID: 37082950 PMCID: PMC10473569 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), one of the most common pharmaco-resistant epilepsies, is associated with pathology of paralimbic brain regions, particularly in the mesiotemporal lobe. Cognitive dysfunction in TLE is frequent, and particularly affects episodic memory. Crucially, these difficulties challenge the quality of life of patients, sometimes more than seizures, underscoring the need to assess neural processes of cognitive dysfunction in TLE to improve patient management. Our work harnessed a novel conceptual and analytical approach to assess spatial gradients of microstructural differentiation between cortical areas based on high-resolution MRI analysis. Gradients track region-to-region variations in intracortical lamination and myeloarchitecture, serving as a system-level measure of structural and functional reorganization. Comparing cortex-wide microstructural gradients between 21 patients and 35 healthy controls, we observed a reorganization of this gradient in TLE driven by reduced microstructural differentiation between paralimbic cortices and the remaining cortex with marked abnormalities in ipsilateral temporopolar and dorsolateral prefrontal regions. Findings were replicated in an independent cohort. Using an independent post-mortem dataset, we observed that in vivo findings reflected topographical variations in cortical cytoarchitecture. We indeed found that macroscale changes in microstructural differentiation in TLE reflected increased similarity of paralimbic and primary sensory/motor regions. Disease-related transcriptomics could furthermore show specificity of our findings to TLE over other common epilepsy syndromes. Finally, microstructural dedifferentiation was associated with cognitive network reorganization seen during an episodic memory functional MRI paradigm and correlated with interindividual differences in task accuracy. Collectively, our findings showing a pattern of reduced microarchitectural differentiation between paralimbic regions and the remaining cortex provide a structurally-grounded explanation for large-scale functional network reorganization and cognitive dysfunction characteristic of TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Royer
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Sara Larivière
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Raul Rodriguez-Cruces
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Donna Gift Cabalo
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Shahin Tavakol
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Hans Auer
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alexander Ngo
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Bo-yong Park
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - Casey Paquola
- Multiscale Neuroanatomy Lab, INM-1, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | | | - Lorenzo Caciagli
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, MA 19104, USA
| | - Andrea Bernasconi
- Neuroimaging of Epilepsy Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Neda Bernasconi
- Neuroimaging of Epilepsy Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Birgit Frauscher
- Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
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32
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Doose A, Tam FI, Hellerhoff I, King JA, Boehm I, Gottloeber K, Wahl H, Werner A, Raschke F, Bartnik-Olson B, Lin AP, Akgün K, Roessner V, Linn J, Ehrlich S. Triangulating brain alterations in anorexia nervosa: a multimodal investigation of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, morphometry and blood-based biomarkers. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:277. [PMID: 37573444 PMCID: PMC10423271 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02580-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The acute state of anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with widespread reductions in cortical gray matter (GM) thickness and white matter (WM) volume, suspected changes in myelin content and elevated levels of the neuronal damage marker neurofilament light (NF-L), but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. To gain a deeper understanding of brain changes in AN, we applied a multimodal approach combining advanced neuroimaging methods with analysis of blood-derived biomarkers. In addition to standard measures of cortical GM thickness and WM volume, we analyzed tissue-specific profiles of brain metabolites using multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, T1 relaxation time as a proxy of myelin content leveraging advanced quantitative MRI methods and serum NF-L concentrations in a sample of 30 female, predominately adolescent patients with AN and 30 age-matched female healthy control participants. In patients with AN, we found a reduction in GM cortical thickness and GM total N-acetyl aspartate. The latter predicted higher NF-L levels, which were elevated in AN. Furthermore, GM total choline was elevated. In WM, there were no group differences in either imaging markers, choline levels or N-acetyl aspartate levels. The current study provides evidence for neuronal damage processes as well as for increased membrane lipid catabolism and turnover in GM in acute AN but no evidence for WM pathology. Our results illustrate the potential of multimodal research including tissue-specific proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses to shed light on brain changes in psychiatric and neurological conditions, which may ultimately lead to better treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Doose
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Friederike I Tam
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Inger Hellerhoff
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph A King
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilka Boehm
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kim Gottloeber
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hannes Wahl
- Department of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Werner
- Department of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Felix Raschke
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Brenda Bartnik-Olson
- Department of Radiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Alexander P Lin
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katja Akgün
- Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurological Clinic, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jennifer Linn
- Department of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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33
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Barakovic M, Pizzolato M, Tax CMW, Rudrapatna U, Magon S, Dyrby TB, Granziera C, Thiran JP, Jones DK, Canales-Rodríguez EJ. Estimating axon radius using diffusion-relaxation MRI: calibrating a surface-based relaxation model with histology. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1209521. [PMID: 37638307 PMCID: PMC10457121 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1209521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Axon radius is a potential biomarker for brain diseases and a crucial tissue microstructure parameter that determines the speed of action potentials. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) allows non-invasive estimation of axon radius, but accurately estimating the radius of axons in the human brain is challenging. Most axons in the brain have a radius below one micrometer, which falls below the sensitivity limit of dMRI signals even when using the most advanced human MRI scanners. Therefore, new MRI methods that are sensitive to small axon radii are needed. In this proof-of-concept investigation, we examine whether a surface-based axonal relaxation process could mediate a relationship between intra-axonal T2 and T1 times and inner axon radius, as measured using postmortem histology. A unique in vivo human diffusion-T1-T2 relaxation dataset was acquired on a 3T MRI scanner with ultra-strong diffusion gradients, using a strong diffusion-weighting (i.e., b = 6,000 s/mm2) and multiple inversion and echo times. A second reduced diffusion-T2 dataset was collected at various echo times to evaluate the model further. The intra-axonal relaxation times were estimated by fitting a diffusion-relaxation model to the orientation-averaged spherical mean signals. Our analysis revealed that the proposed surface-based relaxation model effectively explains the relationship between the estimated relaxation times and the histological axon radius measured in various corpus callosum regions. Using these histological values, we developed a novel calibration approach to predict axon radius in other areas of the corpus callosum. Notably, the predicted radii and those determined from histological measurements were in close agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhamed Barakovic
- Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco Pizzolato
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Chantal M. W. Tax
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Umesh Rudrapatna
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Magon
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim B. Dyrby
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Cristina Granziera
- Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel (RC2NB), University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Thiran
- Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Centre d’Imagerie Biomédicale (CIBM), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Derek K. Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Erick J. Canales-Rodríguez
- Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Pietroboni AM, Colombi A, Contarino VE, Russo FML, Conte G, Morabito A, Siggillino S, Carandini T, Fenoglio C, Arighi A, De Riz MA, Arcaro M, Sacchi L, Fumagalli GG, Bianchi AM, Triulzi F, Scarpini E, Galimberti D. Quantitative susceptibility mapping of the normal-appearing white matter as a potential new marker of disability progression in multiple sclerosis. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:5368-5377. [PMID: 36562783 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09338-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) susceptibility in a cohort of newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to evaluate possible correlations between NAWM susceptibility and disability progression. METHODS Fifty-nine patients with a diagnosis of MS (n = 53) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) (n = 6) were recruited and followed up. All participants underwent neurological examination, blood sampling for serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) level assessment, lumbar puncture for the quantification of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β-amyloid1-42 (Aβ) levels, and brain MRI. T2-weighted scans were used to quantify white matter (WM) lesion loads. For each scan, we derived the NAWM volume fraction and the WM lesion volume fraction. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) of the NAWM was calculated using the susceptibility tensor imaging (STI) suite. Susceptibility maps were computed with the STAR algorithm. RESULTS Primary progressive patients (n = 9) showed a higher mean susceptibility value in the NAWM than relapsing-remitting (n = 44) and CIS (n = 6) (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). Patients with a higher susceptibility in the NAWM showed increased sNfL concentration (ρ = 0.38, p = 0.004) and lower CSF Aβ levels (ρ = -0.34, p = 0.009). Mean NAWM susceptibility turned out to be a predictor of the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) worsening at follow-up (β = 0.41, t = 2.66, p = 0.01) and of the MS severity scale (MSSS) (β = 0.38, t = 2.43, p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS QSM in the NAWM seems to predict the EDSS increment over time. This finding might provide evidence on the role of QSM in identifying patients with an increased risk of early disability progression. KEY POINTS • NAWM-QSM is higher in PPMS patients than in RRMS. • NAWM-QSM seems to be a predictor of EDSS worsening over time. • Patients with higher NAWM-QSM show increased sNfL concentration and lower CSF Aβ levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Pietroboni
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Colombi
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria E Contarino
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Maria Lo Russo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Conte
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Aurelia Morabito
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Siggillino
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Carandini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Arighi
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Milena A De Riz
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Arcaro
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio G Fumagalli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Triulzi
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elio Scarpini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Boroshok AL, McDermott CL, Fotiadis P, Park AT, Tooley UA, Gataviņš MM, Tisdall MD, Bassett DS, Mackey AP. Individual differences in T1w/T2w ratio development during childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 62:101270. [PMID: 37348147 PMCID: PMC10439503 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Myelination is a key developmental process that promotes rapid and efficient information transfer. Myelin also stabilizes existing brain networks and thus may constrain neuroplasticity, defined here as the brain's potential to change in response to experiences rather than the canonical definition as the process of change. Characterizing individual differences in neuroplasticity may shed light on mechanisms by which early experiences shape learning, brain and body development, and response to interventions. The T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) MRI signal ratio is a proxy measure of cortical microstructure and thus neuroplasticity. Here, in pre-registered analyses, we investigated individual differences in T1w/T2w ratios in children (ages 4-10, n = 157). T1w/T2w ratios were positively associated with age within early-developing sensorimotor and attention regions. We also tested whether socioeconomic status, cognition (crystallized knowledge or fluid reasoning), and biological age (as measured with molar eruption) were related to T1w/T2w signal but found no significant effects. Associations among T1w/T2w ratios, early experiences, and cognition may emerge later in adolescence and may not be strong enough to detect in moderate sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin L Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Panagiotis Fotiadis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anne T Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ursula A Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Mārtiņš M Gataviņš
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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36
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Nepozitek J, Varga Z, Dostalova S, Perinova P, Keller J, Robinson S, Ibarburu V, Prihodova I, Bezdicek O, Ruzicka E, Sonka K, Dusek P. Magnetic susceptibility changes in the brainstem reflect REM sleep without atonia severity in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:112. [PMID: 37452075 PMCID: PMC10349141 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00557-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
REM sleep without atonia (RWA) is the hallmark of isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and is caused by neurodegeneration of brainstem structures. Previously, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) was shown to detect microstructural tissue changes in neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of the study was to compare brainstem magnetic susceptibility (MS) in iRBD and controls using the voxel-based QSM approach and to examine the association between brainstem MS and severity of RWA in iRBD. Sixty iRBD patients and 41 healthy controls were included in the study. Phasic, tonic, mixed RWA and SINBAR score was quantified. QSM maps were reconstructed with QSMbox software from a multi-gradient-echo sequence acquired at 3T MRI system and normalized using a custom T1 template. Voxel-based analysis with age and gender as covariates was performed using a two-sample t-test model for between-group comparison and using a linear regression model for association with the RWA parameters. Statistical maps were generated using threshold free cluster enhancement with p-value p < 0.05, corrected for family wise error. Compared to controls, the iRBD group had higher MS in bilateral substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus and the ventral tegmental area. MS positively correlated with iRBD duration in the right pedunculotegmental nucleus and white matter of caudal mesencephalic and pontine tegmentum and with phasic RWA in bilateral SN. QSM was able to detect MS abnormalities in several brainstem structures in iRBD. Association of MS levels in the brainstem with the intensity of RWA suggests that increased iron content in SN is related to RWA severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Nepozitek
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Zsoka Varga
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Dostalova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Perinova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Keller
- Radiodiagnostic Department, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Simon Robinson
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Centre of Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Veronika Ibarburu
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Prihodova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Bezdicek
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Ruzicka
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Sonka
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Dusek
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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Xie F, Mao T, Tang J, Zhao L, Guo J, Lin H, Wang D, Zhou G. Evaluation of iron deposition in the motor CSTC loop of a Chinese family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia using quantitative susceptibility mapping. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1164600. [PMID: 37483438 PMCID: PMC10358764 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1164600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies have revealed structural, functional, and metabolic changes in brain regions inside the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop in patients with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD), whereas no quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM)-related studies have explored brain iron deposition in these areas. Methods A total of eight familial PKD patients and 10 of their healthy family members (normal controls) were recruited and underwent QSM on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging system. Magnetic susceptibility maps were reconstructed using a multi-scale dipole inversion algorithm. Thereafter, we specifically analyzed changes in local mean susceptibility values in cortical regions and subcortical nuclei inside the motor CSTC loop. Results Compared with normal controls, PKD patients had altered brain iron levels. In the cortical gray matter area involved with the motor CSTC loop, susceptibility values were generally elevated, especially in the bilateral M1 and PMv regions. In the subcortical nuclei regions involved with the motor CSTC loop, susceptibility values were generally lower, especially in the bilateral substantia nigra regions. Conclusion Our results provide new evidence for the neuropathogenesis of PKD and suggest that an imbalance in brain iron levels may play a role in PKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Xie
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ting Mao
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jingyi Tang
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linmei Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiuqing Guo
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huashan Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Diagnosis, GE Healthcare, Changsha, China
| | - Dongcui Wang
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Gaofeng Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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38
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Skorska MN, Thurston LT, Biasin JM, Devenyi GA, Zucker KJ, Chakravarty MM, Lai MC, VanderLaan DP. Cortical Structure Differences in Relation to Age, Sexual Attractions, and Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents: An Examination of Mean Diffusivity and T1 Relaxation Time. Brain Sci 2023; 13:963. [PMID: 37371441 PMCID: PMC10296103 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research found that the combination of masculine gender identity and gynephilia was associated with cortical T1 relaxation time, which is considered to reflect gray matter density. We hypothesized that mean diffusivity (MD), a diffusion tensor imaging metric that reflects the degree to which water movement is free versus constrained, in combination with T1 relaxation time would provide further insight regarding cortical tissue characteristics. MD and T1 relaxation time were measured in 76 cortical regions in 15 adolescents assigned female at birth who experience gender dysphoria (GD AFAB) and were not receiving hormone therapy, 17 cisgender girls, and 14 cisgender boys (ages 12-17 years). Sexual orientation was represented by the degree of androphilia-gynephilia and the strength of sexual attraction. In multivariate analyses, cortical T1 relaxation time showed a weak but statistically significant positive association with MD across the cortex, suggesting that macromolecule-rich cortical tissue also tends to show water movement that is somewhat more constrained. In further multivariate analyses, in several left frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, the combination of shorter T1 relaxation time and faster MD was associated with older age and greater gynephilia in GD AFAB individuals and cisgender boys and with stronger attractions in cisgender boys only. Thus, for these cortical regions in these groups, older age, gynephilia, and stronger attractions (cisgender boys only) were associated with macromolecule-rich tissue in which water movement was freer-a pattern that some prior research suggests is associated with greater cell density and size. Overall, this study indicates that investigating T1 relaxation time and MD together can further inform how cortical gray matter tissue characteristics relate to age and psychosexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvina N. Skorska
- Child & Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; (M.N.S.)
| | - Lindsey T. Thurston
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Jessica M. Biasin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Gabriel A. Devenyi
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada (M.M.C.)
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Kenneth J. Zucker
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada (M.M.C.)
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Child & Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; (M.N.S.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei 100229, Taiwan
| | - Doug P. VanderLaan
- Child & Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; (M.N.S.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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Lin Q, Shahid S, Hone‐Blanchet A, Huang S, Wu J, Bisht A, Loring D, Goldstein F, Levey A, Crosson B, Lah J, Qiu D. Magnetic resonance evidence of increased iron content in subcortical brain regions in asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:3072-3083. [PMID: 36929676 PMCID: PMC10171513 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
While iron over-accumulation has been reported in late stage Alzheimer's disease (AD), whether this occurs early in the asymptomatic stage of AD remains unknown. We aimed to assess brain iron levels in asymptomatic AD using quantitative MR relaxometry of effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) and longitudinal relaxation rate (R1), and recruited 118 participants comprised of three groups including healthy young participants, and cognitively normal older individuals without or with positive AD biomarkers based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomics analysis. Compared with the healthy young group, increased R2* was found in widespread cortical and subcortical regions in the older groups. Further, significantly higher levels of R2* were found in the cognitively normal older subjects with positive CSF AD biomarker (i.e., asymptomatic AD) compared with those with negative AD biomarker in subcortical regions including the left and right caudate, left and right putamen, and left and right globus pallidus (p < .05 for all regions), suggesting increased iron content in these regions. Subcortical R2* of some regions was found to significantly correlate with CSF AD biomarkers and neuropsychological assessments of visuospatial functions. In conclusion, R2* could be a valuable biomarker for studying early pathophysiological changes in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixiang Lin
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Salman Shahid
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Shuai Huang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Junjie Wu
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Aditya Bisht
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - David Loring
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Felicia Goldstein
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Allan Levey
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Bruce Crosson
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - James Lah
- Department of Neurology, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Deqiang Qiu
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of MedicineEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringEmory University and Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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Surgent O, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Dean DC, Kirk GR, Adluru N, Kecskemeti SR, Alexander AL, Travers BG. How we get a grip: Microstructural neural correlates of manual grip strength in children. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120117. [PMID: 37062373 PMCID: PMC10161685 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Maximal grip strength is associated with a variety of health-related outcome measures and thus may be reflective of the efficiency of foundational brain-body communication. Non-human primate models of grip strength strongly implicate the cortical lateral grasping network, but little is known about the translatability of these models to human children. Further, it is unclear how supplementary networks that provide proprioceptive information and cerebellar-based motor command modification are associated with maximal grip strength. Therefore, this study employed high resolution, multi-shell diffusion and quantitative T1 imaging to examine how variations in lateral grasping, proprioception input, and cortico-cerebellar modification network white matter microstructure are associated with variations in grip strength across 70 children. Results indicated that stronger grip strength was associated with higher lateral grasping and proprioception input network fractional anisotropy and R1, indirect measures consistent with stronger microstructural coherence and increased myelination. No relationships were found in the cerebellar modification network. These results provide a neurobiological mechanism of grip behavior in children which suggests that increased myelination of cortical sensory and motor pathways is associated with stronger grip. This neurobiological mechanism may be a signature of pediatric neuro-motor behavior more broadly as evidenced by the previously demonstrated relationships between grip strength and behavioral outcome measures across a variety of clinical and non-clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Surgent
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Gregory R Kirk
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Brittany G Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
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41
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Dinçer HA, Ağıldere AM, Gökçay D. T1 relaxation time is prolonged in healthy aging: a whole brain study. Turk J Med Sci 2023; 53:675-684. [PMID: 37476907 PMCID: PMC10387954 DOI: 10.55730/1300-0144.5630] [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: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND : Measurement of tissue characteristics such as the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) provides complementary information to the volumetric and surface based structural analyses. We aimed to investigate T1 relaxation time characteristics in healthy aging via an exploratory design in the whole brain. The data processing pipeline was designed to minimize errors related to aging effects such as atrophy. METHODS Sixty healthy participants underwent MRI scanning (28 F, 32 M, age range: 18-78, 30 young and 30 old) in November 2017-March 2018 at the Bilkent University UMRAM Center. Four images with varying flip angles with FLASH (fast low angle shot magnetic resonance imaging) sequence and a high-resolution structural image with MP-RAGE (Magnetization Prepared - RApid Gradient Echo) were acquired. T1 relaxation times of the entire brain were mapped by using the region of interest (ROI) based method on 134 brain areas in young and old populations. RESULTS T1 prolongation was observed in various subcortical (bilateral hippocampus, caudate and thalamus) and cortical brain structures (bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA), left middle occipital gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus and bilateral Heschl's gyrus) as well as cerebellar regions (GM regions of cerebellum: bilateral cerebellum III, cerebellum IV V, cerebellum X, cerebellar vermis u 4 5, cerebellar vermis u 9 and WM cerebellar regions: left cerebellum IX, bilateral cerebellum X and cerebellar vermis u 4 5). DISCUSSION T1 mapping provides a practical quantitative MRI (qMRI) methodology for studying the tissue characteristics in healthy aging. T1 values are significantly increased in the aging group among half of the studied ROIs (57 ROIs out of 134).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayriye Aktaş Dinçer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Didem Gökçay
- Department of Medical Informatics, Informatics Institute, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
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Berger C, Bauer M, Scheurer E, Lenz C. Temperature correction of post mortem quantitative magnetic resonance imaging using real-time forehead temperature acquisitions. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 348:111738. [PMID: 37263059 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111738] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of deceased is challenging due to altered body temperatures compared to in vivo temperatures and, hence, requires a temperature correction. This study investigates the possibility to correct brain MRI parameters real-time and non invasively based on the forehead temperature. 17 post mortem cases were included and their forehead temperatures were measured continuously during the in situ brain MRI protocol consisting of a diffusion tensor imaging, multi-contrast spin echo, multi-echo gradient echo and inversion recovery spin echo sequence. Linear models were fitted to the quantitative MRI parameters in a forensically interesting temperature range for white matter, cerebral cortex and deep gray matter, separately, and the influence of the forehead temperature on the MRI parameters was determined. A statistically significant temperature sensitivity was found for T2 and mean diffusivity in white matter, for T1 in cerebral cortex, as well as for T1 and mean diffusivity in deep gray matter. Linear models were computed to temperature correct these MRI parameters in in situ post mortem scans to allow their comparison regardless of temperature. The here presented real-time and non invasive temperature correction method for the brain presents a crucial precondition for quantitative in situ post mortem MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Berger
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Bauer
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eva Scheurer
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Lenz
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland.
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Doehler J, Northall A, Liu P, Fracasso A, Chrysidou A, Speck O, Lohmann G, Wolbers T, Kuehn E. The 3D Structural Architecture of the Human Hand Area Is Nontopographic. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3456-3476. [PMID: 37001994 PMCID: PMC10184749 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1692-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional topography of the human primary somatosensory cortex hand area is a widely studied model system to understand sensory organization and plasticity. It is so far unclear whether the underlying 3D structural architecture also shows a topographic organization. We used 7 Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to quantify layer-specific myelin, iron, and mineralization in relation to population receptive field maps of individual finger representations in Brodman area 3b (BA 3b) of human S1 in female and male younger adults. This 3D description allowed us to identify a characteristic profile of layer-specific myelin and iron deposition in the BA 3b hand area, but revealed an absence of structural differences, an absence of low-myelin borders, and high similarity of 3D microstructure profiles between individual fingers. However, structural differences and borders were detected between the hand and face areas. We conclude that the 3D structural architecture of the human hand area is nontopographic, unlike in some monkey species, which suggests a high degree of flexibility for functional finger organization and a new perspective on human topographic plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Using ultra-high-field MRI, we provide the first comprehensive in vivo description of the 3D structural architecture of the human BA 3b hand area in relation to functional population receptive field maps. High similarity of precise finger-specific 3D profiles, together with an absence of structural differences and an absence of low-myelin borders between individual fingers, reveals the 3D structural architecture of the human hand area to be nontopographic. This suggests reduced structural limitations to cortical plasticity and reorganization and allows for shared representational features across fingers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Doehler
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alicia Northall
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peng Liu
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alessio Fracasso
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasia Chrysidou
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Speck
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gabriele Lohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Esther Kuehn
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
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Li Z, Feng R, Liu Q, Feng J, Lao G, Zhang M, Li J, Zhang Y, Wei H. APART-QSM: an improved sub-voxel quantitative susceptibility mapping for susceptibility source separation using an iterative data fitting method. Neuroimage 2023; 274:120148. [PMID: 37127191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120148] [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: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain tissue phase contrast in MRI sequences reflects the spatial distributions of multiple substances, such as iron, myelin, calcium, and proteins. These substances with paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibilities often colocalize in one voxel in brain regions. Both opposing susceptibilities play vital roles in brain development and neurodegenerative diseases. Conventional QSM methods only provide voxel-averaged susceptibility value and cannot disentangle intravoxel susceptibilities with opposite signs. Advanced susceptibility imaging methods have been recently developed to distinguish the contributions of opposing susceptibility sources for QSM. The basic concept of separating paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibility proportions is to include the relaxation rate R2* with R2' in QSM. The magnitude decay kernel, describing the proportionality coefficient between R2' and susceptibility, is an essential reconstruction coefficient for QSM separation methods. In this study, we proposed a more comprehensive complex signal model that describes the relationship between 3D GRE signal and the contributions of paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibility to the frequency shift and R2* relaxation. The algorithm is implemented as a constrained minimization problem in which the voxel-wise magnitude decay kernel and sub-voxel susceptibilities are determined alternately in each iteration until convergence. The calculated voxel-wise magnitude decay kernel could realistically model the relationship between the R2' relaxation and the volume susceptibility. Thus, the proposed method effectively prevents the errors of the magnitude decay kernel from propagating to the final susceptibility separation reconstruction. Phantom studies, ex vivo macaque brain experiments, and in vivo human brain imaging studies were conducted to evaluate the ability of the proposed method to distinguish paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibility sources. The results demonstrate that the proposed method provides state-of-the-art performances for quantifying brain iron and myelin compared to previous QSM separation methods. Our results show that the proposed method has the potential to simultaneously quantify whole brain iron and myelin during brain development and aging. The proposed model was also deployed with multiple-orientation complex GRE data input measurements, resulting in high-quality QSM separation maps with more faithful tissue delineation between brain structures compared to those reconstructed by single-orientation QSM separation methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghao Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruimin Feng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiangqiang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center Comprehensive Epilepsy Unit, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Feng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoyan Lao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuyao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjiang Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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45
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Boonsuth R, Battiston M, Grussu F, Samlidou CM, Calvi A, Samson RS, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CAM, Yiannakas MC. Feasibility of in vivo multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of the healthy sciatic nerve with a unified signal readout protocol. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6565. [PMID: 37085693 PMCID: PMC10121559 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33618-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) has been used successfully over the years to investigate the peripheral nervous system (PNS) because it allows early detection and precise localisation of neural tissue damage. However, studies demonstrating the feasibility of combining MRN with multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) methods, which provide more specific information related to nerve tissue composition and microstructural organisation, can be invaluable. The translation of emerging qMRI methods previously validated in the central nervous system to the PNS offers real potential to characterise in patients in vivo the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms involved in a plethora of conditions of the PNS. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of combining MRN with qMRI to measure diffusion, magnetisation transfer and relaxation properties of the healthy sciatic nerve in vivo using a unified signal readout protocol. The reproducibility of the multi-parametric qMRI protocol as well as normative qMRI measures in the healthy sciatic nerve are reported. The findings presented herein pave the way to the practical implementation of joint MRN-qMRI in future studies of pathological conditions affecting the PNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratthaporn Boonsuth
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
| | - Marco Battiston
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Francesco Grussu
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christina Maria Samlidou
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alberto Calvi
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Center of Neuroimmunology, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Fundació Clinic Per a La Recerca Biomedica, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rebecca S Samson
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Claudia A M Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Brain Connectivity Research Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marios C Yiannakas
- NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Northall A, Doehler J, Weber M, Vielhaber S, Schreiber S, Kuehn E. Layer-specific vulnerability is a mechanism of topographic map aging. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 128:17-32. [PMID: 37141729 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Topographic maps form a critical feature of cortical organization, yet are poorly described with respect to their microstructure in the living aging brain. We acquired quantitative structural and functional 7T-MRI data from younger and older adults to characterize layer-wise topographic maps of the primary motor cortex (M1). Using parcellation-inspired techniques, we show that quantitative T1 and Quantitative Susceptibility Maps values of the hand, face, and foot areas differ significantly, revealing microstructurally distinct cortical fields in M1. We show that these fields are distinct in older adults and that myelin borders between them do not degenerate. We further show that the output layer 5 of M1 shows a particular vulnerability to age-related increased iron, while layer 5 and the superficial layer show increased diamagnetic substance, likely reflecting calcifications. Taken together, we provide a novel 3D model of M1 microstructure, where body parts form distinct structural units, but layers show specific vulnerability toward increased iron and calcium in older adults. Our findings have implications for understanding sensorimotor organization and aging, in addition to topographic disease spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Northall
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
| | - Juliane Doehler
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
| | - Miriam Weber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
| | - Stefan Vielhaber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schreiber
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
| | - Esther Kuehn
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
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47
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Satoh R, Arani A, Senjem ML, Duffy JR, Clark HM, Utianski RL, Botha H, Machulda MM, Jack CR, Whitwell JL, Josephs KA. Spatial patterns of elevated magnetic susceptibility in progressive apraxia of speech. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103394. [PMID: 37003130 PMCID: PMC10102559 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the planning or programming of speech. Little is known about its magnetic susceptibility profiles indicative of biological processes such as iron deposition and demyelination. This study aims to clarify (1) the pattern of susceptibility in PAOS patients, (2) the susceptibility differences between the phonetic (characterized by predominance of distorted sound substitutions and additions) and prosodic (characterized by predominance of slow speech rate and segmentation) subtypes of PAOS, and (3) the relationships between susceptibility and symptom severity. METHODS Twenty patients with PAOS (nine phonetic and eleven prosodic subtypes) were prospectively recruited and underwent a 3 Tesla MRI scan. They also underwent detailed speech, language, and neurological evaluations. Quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM) were reconstructed from multi-echo gradient echo MRI images. Region of interest analysis was conducted to estimate susceptibility coefficients in several subcortical and frontal regions. We compared susceptibility values between PAOS and an age-matched control group and performed a correlation analysis between susceptibilities and an apraxia of speech rating scale (ASRS) phonetic and prosodic feature ratings. RESULTS The magnetic susceptibility of PAOS was statistically greater than that of controls in subcortical regions (left putamen, left red nucleus, and right dentate nucleus) (p < 0.01, also survived FDR correction) and in the left white-matter precentral gyrus (p < 0.05, but not survived FDR correction). The prosodic patients showed greater susceptibilities than controls in these subcortical and precentral regions. The susceptibility in the left red nucleus and in the left precentral gyrus correlated with the prosodic sub-score of the ASRS. CONCLUSION Magnetic susceptibility in PAOS patients was greater than controls mainly in the subcortical regions. While larger samples are needed before QSM is considered ready for clinical differential diagnosis, the present study contributes to our understanding of magnetic susceptibility changes and the pathophysiology of PAOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Satoh
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Arvin Arani
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Matthew L Senjem
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Joseph R Duffy
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | | | - Hugo Botha
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mary M Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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48
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Filip P, Kokošová V, Valenta Z, Baláž M, Mangia S, Michaeli S, Vojtíšek L. Utility of quantitative MRI metrics in brain ageing research. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1099499. [PMID: 36967815 PMCID: PMC10034010 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1099499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of new, advanced quantitative MRI metrics allows for in vivo evaluation of multiple biological processes highly relevant for ageing. The presented study combines several MRI parameters hypothesised to detect distinct biological characteristics as myelin density, cellularity, cellular membrane integrity and iron concentration. 116 healthy volunteers, continuously distributed over the whole adult age span, underwent a multi-modal MRI protocol acquisition. Scatterplots of individual MRI metrics revealed that certain MRI protocols offer much higher sensitivity to early adulthood changes while plateauing in higher age (e.g., global functional connectivity in cerebral cortex or orientation dispersion index in white matter), while other MRI metrics provided reverse ability—stable levels in young adulthood with sharp changes with rising age (e.g., T1ρ and T2ρ). Nonetheless, despite the previously published validations of specificity towards microstructural biology based on cytoarchitectonic maps in healthy population or alterations in certain pathologies, several metrics previously hypothesised to be selective to common measures failed to show similar scatterplot distributions, pointing to further confounding factors directly related to age. Furthermore, other metrics, previously shown to detect different biological characteristics, exhibited substantial intercorrelations, be it due to the nature of the MRI protocol itself or co-dependence of relevant biological microstructural processes. All in all, the presented study provides a unique basis for the design and choice of relevant MRI parameters depending on the age group of interest. Furthermore, it calls for caution in simplistic biological inferences in ageing based on one simple MRI metric, even though previously validated under other conditions. Complex multi-modal approaches combining several metrics to extract the shared subcomponent will be necessary to achieve the desired goal of histological MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Filip
- Department of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- *Correspondence: Pavel Filip,
| | - Viktória Kokošová
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of St. Anne, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Zdeněk Valenta
- Department of Statistical Modelling, Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Marek Baláž
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of St. Anne, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Silvia Mangia
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Shalom Michaeli
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Lubomír Vojtíšek
- Neuroscience Centre, Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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49
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Haenelt D, Trampel R, Nasr S, Polimeni JR, Tootell RBH, Sereno MI, Pine KJ, Edwards LJ, Helbling S, Weiskopf N. High-resolution quantitative and functional MRI indicate lower myelination of thin and thick stripes in human secondary visual cortex. eLife 2023; 12:e78756. [PMID: 36888685 PMCID: PMC9995117 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The characterization of cortical myelination is essential for the study of structure-function relationships in the human brain. However, knowledge about cortical myelination is largely based on post-mortem histology, which generally renders direct comparison to function impossible. The repeating pattern of pale-thin-pale-thick stripes of cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in the primate secondary visual cortex (V2) is a prominent columnar system, in which histology also indicates different myelination of thin/thick versus pale stripes. We used quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at ultra-high field strength (7 T) to localize and study myelination of stripes in four human participants at sub-millimeter resolution in vivo. Thin and thick stripes were functionally localized by exploiting their sensitivity to color and binocular disparity, respectively. Resulting functional activation maps showed robust stripe patterns in V2 which enabled further comparison of quantitative relaxation parameters between stripe types. Thereby, we found lower longitudinal relaxation rates (R1) of thin and thick stripes compared to surrounding gray matter in the order of 1-2%, indicating higher myelination of pale stripes. No consistent differences were found for effective transverse relaxation rates (R2*). The study demonstrates the feasibility to investigate structure-function relationships in living humans within one cortical area at the level of columnar systems using qMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Haenelt
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and PlasticityLeipzigGermany
| | - Robert Trampel
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Shahin Nasr
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestownUnited States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Jonathan R Polimeni
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestownUnited States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Roger BH Tootell
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestownUnited States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Martin I Sereno
- Department of Psychology, College of Sciences, San Diego State UniversitySan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kerrin J Pine
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Luke J Edwards
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Saskia Helbling
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Poeppel Lab, Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck SocietyFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
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50
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Milotta G, Green I, Roiser JP, Callaghan MF. In vivo multi-parameter mapping of the habenula using MRI. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3754. [PMID: 36882432 PMCID: PMC9992523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The habenula is a small, epithalamic brain structure situated between the mediodorsal thalamus and the third ventricle. It plays an important role in the reward circuitry of the brain and is implicated in psychiatric conditions, such as depression. The importance of the habenula for human cognition and mental health make it a key structure of interest for neuroimaging studies. However, few studies have characterised the physical properties of the human habenula using magnetic resonance imaging because its challenging visualisation in vivo, primarily due to its subcortical location and small size. To date, microstructural characterization of the habenula has focused on quantitative susceptibility mapping. In this work, we complement this previous characterisation with measures of longitudinal and effective transverse relaxation rates, proton density and magnetisation transfer saturation using a high-resolution quantitative multi-parametric mapping protocol at 3T, in a cohort of 26 healthy participants. The habenula had consistent boundaries across the various parameter maps and was most clearly visualised on the longitudinal relaxation rate maps. We have provided a quantitative multi-parametric characterisation that may be useful for future sequence optimisation to enhance visualisation of the habenula, and additionally provides reference values for future studies investigating pathological differences in habenula microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Milotta
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
| | - Isobel Green
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
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