1
|
Ohene Y, Harris WJ, Powell E, Wycech NW, Smethers KF, Lasič S, South K, Coutts G, Sharp A, Lawrence CB, Boutin H, Parker GJM, Parkes LM, Dickie BR. Filter exchange imaging with crusher gradient modelling detects increased blood-brain barrier water permeability in response to mild lung infection. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:25. [PMID: 37013549 PMCID: PMC10071630 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction occurs in many brain diseases, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that it is an early process in dementia which may be exacerbated by peripheral infection. Filter-exchange imaging (FEXI) is an MRI technique for measuring trans-membrane water exchange. FEXI data is typically analysed using the apparent exchange rate (AXR) model, yielding estimates of the AXR. Crusher gradients are commonly used to remove unwanted coherence pathways arising from longitudinal storage pulses during the mixing period. We first demonstrate that when using thin slices, as is needed for imaging the rodent brain, crusher gradients result in underestimation of the AXR. To address this, we propose an extended crusher-compensated exchange rate (CCXR) model to account for diffusion-weighting introduced by the crusher gradients, which is able to recover ground truth values of BBB water exchange (kin) in simulated data. When applied to the rat brain, kin estimates obtained using the CCXR model were 3.10 s-1 and 3.49 s-1 compared to AXR estimates of 1.24 s-1 and 0.49 s-1 for slice thicknesses of 4.0 mm and 2.5 mm respectively. We then validated our approach using a clinically relevant Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection. We observed a significant 70 ± 10% increase in BBB water exchange in rats during active infection (kin = 3.78 ± 0.42 s-1) compared to before infection (kin = 2.72 ± 0.30 s-1; p = 0.02). The BBB water exchange rate during infection was associated with higher levels of plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF), a marker of acute vascular inflammation. We also observed 42% higher expression of perivascular aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in infected animals compared to non-infected controls, while levels of tight junction proteins remain consistent between groups. In summary, we propose a modelling approach for FEXI data which removes the bias in estimated water-exchange rates associated with the use of crusher gradients. Using this approach, we demonstrate the impact of peripheral infection on BBB water exchange, which appears to be mediated by endothelial dysfunction and associated with an increase in perivascular AQP4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Ohene
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - William J Harris
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Elizabeth Powell
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nina W Wycech
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Katherine F Smethers
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Samo Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Random Walk Imaging, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kieron South
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Graham Coutts
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Sharp
- Evotec (UK) Ltd., Alderley Park, Block 23F, Mereside, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Catherine B Lawrence
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Hervé Boutin
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Geoff J M Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL, London, UK
- Bioxydyn Limited, Manchester, UK
| | - Laura M Parkes
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ben R Dickie
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chakwizira A, Westin C, Brabec J, Lasič S, Knutsson L, Szczepankiewicz F, Nilsson M. Diffusion MRI with pulsed and free gradient waveforms: Effects of restricted diffusion and exchange. NMR Biomed 2023; 36:e4827. [PMID: 36075110 PMCID: PMC10078514 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring time dependence with diffusion MRI yields observables sensitive to compartment sizes (restricted diffusion) and membrane permeability (water exchange). However, restricted diffusion and exchange have opposite effects on the diffusion-weighted signal, which can lead to errors in parameter estimates. In this work, we propose a signal representation that incorporates the effects of both restricted diffusion and exchange up to second order in b-value and is compatible with gradient waveforms of arbitrary shape. The representation features mappings from a gradient waveform to two scalars that separately control the sensitivity to restriction and exchange. We demonstrate that these scalars span a two-dimensional space that can be used to choose waveforms that selectively probe restricted diffusion or exchange, eliminating the correlation between the two phenomena. We found that waveforms with specific but unconventional shapes provide an advantage over conventional pulsed and oscillating gradient acquisitions. We also show that parametrization of waveforms into a two-dimensional space can be used to understand protocols from other approaches that probe restricted diffusion and exchange. For example, we found that the variation of mixing time in filter-exchange imaging corresponds to variation of our exchange-weighting scalar at a fixed value of the restriction-weighting scalar. The proposed signal representation was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations in identical parallel cylinders with hexagonal and random packing as well as parallel cylinders with gamma-distributed radii. Results showed that the approach is sensitive to sizes in the interval 4-12 μm and exchange rates in the simulated range of 0 to 20 s - 1 , but also that there is a sensitivity to the extracellular geometry. The presented theory constitutes a simple and intuitive description of how restricted diffusion and exchange influence the signal as well as a guide to protocol design capable of separating the two effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Chakwizira
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, LundLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Carl‐Fredrik Westin
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jan Brabec
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, LundLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Samo Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and ResearchCopenhagen University Hospital ‐ Amager and HvidovreCopenhagenDenmark
- Random Walk Imaging ABLundSweden
| | - Linda Knutsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, LundLund UniversityLundSweden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological ScienceJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain ImagingKennedy Krieger InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | | | - Markus Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, RadiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Syed Nasser N, Rajan S, Venugopal VK, Lasič S, Mahajan V, Mahajan H. A review on investigation of the basic contrast mechanism underlying multidimensional diffusion MRI in assessment of neurological disorders. J Clin Neurosci 2022; 102:26-35. [PMID: 35696817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2022.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multidimensional diffusion MRI (MDD MRI) is a novel diffusion technique that uses advanced gradient waveforms for microstructural tissue characterization to provide information about average rate, anisotropy and orientation of the diffusion and to disentangle the signal fraction from specific cell types i.e., elongated cells, isotropic cells and free water. AIM To review the diagnostic potential of MDD MRI in the clinical setting for microstructural tissue characterization in patients with neurological disorders to aid in patient care and treatment. METHOD A scoping review on the clinical applications of MDD MRI was conducted from original articles published in PubMed and Scopus from 2015 to 2021 using the keywords "Multidimensional diffusion MRI" OR "diffusion tensor distribution" OR "Tensor-Valued Diffusion" OR "b-tensor encoding" OR "microscopic diffusion anisotropy" OR "microscopic anisotropy" OR "microscopic fractional anisotropy" OR "double diffusion encoding" OR "triple diffusion encoding" OR "double pulsed field gradients" OR "double wave vector" OR "correlation tensor imaging" AND "brain" OR "axons". RESULTS Initially 145 articles were screened and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine articles were included in the final analysis. In most of these studies, microscopic diffusion anisotropy within the lesion showed deviation from the normal-appearing tissue. CONCLUSION Multidimensional diffusion MRI can provide better quantification and visualization of tissue microstructure than conventional diffusion MRI and can be used in the clinical setting for diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sriram Rajan
- Department of Radiology, Mahajan Imaging, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | | | - Harsh Mahajan
- CARPL.ai, New Delhi, India; Department of Radiology, Mahajan Imaging, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li S, Zheng Y, Sun W, Lasič S, Szczepankiewicz F, Wei Q, Han S, Zhang S, Zhong X, Wang L, Li H, Cai Y, Xu D, Li Z, He Q, van Westen D, Bryskhe K, Topgaard D, Xu H. Glioma grading, molecular feature classification, and microstructural characterization using MR diffusional variance decomposition (DIVIDE) imaging. Eur Radiol 2021; 31:8197-8207. [PMID: 33914116 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-07959-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential of diffusional variance decomposition (DIVIDE) for grading, molecular feature classification, and microstructural characterization of gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participants with suspected gliomas underwent DIVIDE imaging, yielding parameter maps of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), anisotropic mean kurtosis (MKA), isotropic mean kurtosis (MKI), total mean kurtosis (MKT), MKA/MKT, and microscopic fractional anisotropy (μFA). Tumor type and grade, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1/2 mutant status, and the Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67 LI) were determined after surgery. Statistical analysis included 33 high-grade gliomas (HGG) and 17 low-grade gliomas (LGG). Tumor diffusion metrics were compared between HGG and LGG, among grades, and between wild and mutated IDH types using appropriate tests according to normality assessment results. Receiver operating characteristic and Spearman correlation analysis were also used for statistical evaluations. RESULTS FA, MD, MKA, MKI, MKT, μFA, and MKA/MKT differed between HGG and LGG (FA: p = 0.047; MD: p = 0.037, others p < 0.001), and among glioma grade II, III, and IV (FA: p = 0.048; MD: p = 0.038, others p < 0.001). All diffusion metrics differed between wild-type and mutated IDH tumors (MKI: p = 0.003; others: p < 0.001). The metrics that best discriminated between HGG and LGGs and between wild-type and mutated IDH tumors were MKT and FA respectively (area under the curve 0.866 and 0.881). All diffusion metrics except FA showed significant correlation with Ki-67 LI, and MKI had the highest correlation coefficient (rs = 0.618). CONCLUSION DIVIDE is a promising technique for glioma characterization and diagnosis. KEY POINTS • DIVIDE metrics MKI is related to cell density heterogeneity while MKA and μFA are related to cell eccentricity. • DIVIDE metrics can effectively differentiate LGG from HGG and IDH mutation from wild-type tumor, and showed significant correlation with the Ki-67 labeling index. • MKI was larger than MKA which indicates predominant cell density heterogeneity in gliomas. • MKA and MKI increased with grade or degree of malignancy, however with a relatively larger increase in the cell eccentricity metric MKA in relation to the cell density heterogeneity metric MKI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sirui Li
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | | | - Wenbo Sun
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | | | | | - Qing Wei
- United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Xiaoli Zhong
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Huan Li
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Yuxiang Cai
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Qiang He
- United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | | | - Haibo Xu
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Andersen KW, Lasič S, Lundell H, Nilsson M, Topgaard D, Sellebjerg F, Szczepankiewicz F, Siebner HR, Blinkenberg M, Dyrby TB. Disentangling white-matter damage from physiological fibre orientation dispersion in multiple sclerosis. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa077. [PMID: 32954329 PMCID: PMC7472898 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis leads to diffuse damage of the central nervous system, affecting also the normal-appearing white matter. Demyelination and axonal degeneration reduce regional fractional anisotropy in normal-appearing white matter, which can be routinely mapped with diffusion tensor imaging. However, the standard fractional anisotropy metric is also sensitive to physiological variations in orientation dispersion of white matter fibres. This complicates the detection of disease-related damage in large parts of cerebral white matter where microstructure physiologically displays a high degree of fibre dispersion. To resolve this ambiguity, we employed a novel tensor-valued encoding method for diffusion MRI, which yields a microscopic fractional anisotropy metric that is unaffected by regional variations in orientation dispersion. In 26 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, 14 patients with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis and 27 age-matched healthy controls, we compared standard fractional anisotropy mapping with the novel microscopic fractional anisotropy mapping method, focusing on normal-appearing white matter. Mean microscopic fractional anisotropy and standard fractional anisotropy of normal-appearing white matter were significantly reduced in both patient groups relative to healthy controls, but microscopic fractional anisotropy yielded a better reflection of disease-related white-matter alterations. The reduction in mean microscopic fractional anisotropy showed a significant positive linear relationship with physical disability, as reflected by the expanded disability status scale. Mean reduction of microscopic fractional anisotropy in normal-appearing white matter also scaled positively with individual cognitive dysfunction, as measured with the symbol digit modality test. Mean microscopic fractional anisotropy reduction in normal-appearing white matter also showed a positive relationship with total white-matter lesion load as well as lesion load in specific tract systems. None of these relationships between normal-appearing white-matter microstructure and clinical, cognitive or structural measures emerged when using mean fractional anisotropy. Together, the results provide converging evidence that microscopic fractional anisotropy mapping substantially advances the assessment of cerebral white matter in multiple sclerosis by disentangling microstructure damage from variations in physiological fibre orientation dispersion at the stage of data acquisition. Since tensor-valued encoding can be implemented in routine diffusion MRI, microscopic fractional anisotropy mapping bears considerable potential for the future assessment of disease progression in normal-appearing white matter in both relapsing-remitting and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis as well as other white-matter-related brain diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kasper Winther Andersen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Samo Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- Random Walk Imaging, AB, 222 24 Lund, Sweden
| | - Henrik Lundell
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Department of Radiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Finn Sellebjerg
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Morten Blinkenberg
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tim B Dyrby
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2700 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Brabec J, Lasič S, Nilsson M. Time-dependent diffusion in undulating thin fibers: Impact on axon diameter estimation. NMR Biomed 2020; 33:e4187. [PMID: 31868995 PMCID: PMC7027526 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI may enable non-invasive mapping of axonal microstructure. Most approaches infer axon diameters from effects of time-dependent diffusion on the diffusion-weighted MR signal by modeling axons as straight cylinders. Axons do not, however, propagate in straight trajectories, and so far the impact of the axonal trajectory on diameter estimation has been insufficiently investigated. Here, we employ a toy model of axons, which we refer to as the undulating thin fiber model, to analyze the impact of undulating trajectories on the time dependence of diffusion. We study time-dependent diffusion in the frequency domain and characterize the diffusion spectrum by its height, width, and low-frequency behavior (power law exponent). Results show that microscopic orientation dispersion of the thin fibers is the main parameter that determines the characteristics of the diffusion spectra. At lower frequencies (longer diffusion times), straight cylinders and undulating thin fibers can have virtually identical spectra. If the straight-cylinder assumption is used to interpret data from undulating thin axons, the diameter is overestimated by an amount proportional to the undulation amplitude and microscopic orientation dispersion of the fibers. At higher frequencies (shorter diffusion times), spectra from cylinders and undulating thin fibers differ. The low-frequency behavior of the spectra from the undulating thin fibers may also differ from that of cylinders, because the power law exponent of undulating fibers can reach values below 2 for experimentally relevant frequency ranges. In conclusion, we argue that the non-straight nature of axonal trajectories should not be overlooked when analyzing and interpreting diffusion MRI data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Brabec
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Medical Radiation PhysicsLund UniversityLundSweden
| | | | - Markus Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Diagnostic RadiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lasič S, Szczepankiewicz F, Dall'Armellina E, Das A, Kelly C, Plein S, Schneider JE, Nilsson M, Teh I. Motion-compensated b-tensor encoding for in vivo cardiac diffusion-weighted imaging. NMR Biomed 2020; 33:e4213. [PMID: 31765063 PMCID: PMC6980347 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Motion is a major confound in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the body, and it is a common cause of image artefacts. The effects are particularly severe in cardiac applications, due to the nonrigid cyclical deformation of the myocardium. Spin echo-based DWI commonly employs gradient moment-nulling techniques to desensitise the acquisition to velocity and acceleration, ie, nulling gradient moments up to the 2nd order (M2-nulled). However, current M2-nulled DWI scans are limited to encode diffusion along a single direction at a time. We propose a method for designing b-tensors of arbitrary shapes, including planar, spherical, prolate and oblate tensors, while nulling gradient moments up to the 2nd order and beyond. The design strategy comprises initialising the diffusion encoding gradients in two encoding blocks about the refocusing pulse, followed by appropriate scaling and rotation, which further enables nulling undesired effects of concomitant gradients. Proof-of-concept assessment of in vivo mean diffusivity (MD) was performed using linear and spherical tensor encoding (LTE and STE, respectively) in the hearts of five healthy volunteers. The results of the M2-nulled STE showed that (a) the sequence was robust to cardiac motion, and (b) MD was higher than that acquired using standard M2-nulled LTE, where diffusion-weighting was applied in three orthogonal directions, which may be attributed to the presence of restricted diffusion and microscopic diffusion anisotropy. Provided adequate signal-to-noise ratio, STE could significantly shorten estimation of MD compared with the conventional LTE approach. Importantly, our theoretical analysis and the proposed gradient waveform design may be useful in microstructure imaging beyond diffusion tensor imaging where the effects of motion must be suppressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Clinical SciencesLund UniversityLundSweden
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Brigham and Women's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Erica Dall'Armellina
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Arka Das
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Christopher Kelly
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Sven Plein
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Jürgen E. Schneider
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | - Irvin Teh
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lundell H, Nilsson M, Dyrby TB, Parker GJM, Cristinacce PLH, Zhou FL, Topgaard D, Lasič S. Multidimensional diffusion MRI with spectrally modulated gradients reveals unprecedented microstructural detail. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9026. [PMID: 31227745 PMCID: PMC6588609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization of porous media is essential in a wide range of biomedical and industrial applications. Microstructural features can be probed non-invasively by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). However, diffusion encoding in conventional dMRI may yield similar signatures for very different microstructures, which represents a significant limitation for disentangling individual microstructural features in heterogeneous materials. To solve this problem, we propose an augmented multidimensional diffusion encoding (MDE) framework, which unlocks a novel encoding dimension to assess time-dependent diffusion specific to structures with different microscopic anisotropies. Our approach relies on spectral analysis of complex but experimentally efficient MDE waveforms. Two independent contrasts to differentiate features such as cell shape and size can be generated directly by signal subtraction from only three types of measurements. Analytical calculations and simulations support our experimental observations. Proof-of-concept experiments were applied on samples with known and distinctly different microstructures. We further demonstrate substantially different contrasts in different tissue types of a post mortem brain. Our simultaneous assessment of restriction size and shape may be instrumental in studies of a wide range of porous materials, enable new insights into the microstructure of biological tissues or be of great value in diagnostics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Lundell
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
| | - M Nilsson
- Clinical Sciences Lund, Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - T B Dyrby
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - G J M Parker
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Bioxydyn Limited, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - P L Hubbard Cristinacce
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - F-L Zhou
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - D Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - S Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Random Walk Imaging AB, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The rate of water exchange across cell membranes is a parameter of biological interest and can be measured by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). In this work, we investigate a stochastic model for the diffusion-and-exchange of water molecules. This model provides a general solution for the temporal evolution of dMRI signal using any type of gradient waveform, thereby generalizing the signal expressions for the Kärger model. Moreover, we also derive a general nth order cumulant expansion of the dMRI signal accounting for water exchange, which has not been explored in earlier studies. Based on this analytical expression, we compute the cumulant expansion for dMRI signals for the special case of single diffusion encoding (SDE) and double diffusion encoding (DDE) sequences. Our results provide a theoretical guideline on optimizing experimental parameters for SDE and DDE sequences, respectively. Moreover, we show that DDE signals are more sensitive to water exchange at short-time scale but provide less attenuation at long-time scale than SDE signals. Our theoretical analysis is also validated using Monte Carlo simulations on synthetic structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lipeng Ning
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | | | | | - Carl-Fredrik Westin
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Yogesh Rathi
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Palmgren M, Hernebring M, Eriksson S, Elbing K, Geijer C, Lasič S, Dahl P, Hansen JS, Topgaard D, Lindkvist-Petersson K. Quantification of the Intracellular Life Time of Water Molecules to Measure Transport Rates of Human Aquaglyceroporins. J Membr Biol 2017; 250:629-639. [PMID: 28914342 PMCID: PMC5696491 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-017-9988-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Orthodox aquaporins are transmembrane channel proteins that facilitate rapid diffusion of water, while aquaglyceroporins facilitate the diffusion of small uncharged molecules such as glycerol and arsenic trioxide. Aquaglyceroporins play important roles in human physiology, in particular for glycerol metabolism and arsenic detoxification. We have developed a unique system applying the strain of the yeast Pichia pastoris, where the endogenous aquaporins/aquaglyceroporins have been removed and human aquaglyceroporins AQP3, AQP7, and AQP9 are recombinantly expressed enabling comparative permeability measurements between the expressed proteins. Using a newly established Nuclear Magnetic Resonance approach based on measurement of the intracellular life time of water, we propose that human aquaglyceroporins are poor facilitators of water and that the water transport efficiency is similar to that of passive diffusion across native cell membranes. This is distinctly different from glycerol and arsenic trioxide, where high glycerol transport efficiency was recorded.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madelene Palmgren
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Malin Hernebring
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C13, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Eriksson
- Physical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O.B. 124, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Elbing
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C13, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Geijer
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Samo Lasič
- CR Development, AB, Naturvetarvägen 14, 22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Peter Dahl
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jesper S Hansen
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C13, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Physical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O.B. 124, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Lindkvist-Petersson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden. .,Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C13, 221 84, Lund, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lasič S, Lundell H, Topgaard D, Dyrby TB. Effects of imaging gradients in sequences with varying longitudinal storage time—Case of diffusion exchange imaging. Magn Reson Med 2017; 79:2228-2235. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samo Lasič
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic ResonanceCentre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital HvidovreHvidovre Copenhagen Denmark
- CR Development ABLundSweden
| | - Henrik Lundell
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic ResonanceCentre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital HvidovreHvidovre Copenhagen Denmark
| | | | - Tim B. Dyrby
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic ResonanceCentre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital HvidovreHvidovre Copenhagen Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer ScienceTechnical University of DenmarkKongens Lyngby Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nilsson M, Lasič S, Drobnjak I, Topgaard D, Westin C. Resolution limit of cylinder diameter estimation by diffusion MRI: The impact of gradient waveform and orientation dispersion. NMR Biomed 2017; 30:e3711. [PMID: 28318071 PMCID: PMC5485041 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI has been proposed as a non-invasive technique for axonal diameter mapping. However, accurate estimation of small diameters requires strong gradients, which is a challenge for the transition of the technique from preclinical to clinical MRI scanners, since these have weaker gradients. In this work, we develop a framework to estimate the lower bound for accurate diameter estimation, which we refer to as the resolution limit. We analyse only the contribution from the intra-axonal space and assume that axons can be represented by impermeable cylinders. To address the growing interest in using techniques for diffusion encoding that go beyond the conventional single diffusion encoding (SDE) sequence, we present a generalised analysis capable of predicting the resolution limit regardless of the gradient waveform. Using this framework, waveforms were optimised to minimise the resolution limit. The results show that, for parallel cylinders, the SDE experiment is optimal in terms of yielding the lowest possible resolution limit. In the presence of orientation dispersion, diffusion encoding sequences with square-wave oscillating gradients were optimal. The resolution limit for standard clinical MRI scanners (maximum gradient strength 60-80 mT/m) was found to be between 4 and 8 μm, depending on the noise levels and the level of orientation dispersion. For scanners with a maximum gradient strength of 300 mT/m, the limit was reduced to between 2 and 5 μm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Nilsson
- Clinical Sciences Lund, Department of RadiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | | | | | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of ChemistryLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Carl‐Fredrik Westin
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
- Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Eriksson S, Elbing K, Söderman O, Lindkvist-Petersson K, Topgaard D, Lasič S. NMR quantification of diffusional exchange in cell suspensions with relaxation rate differences between intra and extracellular compartments. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177273. [PMID: 28493928 PMCID: PMC5426672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Water transport across cell membranes can be measured non-invasively with diffusion NMR. We present a method to quantify the intracellular lifetime of water in cell suspensions with short transverse relaxation times, T2, and also circumvent the confounding effect of different T2 values in the intra- and extracellular compartments. Filter exchange spectroscopy (FEXSY) is specifically sensitive to exchange between compartments with different apparent diffusivities. Our investigation shows that FEXSY could yield significantly biased results if differences in T2 are not accounted for. To mitigate this problem, we propose combining FEXSY with diffusion-relaxation correlation experiment, which can quantify differences in T2 values in compartments with different diffusivities. Our analysis uses a joint constrained fitting of the two datasets and considers the effects of diffusion, relaxation and exchange in both experiments. The method is demonstrated on yeast cells with and without human aquaporins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Eriksson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Elbing
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Olle Söderman
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Samo Lasič
- CR Development AB, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ahlgren A, Knutsson L, Wirestam R, Nilsson M, Ståhlberg F, Topgaard D, Lasič S. Quantification of microcirculatory parameters by joint analysis of flow-compensated and non-flow-compensated intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) data. NMR Biomed 2016; 29:640-9. [PMID: 26952166 PMCID: PMC5069652 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to improve the accuracy and precision of perfusion fraction and blood velocity dispersion estimates in intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging, using joint analysis of flow-compensated and non-flow-compensated motion-encoded MRI data. A double diffusion encoding sequence capable of switching between flow-compensated and non-flow-compensated encoding modes was implemented. In vivo brain data were collected in eight healthy volunteers and processed using the joint analysis. Simulations were used to compare the performance of the proposed analysis method with conventional IVIM analysis. With flow compensation, strong rephasing was observed for the in vivo data, approximately cancelling the IVIM effect. The joint analysis yielded physiologically reasonable perfusion fraction maps. Estimated perfusion fractions were 2.43 ± 0.81% in gray matter, 1.81 ± 0.90% in deep gray matter, and 1.64 ± 0.72% in white matter (mean ± SD, n = 8). Simulations showed improved accuracy and precision when using joint analysis of flow-compensated and non-flow-compensated data, compared with conventional IVIM analysis. Double diffusion encoding with flow compensation was feasible for in vivo imaging of the perfusion fraction in the brain. The strong rephasing implied that blood flowing through the cerebral microvascular system was closer to the ballistic limit than the diffusive limit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- André Ahlgren
- Department of Medical Radiation PhysicsLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Linda Knutsson
- Department of Medical Radiation PhysicsLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Ronnie Wirestam
- Department of Medical Radiation PhysicsLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Lund University Bioimaging CenterLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Freddy Ståhlberg
- Department of Medical Radiation PhysicsLund UniversityLundSweden
- Lund University Bioimaging CenterLund UniversityLundSweden
- Department of Diagnostic RadiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of ChemistryLund UniversityLundSweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lasič S, Oredsson S, Partridge SC, Saal LH, Topgaard D, Nilsson M, Bryskhe K. Apparent exchange rate for breast cancer characterization. NMR Biomed 2016; 29:631-9. [PMID: 26929050 PMCID: PMC4833667 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Although diffusion MRI has shown promise for the characterization of breast cancer, it has low specificity to malignant subtypes. Higher specificity might be achieved if the effects of cell morphology and molecular exchange across cell membranes could be disentangled. The quantification of exchange might thus allow the differentiation of different types of breast cancer cells. Based on differences in diffusion rates between the intra- and extracellular compartments, filter exchange spectroscopy/imaging (FEXSY/FEXI) provides non-invasive quantification of the apparent exchange rate (AXR) of water between the two compartments. To test the feasibility of FEXSY for the differentiation of different breast cancer cells, we performed experiments on several breast epithelial cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, we performed the first in vivo FEXI measurement of water exchange in human breast. In cell suspensions, pulsed gradient spin-echo experiments with large b values and variable pulse duration allow the characterization of the intracellular compartment, whereas FEXSY provides a quantification of AXR. These experiments are very sensitive to the physiological state of cells and can be used to establish reliable protocols for the culture and harvesting of cells. Our results suggest that different breast cancer subtypes can be distinguished on the basis of their AXR values in cell suspensions. Time-resolved measurements allow the monitoring of the physiological state of cells in suspensions over the time-scale of hours, and reveal an abrupt disintegration of the intracellular compartment. In vivo, exchange can be detected in a tumor, whereas, in normal tissue, the exchange rate is outside the range experimentally accessible for FEXI. At present, low signal-to-noise ratio and limited scan time allows the quantification of AXR only in a region of interest of relatively large tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Savannah C Partridge
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, Western Australia, USA
| | - Lao H Saal
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Cancer Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
|
17
|
Eriksson S, Lasič S, Nilsson M, Westin CF, Topgaard D. NMR diffusion-encoding with axial symmetry and variable anisotropy: Distinguishing between prolate and oblate microscopic diffusion tensors with unknown orientation distribution. J Chem Phys 2015; 142:104201. [PMID: 25770532 PMCID: PMC4359170 DOI: 10.1063/1.4913502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a nuclear magnetic resonance method for quantifying the shape of axially symmetric microscopic diffusion tensors in terms of a new diffusion anisotropy metric, DΔ, which has unique values for oblate, spherical, and prolate tensor shapes. The pulse sequence includes a series of equal-amplitude magnetic field gradient pulse pairs, the directions of which are tailored to give an axially symmetric diffusion-encoding tensor b with variable anisotropy bΔ. Averaging of data acquired for a range of orientations of the symmetry axis of the tensor b renders the method insensitive to the orientation distribution function of the microscopic diffusion tensors. Proof-of-principle experiments are performed on water in polydomain lyotropic liquid crystals with geometries that give rise to microscopic diffusion tensors with oblate, spherical, and prolate shapes. The method could be useful for characterizing the geometry of fluid-filled compartments in porous solids, soft matter, and biological tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Eriksson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Markus Nilsson
- Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Westin
- Department of Radiology, BWH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts MA 02215, USA
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Szczepankiewicz F, Lasič S, van Westen D, Sundgren PC, Englund E, Westin CF, Ståhlberg F, Lätt J, Topgaard D, Nilsson M. Quantification of microscopic diffusion anisotropy disentangles effects of orientation dispersion from microstructure: applications in healthy volunteers and in brain tumors. Neuroimage 2014; 104:241-52. [PMID: 25284306 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The anisotropy of water diffusion in brain tissue is affected by both disease and development. This change can be detected using diffusion MRI and is often quantified by the fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Although FA is sensitive to anisotropic cell structures, such as axons, it is also sensitive to their orientation dispersion. This is a major limitation to the use of FA as a biomarker for "tissue integrity", especially in regions of complex microarchitecture. In this work, we seek to circumvent this limitation by disentangling the effects of microscopic diffusion anisotropy from the orientation dispersion. The microscopic fractional anisotropy (μFA) and the order parameter (OP) were calculated from the contrast between signal prepared with directional and isotropic diffusion encoding, where the latter was achieved by magic angle spinning of the q-vector (qMAS). These parameters were quantified in healthy volunteers and in two patients; one patient with meningioma and one with glioblastoma. Finally, we used simulations to elucidate the relation between FA and μFA in various micro-architectures. Generally, μFA was high in the white matter and low in the gray matter. In the white matter, the largest differences between μFA and FA were found in crossing white matter and in interfaces between large white matter tracts, where μFA was high while FA was low. Both tumor types exhibited a low FA, in contrast to the μFA which was high in the meningioma and low in the glioblastoma, indicating that the meningioma contained disordered anisotropic structures, while the glioblastoma did not. This interpretation was confirmed by histological examination. We conclude that FA from DTI reflects both the amount of diffusion anisotropy and orientation dispersion. We suggest that the μFA and OP may complement FA by independently quantifying the microscopic anisotropy and the level of orientation coherence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Clinical Sciences, Lund, Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | - Danielle van Westen
- Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pia C Sundgren
- Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elisabet Englund
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Westin
- Laboratory for Mathematics in Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Freddy Ståhlberg
- Clinical Sciences, Lund, Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jimmy Lätt
- Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Topgaard
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Nilsson M, Lätt J, van Westen D, Brockstedt S, Lasič S, Ståhlberg F, Topgaard D. Noninvasive mapping of water diffusional exchange in the human brain using filter-exchange imaging. Magn Reson Med 2012; 69:1573-81. [PMID: 22837019 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Revised: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We present the first in vivo application of the filter-exchange imaging protocol for diffusion MRI. The protocol allows noninvasive mapping of the rate of water exchange between microenvironments with different self-diffusivities, such as the intracellular and extracellular spaces in tissue. Since diffusional water exchange across the cell membrane is a fundamental process in human physiology and pathophysiology, clinically feasible and noninvasive imaging of the water exchange rate would offer new means to diagnose disease and monitor treatment response in conditions such as cancer and edema. The in vivo use of filter-exchange imaging was demonstrated by studying the brain of five healthy volunteers and one intracranial tumor (meningioma). Apparent exchange rates in white matter range from 0.8±0.08 s(-1) in the internal capsule, to 1.6±0.11 s(-1) for frontal white matter, indicating that low values are associated with high myelination. Solid tumor displayed values of up to 2.9±0.8 s(-1). In white matter, the apparent exchange rate values suggest intra-axonal exchange times in the order of seconds, confirming the slow exchange assumption in the analysis of diffusion MRI data. We propose that filter-exchange imaging could be used clinically to map the water exchange rate in pathologies. Filter-exchange imaging may also be valuable for evaluating novel therapies targeting the function of aquaporins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Nilsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lasič S, Nilsson M, Lätt J, Ståhlberg F, Topgaard D. Apparent exchange rate mapping with diffusion MRI. Magn Reson Med 2011; 66:356-65. [PMID: 21446037 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.22782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Revised: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Water exchange through the cell membranes is an important feature of cells and tissues. The rate of exchange is determined by factors such as membrane lipid composition and organization, as well as the type and activity of aquaporins. A method for noninvasively estimating the rate of water exchange would be useful for characterizing pathological conditions, e.g., tumors, multiple sclerosis, and ischemic stroke, expected to be associated with a change of the membrane barrier properties. This study describes the filter exchange imaging method for determining the rate of water exchange between sites having different apparent diffusion coefficients. The method is based on the filter-exchange pulsed gradient spin-echo NMR spectroscopy experiment, which is here modified to be compatible with the constraints of clinical MR scanners. The data is analyzed using a model-free approach yielding maps of the apparent exchange rate, here being introduced in analogy with the concept of the apparent diffusion coefficient. Proof-of-principle experiments are performed on microimaging and whole-body clinical scanners using yeast suspension phantoms. The limitations and appropriate experimental conditions are examined. The results demonstrate that filter exchange imaging is a fast and reliable method for characterizing exchange, and that it has the potential to become a powerful diagnostic tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samo Lasič
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|