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Vahdat S, Landelle C, Lungu O, De Leener B, Doyon J, Baniasad F. FASB: an integrated processing pipeline for Functional Analysis of simultaneous Spinal cord-Brain fMRI. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3889284. [PMID: 38352433 PMCID: PMC10862948 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3889284/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the spinal cord and brain represents a powerful method for examining both ascending sensory and descending motor pathways in humans in vivo . However, its image acquisition protocols, and processing pipeline are less well established. This limitation is mainly due to technical difficulties related to spinal cord fMRI, and problems with the logistics stemming from a large field of view covering both brain and cervical cord. Here, we propose an acquisition protocol optimized for both anatomical and functional images, as well as an optimized integrated image processing pipeline, which consists of a novel approach for automatic modeling and mitigating the negative impact of spinal voxels with low temporal signal to noise ratio (tSNR). We validate our integrated pipeline, named FASB, using simultaneous fMRI data acquired during the performance of a motor task, as well as during resting-state conditions. We demonstrate that FASB outperforms the current spinal fMRI processing methods in three domains, including motion correction, registration to the spinal cord template, and improved detection power of the group-level analysis by removing the effects of participant-specific low tSNR voxels, typically observed at the disk level. Using FASB, we identify significant task-based activations in the expected sensorimotor network associated with a unilateral handgrip force production task across the entire central nervous system, including the contralateral sensorimotor cortex, thalamus, striatum, cerebellum, brainstem, as well as ipsilateral ventral horn at C5-C8 cervical levels. Additionally, our results show significant task-based functional connectivity between the key sensory and motor brain areas and the dorsal and ventral horns of the cervical cord. Overall, our proposed acquisition protocol and processing pipeline provide a robust method for characterizing the activation and functional connectivity of distinct cortical, subcortical, brainstem and spinal cord regions in humans.
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Kaptan M, Pfyffer D, Konstantopoulos CG, Law CS, Weber II KA, Glover GH, Mackey S. Recent developments and future avenues for human corticospinal neuroimaging. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1339881. [PMID: 38332933 PMCID: PMC10850311 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1339881] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive neuroimaging serves as a valuable tool for investigating the mechanisms within the central nervous system (CNS) related to somatosensory and motor processing, emotions, memory, cognition, and other functions. Despite the extensive use of brain imaging, spinal cord imaging has received relatively less attention, regardless of its potential to study peripheral communications with the brain and the descending corticospinal systems. To comprehensively understand the neural mechanisms underlying human sensory and motor functions, particularly in pathological conditions, simultaneous examination of neuronal activity in both the brain and spinal cord becomes imperative. Although technically demanding in terms of data acquisition and analysis, a growing but limited number of studies have successfully utilized specialized acquisition protocols for corticospinal imaging. These studies have effectively assessed sensorimotor, autonomic, and interneuronal signaling within the spinal cord, revealing interactions with cortical processes in the brain. In this mini-review, we aim to examine the expanding body of literature that employs cutting-edge corticospinal imaging to investigate the flow of sensorimotor information between the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, we will provide a concise overview of recent advancements in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques. Furthermore, we will discuss potential future perspectives aimed at enhancing our comprehension of large-scale neuronal networks in the CNS and their disruptions in clinical disorders. This collective knowledge will aid in refining combined corticospinal fMRI methodologies, leading to the development of clinically relevant biomarkers for conditions affecting sensorimotor processing in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kaptan
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Dario Pfyffer
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Christiane G. Konstantopoulos
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Christine S.W. Law
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Kenneth A. Weber II
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Gary H. Glover
- Radiological Sciences Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Sean Mackey
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
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Dabbagh A, Horn U, Kaptan M, Mildner T, Müller R, Lepsien J, Weiskopf N, Brooks JCW, Finsterbusch J, Eippert F. Reliability of task-based fMRI in the dorsal horn of the human spinal cord. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.572825. [PMID: 38187724 PMCID: PMC10769329 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.572825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the human spinal cord is still a relatively small field of research and faces many challenges. Here we aimed to probe the limitations of task-based spinal fMRI at 3T by investigating the reliability of spinal cord blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to repeated nociceptive stimulation across two consecutive days in 40 healthy volunteers. We assessed the test-retest reliability of subjective ratings, autonomic responses, and spinal cord BOLD responses to short heat pain stimuli (1s duration) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). At the group level, we observed robust autonomic responses as well as spatially specific spinal cord BOLD responses at the expected location, but no spatial overlap in BOLD response patterns across days. While autonomic indicators of pain processing showed good-to-excellent reliability, both β-estimates and z-scores of task-related BOLD responses showed poor reliability across days in the target region (gray matter of the ipsilateral dorsal horn). When taking into account the sensitivity of gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GE-EPI) to draining vein signals by including the venous plexus in the analysis, we observed BOLD responses with good reliability across days. Taken together, these results demonstrate that heat pain stimuli as short as one second are able to evoke a robust and spatially specific BOLD response, which is however strongly variable within participants across time, resulting in low reliability in the dorsal horn gray matter. Further improvements in data acquisition and analysis techniques are thus necessary before event-related spinal cord fMRI as used here can be reliably employed in longitudinal designs or clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Dabbagh
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Horn
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Merve Kaptan
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, CA, USA
| | - Toralf Mildner
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roland Müller
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jöran Lepsien
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia Wellcome Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (UWWBIC), Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Haynes G, Muhammad F, Khan AF, Mohammadi E, Smith ZA, Ding L. The current state of spinal cord functional magnetic resonance imaging and its application in clinical research. J Neuroimaging 2023; 33:877-888. [PMID: 37740582 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13158] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its development, spinal cord functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has utilized various methodologies and stimulation protocols to develop a deeper understanding of a healthy human spinal cord that lays a foundation for its use in clinical research and practice. In this review, we conducted a comprehensive literature search on spinal cord fMRI studies and summarized the recent advancements and resulting scientific achievements of spinal cord fMRI in the following three aspects: the current state of spinal cord fMRI methodologies and stimulation protocols, knowledge about the healthy spinal cord's functions obtained via spinal cord fMRI, and fMRI's exemplary usage in spinal cord diseases and injuries. We conclude with a discussion that, while technical challenges exist, novel fMRI technologies for and new knowledge about the healthy human spinal cord have been established. Empowered by these developments, investigations of pathological and injury states within the spinal cord have become the next important direction of spinal cord fMRI. Recent clinical investigations into spinal cord pathologies, for example, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and cervical spondylotic myelopathy, have already provided deep insights into spinal cord impairments and the time course of impairment-caused changes. We expect that future spinal cord fMRI advancement and research development will further enhance our understanding of various spinal cord diseases and provide the foundation for evaluating existing and developing new treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Haynes
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Fauziyya Muhammad
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Ali F Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Esmaeil Mohammadi
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Zachary A Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Lei Ding
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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Combes A, Narisetti L, Sengupta A, Rogers BP, Sweeney G, Prock L, Houston D, McKnight CD, Gore JC, Smith SA, O'Grady KP. Detection of resting-state functional connectivity in the lumbar spinal cord with 3T MRI. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18189. [PMID: 37875563 PMCID: PMC10597994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45302-0] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional MRI (fMRI) of the spinal cord is an expanding area of research with potential to investigate neuronal activity in the central nervous system. We aimed to characterize the functional connectivity features of the human lumbar spinal cord using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) at 3T, using region-based and data-driven analysis approaches. A 3D multi-shot gradient echo resting-state blood oxygenation level dependent-sensitive rs-fMRI protocol was implemented in 26 healthy participants. Average temporal signal-to-noise ratio in the gray matter was 16.35 ± 4.79 after denoising. Evidence of synchronous signal fluctuations in the ventral and dorsal horns with their contralateral counterparts was observed in representative participants using interactive, exploratory seed-based correlations. Group-wise average in-slice Pearson's correlations were 0.43 ± 0.17 between ventral horns, and 0.48 ± 0.16 between dorsal horns. Group spatial independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify areas of coherent activity¸ and revealed components within the gray matter corresponding to anatomical regions. Lower-dimensionality ICA revealed bilateral components corresponding to ventral and dorsal networks. Additional separate ICAs were run on two subsets of the participant group, yielding two sets of components that showed visual consistency and moderate spatial overlap. This work shows feasibility of rs-fMRI to probe the functional features and organization of the lumbar spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Combes
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Lipika Narisetti
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Anirban Sengupta
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Grace Sweeney
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Logan Prock
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Delaney Houston
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Colin D McKnight
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Kristin P O'Grady
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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