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Faulkner ME, Gong Z, Guo A, Laporte JP, Bae J, Bouhrara M. Harnessing myelin water fraction as an imaging biomarker of human cerebral aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and risk factors influencing myelination: A review. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 38973579 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16170] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Myelin water fraction (MWF) imaging has emerged as a promising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker for investigating brain function and composition. This comprehensive review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on MWF as a biomarker of human cerebral aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and risk factors influencing myelination. The databases used include Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed. We begin with a brief discussion of the theoretical foundations of MWF imaging, including its basis in MR physics and the mathematical modeling underlying its calculation, with an overview of the most adopted MRI methods of MWF imaging. Next, we delve into the clinical and research applications that have been explored to date, highlighting its advantages and limitations. Finally, we explore the potential of MWF to serve as a predictive biomarker for neurological disorders and identify future research directions for optimizing MWF imaging protocols and interpreting MWF in various contexts. By harnessing the power of MWF imaging, we may gain new insights into brain health and disease across the human lifespan, ultimately informing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Faulkner
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhaoyuan Gong
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alex Guo
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - John P Laporte
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonghyun Bae
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mustapha Bouhrara
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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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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3
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Moore EM, Xia Y. Neurodevelopmental Trajectories Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:695855. [PMID: 35058760 PMCID: PMC8763806 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.695855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) interferes with neurodevelopment. The brain is particularly susceptible to the adverse consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure, and numerous studies have documented changes to brain anatomy and function, as well as consequences for cognition, behavior, and mental health. Studies in typically developing individuals have shown that the brain undergoes dynamic developmental processes over an individual’s lifespan. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders have shown that their developmental trajectories differ from the typical pattern. Therefore, to understand long-term clinical outcomes of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), it is necessary to investigate changes in neurodevelopmental trajectories in this population. Here we review studies that have used MRI to evaluate changes in brain structure and function over time via cross-sectional or longitudinal methods in individuals with PAE. Research demonstrates that individuals with PAE have atypical cortical and white matter microstructural developmental trajectories through childhood and adolescence. More research is needed to understand how factors such as sex and postnatal experiences may further mediate these trajectories. Furthermore, nothing is known about the trajectories beyond young adulthood.
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Kar P, Reynolds JE, Grohs MN, Gibbard WB, McMorris C, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. White matter alterations in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:400-410. [PMID: 33829663 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to cognitive, behavioural, and social-emotional challenges. Previous neuroimaging research has identified structural brain alterations in newborns, older children, adolescents, and adults with PAE; however, little is known about brain structure in young children. Extensive brain development occurs during early childhood; therefore, understanding the neurological profiles of young children with PAE is critical for early identification and effective intervention. We studied 54 children (5.21 ± 1.11 years; 27 males) with confirmed PAE (94% also had other prenatal exposures, 74% had adverse postnatal experiences) compared with 54 age- and sex-matched children without PAE. Children underwent diffusion tensor imaging between 2 and 7 years of age. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 10 major white matter tracts. Univariate analyses of covariance were used to test group differences (PAE vs. control) controlling for age and sex. The PAE group had higher FA in the genu of the corpus callosum and lower MD in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. The PAE group also had lower tract volume in the corpus callosum, the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. Our findings align with studies of newborns with PAE reporting lower diffusivity, but contrast those in older populations with PAE, which consistently report lower FA and higher MD. Further research is needed to understand trajectories of white matter development and how our results of higher FA/lower MD in young children connect with lower FA/higher MD observed at older ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Kar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jess E Reynolds
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Melody N Grohs
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - W Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carly McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Morris SR, Holmes RD, Dvorak AV, Liu H, Yoo Y, Vavasour IM, Mazabel S, Mädler B, Kolind SH, Li DKB, Siegel L, Beaulieu C, MacKay AL, Laule C. Brain Myelin Water Fraction and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Atlases for 9-10 Year-Old Children. J Neuroimaging 2020; 30:150-160. [PMID: 32064721 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Myelin water imaging (MWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provide information about myelin and axon-related brain microstructure, which can be useful for investigating normal brain development and many childhood brain disorders. While pediatric DTI atlases exist, there are no pediatric MWI atlases available for the 9-10 years old age group. As myelination and structural development occurs throughout childhood and adolescence, studies of pediatric brain pathologies must use age-specific MWI and DTI healthy control data. We created atlases of myelin water fraction (MWF) and DTI metrics for healthy children aged 9-10 years for use as normative data in pediatric neuroimaging studies. METHODS 3D-T1 , DTI, and MWI scans were acquired from 20 healthy children (mean age: 9.6 years, range: 9.2-10.3 years, 4 females). ANTs and FSL registration were used to create quantitative MWF and DTI atlases. Region of interest (ROI) analysis in nine white matter regions was used to compare pediatric MWF with adult MWF values from a recent study and to investigate the correlation between pediatric MWF and DTI metrics. RESULTS Adults had significantly higher MWF than the pediatric cohort in seven of the nine white matter ROIs, but not in the genu of the corpus callosum or the cingulum. In the pediatric data, MWF correlated significantly with mean diffusivity, but not with axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, or fractional anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS Normative MWF and DTI metrics from a group of 9-10 year old healthy children provide a resource for comparison to pathologies. The age-specific atlases are ready for use in pediatric neuroimaging research and can be accessed: https://sourceforge.net/projects/pediatric-mri-myelin-diffusion/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Morris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Adam V Dvorak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hanwen Liu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Youngjin Yoo
- Medical Imaging Technologies, Siemens Healthineers, Princeton, NJ
| | - Irene M Vavasour
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Silvia Mazabel
- Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Shannon H Kolind
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David K B Li
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Linda Siegel
- Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Alex L MacKay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Friedrich P, Fraenz C, Schlüter C, Ocklenburg S, Mädler B, Güntürkün O, Genç E. The Relationship Between Axon Density, Myelination, and Fractional Anisotropy in the Human Corpus Callosum. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:2042-2056. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The corpus callosum serves the functional integration and interaction between the two hemispheres. Many studies investigate callosal microstructure via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fractional anisotropy (FA) in geometrically parcellated segments. However, FA is influenced by several different microstructural properties such as myelination and axon density, hindering a neurobiological interpretation. This study explores the relationship between FA and more specific measures of microstructure within the corpus callosum in a sample of 271 healthy participants. DTI tractography was used to assess 11 callosal segments and gain estimates of FA. We quantified axon density and myelination via neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to assess intra-neurite volume fraction and a multiecho gradient spin-echo sequence estimating myelin water fraction. The results indicate three common factors in the distribution of FA, myelin content and axon density, indicating potentially shared rules of topographical distribution. Moreover, the relationship between measures varied across the corpus callosum, suggesting that FA should not be interpreted uniformly. More specific magnetic resonance imaging-based quantification techniques, such as NODDI and multiecho myelin water imaging, may thus play a key role in future studies of clinical trials and individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Friedrich
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory (BCBLab), Sorbonne Universities, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Christoph Fraenz
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Caroline Schlüter
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Burkhard Mädler
- Health Systems Department, Philips GmBH, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Erhan Genç
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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