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Han X, Maharjan S, Chen J, Zhao Y, Qi Y, White LE, Johnson GA, Wang N. High-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and spatial-transcriptomic in developing mouse brain. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120734. [PMID: 39032791 PMCID: PMC11377129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain development is a highly complex process regulated by numerous genes at the molecular and cellular levels. Brain tissue exhibits serial microstructural changes during the development process. High-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) affords a unique opportunity to probe these changes in the developing brain non-destructively. In this study, we acquired multi-shell dMRI datasets at 32 µm isotropic resolution to investigate the tissue microstructure alterations, which we believe to be the highest spatial resolution dMRI datasets obtained for postnatal mouse brains. We adapted the Allen Developing Mouse Brain Atlas (ADMBA) to integrate quantitative MRI metrics and spatial transcriptomics. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics were used to quantify brain development at different postnatal days. We demonstrated that the differential evolutions of fiber orientation distributions contribute to the distinct development patterns in white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM). Furthermore, the genes enriched in the nervous system that regulate brain structure and function were expressed in spatial correlation with age-matched dMRI. This study is the first one providing high-resolution dMRI, including DTI, DKI, and NODDI models, to trace mouse brain microstructural changes in WM and GM during postnatal development. This study also highlighted the genotype-phenotype correlation of spatial transcriptomics and dMRI, which may improve our understanding of brain microstructure changes at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Han
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Surendra Maharjan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yi Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Leonard E White
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - G Allan Johnson
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nian Wang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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2
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Toh C, Keslake A, Payne T, Onwuegbuzie A, Harding J, Baster K, Hoggard N, Shaw PJ, Wilkinson ID, Jenkins TM. Analysis of brain and spinal MRI measures in a common domain to investigate directional neurodegeneration in motor neuron disease. J Neurol 2023; 270:1682-1690. [PMID: 36509983 PMCID: PMC9971079 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical spinal cord is often performed in diagnostic evaluation of suspected motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS). Analysis of MRI-derived tissue damage metrics in a common domain facilitates group-level inferences on pathophysiology. This approach was applied to address competing hypotheses of directionality of neurodegeneration, whether anterograde, cranio-caudal dying-forward from precentral gyrus or retrograde, dying-back. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, MRI was performed on 75 MND patients and 13 healthy controls. Precentral gyral thickness was estimated from volumetric T1-weighted images using FreeSurfer, corticospinal tract fractional anisotropy (FA) from diffusion tensor imaging using FSL, and cross-sectional cervical cord area between C1-C8 levels using Spinal Cord Toolbox. To analyse these multimodal data within a common domain, individual parameter estimates representing tissue damage at each corticospinal tract level were first converted to z-scores, referenced to healthy control norms. Mixed-effects linear regression models were then fitted to these z-scores, with gradients hypothesised to represent directionality of neurodegeneration. RESULTS At group-level, z-scores did not differ significantly between precentral gyral and intracranial corticospinal tract tissue damage estimates (regression coefficient - 0.24, [95% CI - 0.62, 0.14], p = 0.222), but step-changes were evident between intracranial corticospinal tract and C1 (1.14, [95% CI 0.74, 1.53], p < 0.001), and between C5 and C6 cord levels (0.98, [95% CI 0.58, 1.38], p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Analysis of brain and cervical spinal MRI data in a common domain enabled investigation of pathophysiological hypotheses in vivo. A cranio-caudal step-change in MND patients was observed, and requires further investigation in larger cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Toh
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Keslake
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T Payne
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Onwuegbuzie
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J Harding
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - K Baster
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - N Hoggard
- Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - P J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - I D Wilkinson
- Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T M Jenkins
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Royal Perth Hospital, Victoria Square, Perth, WA, 6000, Australia.
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Santos Silva C, Oliveira Santos M, Madureira J, Reimão S, de Carvalho M. Novel compound heterozygous variants of SPG11 gene associated with young-adult amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neurol Belg 2022:10.1007/s13760-022-02148-z. [DOI: 10.1007/s13760-022-02148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Structure of the Motor Descending Pathways Correlates with the Temporal Kinematics of Hand Movements. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101482. [PMID: 36290386 PMCID: PMC9598379 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary How hand motor behavior relates to the microstructure of the underlying subcortical white matter pathways is yet to be fully understood. Here we consider two well-known examples of our everyday motor repertoire, reaching and reach-to-grasp, by looking at their temporal unfolding and at the microstructure of descending projection pathways, conveying motor information from the motor cortices towards the more ventral regions of the nervous system. We combine three-dimensional kinematics, describing the temporal profile of hand movements, with diffusion imaging tractography, exploring the microstructure of specific segments of the projection pathways (internal capsule, corticospinal and hand motor tracts). The results indicate that the level of anisotropy characterizing these white matter tracts can influence the temporal unfolding of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements. Abstract The projection system, a complex organization of ascending and descending white matter pathways, is the principal system for conveying sensory and motor information, connecting frontal and sensorimotor regions with ventral regions of the central nervous system. The corticospinal tract (CST), one of the principal projection pathways, carries distal movement-related information from the cortex to the spinal cord, and whether its microstructure is linked to the kinematics of hand movements is still an open question. The aim of the present study was to explore how microstructure of descending branches of the projection system, namely the hand motor tract (HMT), the corticospinal tract (CST) and its sector within the internal capsule (IC), can relate to the temporal profile of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements. Projection pathways of 31 healthy subjects were virtually dissected by means of diffusion tractography and the kinematics of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements were also analyzed. A positive association between Hindrance Modulated Orientation Anisotropy (HMOA) and kinematics was observed, suggesting that anisotropy of the considered tract can influence the temporal unfolding of motor performance. We highlight, for the first time, that hand kinematics and the visuomotor transformation processes underlying reaching and reach-to-grasp movements relate to the microstructure of specific projection fibers subserving these movements.
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Shirazi Y, Oghabian MA, Batouli SAH. Along-tract analysis of the white matter is more informative about brain ageing, compared to whole-tract analysis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2021; 211:107048. [PMID: 34826755 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.107048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) enabled the investigation of brain White Matter (WM), both qualitatively to study the macrostructure, and quantitatively to study the microstructure. The quantitative analyses are mostly performed at the whole-tract level, i.e., providing one measure of interest per tract; however, along-tract approaches may provide finer details of the quality of the WM tracts. In this study, using the DWI data collected from 40 young and 40 old individuals, we compared the DTI measures of FA, MD, AD, and RD, estimated by both whole-tract and along-tract approaches in 18 WM bundles, between the two groups. The results of the whole-tract quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant (p-FWER < 0.05) difference between the old and young groups in 6 tracts for FA, 8 tracts for MD, 1 tract for AD, and 7 tracts for RD. On the contrary, the along-tract approach showed differences between the two groups in 10 tracts for FA, 14 tracts for MD, 8 tracts for AD, and 11 tracts for RD. All the differences between the along-tract measures of the two groups had a large effect size (Cohen'd > 0.80). This study showed that the along-tract approach for the analysis of brain WM reveals changes in some WM tracts which had not shown any changes in the whole-tract approach, and therefore this finding emphasizes the utilization of the along-tract approach along with the whole-tract method for a more accurate study of the brain WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin Shirazi
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Oghabian
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neuroimaging and Analysis Group, Research Center for Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Amir Hossein Batouli
- Neuroimaging and Analysis Group, Research Center for Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Neuroscience and addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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6
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Lichtenstein T, Sprenger A, Weiss K, Große Hokamp N, Maintz D, Schlamann M, Fink GR, Lehmann HC, Henning TD. MRI DTI and PDFF as Biomarkers for Lower Motor Neuron Degeneration in ALS. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:682126. [PMID: 34512239 PMCID: PMC8428530 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.682126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the utility of nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and muscle MRI multi-echo Dixon for assessing lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, 14 patients with ALS and 13 healthy controls underwent a multiparametric MRI protocol, including DTI of the sciatic nerve and assessment of muscle proton density fat fraction of the biceps femoris and the quadriceps femoris muscles by a multi-echo Dixon sequence. Results In ALS patients, mean fractional anisotropy values of the sciatic nerve were significantly lower than those of healthy controls. The quadriceps femoris, but not the biceps femoris muscle, showed significantly higher intramuscular fat fractions in ALS. Interpretation Our study provides evidence that multiparametric MRI protocols might help estimate structural nerve damage and neurogenic muscle changes in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Lichtenstein
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alina Sprenger
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kilian Weiss
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nils Große Hokamp
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Maintz
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marc Schlamann
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Helmar C Lehmann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tobias D Henning
- Department of Neuroradiology, Center Hospital Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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7
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Richie-Halford A, Yeatman JD, Simon N, Rokem A. Multidimensional analysis and detection of informative features in human brain white matter. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009136. [PMID: 34181648 PMCID: PMC8270416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The white matter contains long-range connections between different brain regions and the organization of these connections holds important implications for brain function in health and disease. Tractometry uses diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to quantify tissue properties along the trajectories of these connections. Statistical inference from tractometry usually either averages these quantities along the length of each fiber bundle or computes regression models separately for each point along every one of the bundles. These approaches are limited in their sensitivity, in the former case, or in their statistical power, in the latter. We developed a method based on the sparse group lasso (SGL) that takes into account tissue properties along all of the bundles and selects informative features by enforcing both global and bundle-level sparsity. We demonstrate the performance of the method in two settings: i) in a classification setting, patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are accurately distinguished from matched controls. Furthermore, SGL identifies the corticospinal tract as important for this classification, correctly finding the parts of the white matter known to be affected by the disease. ii) In a regression setting, SGL accurately predicts "brain age." In this case, the weights are distributed throughout the white matter indicating that many different regions of the white matter change over the lifespan. Thus, SGL leverages the multivariate relationships between diffusion properties in multiple bundles to make accurate phenotypic predictions while simultaneously discovering the most relevant features of the white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Richie-Halford
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jason D. Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education and Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Noah Simon
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ariel Rokem
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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8
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Makary MM, Weerasekara A, Rodham H, Hightower BG, Tseng CEJ, Chan J, Chew S, Paganoni S, Ratai EM, Zürcher NR, Hooker JM, Atassi N, Babu S. Comparison of Two Clinical Upper Motor Neuron Burden Rating Scales in ALS Using Quantitative Brain Imaging. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:906-916. [PMID: 33576234 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several clinical upper motor neuron burden scales (UMNSs) variably measure brain dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we compare relationship of two widely used clinical UMNSs in ALS (Penn and MGH UMNSs) with (a) neuroimaging markers of brain dysfunction and (b) neurological impairment status using the gold-standard functional measure, the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). MGH UMNS measures hyperreflexia alone, and Penn UMNS measures hyperreflexia, spasticity, and pseudobulbar affect. Twenty-eight ALS participants underwent both Penn and MGH UMNSs, at a matching time-point as a simultaneous [11C]PBR28 positron emission tomography (PBR28-PET)/Magnetic Resonance scan and ALSFRS-R. The two UMNSs were compared for localization and strength of association with neuroimaging markers of: (a) neuroinflammation, PBR28-PET and MR Spectroscopy metabolites (myo-inositol and choline) and (b) corticospinal axonal loss, fractional anisotropy (FA), and MR Spectroscopy metabolite (N-acetylaspartate). Among clinical UMN manifestations, segmental hyperreflexia, spasticity, and pseudobulbar affect occurred in 100, 43, and 18% ALS participants, respectively. Pseudobulbar affect did not map to any specific brain regional dysfunction, while hyperreflexia and spasticity subdomains significantly correlated and colocalized neurobiological changes to corticospinal pathways on whole brain voxel-wise analyses. Both UMNS total scores showed significant and similar strength of association with (a) neuroimaging changes (PBR28-PET, FA, MR Spectroscopy metabolites) in primary motor cortices and (b) severity of functional decline (ALSFRS-R). Hyperreflexia is the most frequent clinical UMN manifestation and correlates best with UMN molecular imaging changes in ALS. Among Penn UMNS's subdomains, hyperreflexia carries the weight of association with neuroimaging markers of biological changes in ALS. A clinical UMN scale comprising hyperreflexia items alone is clinically relevant and sufficient to predict the highest yield of molecular neuroimaging abnormalities in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena M. Makary
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
- Systems and Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - Akila Weerasekara
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Haley Rodham
- Sean M Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Baileigh G. Hightower
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Chieh-En J. Tseng
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - James Chan
- Department of Biostatistics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Sheena Chew
- Sean M Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- Sean M Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of PM&R, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Nicole R. Zürcher
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Jacob M. Hooker
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Nazem Atassi
- Sean M Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Sanofi Genzyme, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Suma Babu
- Sean M Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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Ravanfar P, Loi SM, Syeda WT, Van Rheenen TE, Bush AI, Desmond P, Cropley VL, Lane DJR, Opazo CM, Moffat BA, Velakoulis D, Pantelis C. Systematic Review: Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) of Brain Iron Profile in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:618435. [PMID: 33679303 PMCID: PMC7930077 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.618435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron has been increasingly implicated in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. In the past decade, development of the new magnetic resonance imaging technique, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), has enabled for the more comprehensive investigation of iron distribution in the brain. The aim of this systematic review was to provide a synthesis of the findings from existing QSM studies in neurodegenerative diseases. We identified 80 records by searching MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and PsycInfo databases. The disorders investigated in these studies included Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Wilson's disease, Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, spinocerebellar ataxia, Fabry disease, myotonic dystrophy, pantothenate-kinase-associated neurodegeneration, and mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration. As a general pattern, QSM revealed increased magnetic susceptibility (suggestive of increased iron content) in the brain regions associated with the pathology of each disorder, such as the amygdala and caudate nucleus in Alzheimer's disease, the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease, motor cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, basal ganglia in Huntington's disease, and cerebellar dentate nucleus in Friedreich's ataxia. Furthermore, the increased magnetic susceptibility correlated with disease duration and severity of clinical features in some disorders. Although the number of studies is still limited in most of the neurodegenerative diseases, the existing evidence suggests that QSM can be a promising tool in the investigation of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parsa Ravanfar
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Samantha M Loi
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Warda T Syeda
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Ashley I Bush
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Patricia Desmond
- Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Medicine and Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Radiology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Vanessa L Cropley
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Darius J R Lane
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Carlos M Opazo
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Bradford A Moffat
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Medicine and Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia.,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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10
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Gao J, Jiang M, Magin RL, Gatto RG, Morfini G, Larson AC, Li W. Multicomponent diffusion analysis reveals microstructural alterations in spinal cord of a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ex vivo. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231598. [PMID: 32310954 PMCID: PMC7170503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The microstructure changes associated with degeneration of spinal axons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be reflected in altered water diffusion properties, potentially detectable with diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI. Prior work revealed the classical mono-exponential model fails to precisely depict decay in DW signal at high b-values. In this study, we aim to investigate signal decay behaviors at ultra-high b-values for non-invasive assessment of spinal cord alterations in the transgenic SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. A multiexponential diffusion analysis using regularized non-negative least squares (rNNLS) algorithm was applied to a series of thirty DW MR images with b-values ranging from 0 to 858,022 s/mm2 on ex vivo spinal cords of transgenic SOD1G93A and age-matched control mice. We compared the distributions of measured diffusion coefficient fractions between the groups. The measured diffusion weighted signals in log-scale showed non-linear decay behaviors with increased b-values. Faster signal decays were observed with diffusion gradients applied parallel to the long axis of the spinal cord compared to when oriented in the transverse direction. Multiexponential analysis at the lumbar level in the spinal cord identified ten subintervals. A significant decrease of diffusion coefficient fractions was found in the ranges of [1.63×10−8,3.70×10−6] mm2/s (P = 0.0002) and of [6.01×10−6,4.20×10−5] mm2/s (P = 0.0388) in SOD1G93A mice. Anisotropic diffusion signals persisted at ultra-high b-value DWIs of the mouse spinal cord and multiexponential diffusion analysis offers the potential to evaluate microstructural alterations of ALS-affected spinal cord non-invasively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Gao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Mingchen Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Richard L. Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Rodolfo G. Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Morfini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Larson
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Weiguo Li
- Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Krishna V, Young NA, Sammartino F. Imaging: Patient Selection, Targeting, and Outcome Biomarkers. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34906-6_36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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12
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Ikuta T, Loprinzi PD. Integrity of the cortico-spinal tract is associated with physical activity. Int J Neurosci 2019; 130:413-416. [PMID: 31738651 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2019.1694520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Background and purpose: Despite the primary motor efferent role of the cortico-spinal tract (CST), it is hardly understood whether the amount of physical activity is associated with the integrity of the CST.Materials and methods: We examined the association between the amount of physical activity and the integrity of the CST, using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data from 465 individuals. The CST was segmented by probabilistic tractography and the association of the fractional anisotropy (FA) within was tested against physical activity (PA) assessed by moderate-intensity physical activity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.Results: The FA and PA showed a positive association. Post-hoc analyses showed that the radial diffusivity (RD) of the CST was negatively associated with PA, suggesting a potential association with preserved myelination with PA.Conclusion: This study shows that the integrity of the CST is associated with its traffic in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshikazu Ikuta
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Paul D Loprinzi
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, MS, USA
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13
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Du XQ, Zou TX, Huang NX, Zou ZY, Xue YJ, Chen HJ. Brain white matter abnormalities and correlation with severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: An atlas-based diffusion tensor imaging study. J Neurol Sci 2019; 405:116438. [PMID: 31484082 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess microstructural alterations in white matter (WM) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS DTI data were collected from 34 subjects (18 patients with ALS and 16 healthy controls). The atlas-based region of interest (ROI) analysis was conducted to assess WM microstructure in ALS by combining intra-voxel metrics, which included fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and an inter-voxel metric, i.e., local diffusion homogeneity (LDH). Correlation analysis of diffusion values and clinical factors was also performed. RESULTS ALS group showed a significant FA reduction in bilateral corticospinal tract (CST) as well as right uncinate fasciculus (RUF). The areas with higher MD were situated in right corticospinal tract (RCST), left cingulum hippocampus (LCH), RUF, and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (RSLF). Additionally, ALS patients showed decreased LDH in bilateral anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), bilateral CST and left inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus (LIFOF). Significant correlations were observed between ALSFRS-R (revised ALS Functional Rating Scale) scores or progression rate and FA in bilateral CST, as well as between disease duration and LDH in right CST. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed the feasibility of employing diffusion metrics along the CST to distinguish two groups (AUC = 0.792-0.868, p < .005 for all). CONCLUSIONS WM microstructural alteration is a common pathology in ALS, which can be detected by both intra- and inter-voxel diffusion metrics. The extent of abnormalities in several WM tracts such as ATR and LIFOF may be better assessed through the inter-voxel diffusion measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qiang Du
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Tian-Xiu Zou
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Nao-Xin Huang
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Zhang-Yu Zou
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
| | - Yun-Jing Xue
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
| | - Hua-Jun Chen
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
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14
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Zhang C, Zhao W, Bai Y, Wang Y, Wang H, Cheng W, Li Z, Zhu J, Yu Y. Differential impairment patterns of the corticospinal tract segments in alcohol dependence. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2019; 23:225-230. [PMID: 30987473 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2019.1588328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Background: Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding corticospinal tract (CST) changes in alcohol dependence. Here, we aimed to clarify this issue by examining the micro-structural integrity differences of distinct CST segments between alcohol-dependent patients and healthy controls. Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging was performed in a total of 39 male individuals, including 19 alcohol-dependent patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls. CST was reconstructed using tractography and was divided into inferior and superior segments at the level of the lateral sulcus. Multiple diffusion measures of each segment were compared between two groups. Results: For the bilateral whole CSTs, no diffusion measures showed significant between-group differences. However, compared to healthy controls, alcohol-dependent patients exhibited decreased FA and increased RD in the left-superior segment, increased FA and decreased RD/MD in the left-inferior segment, increased AD/MD in the right-superior segment, decreased RD/MD in the right-inferior segment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CST impairments may vary with the fibre arrangement patterns of its segments in alcohol dependence. Keypoints We reconstructed the CST using tractography based on DTI data and divided the CST into different segments in order to explore more detailed micro-structural integrity changes in alcoholisms. Alcohol-dependent patients showed decreased RD and MD for the bilateral inferior segments of the CSTs. The left-superior segment exhibited decreased FA and increased RD while the right one exhibited increased AD and MD. These findings suggest that CST impairments may vary with the fiber arrangement patterns of its segments in alcohol dependence. In future work, more elaborate segmentation schemes and lager samples should be used to test the reproducibility of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cun Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Wenming Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Ya Bai
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Haibao Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Wenwen Cheng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Zipeng Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Jiajia Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Yongqiang Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
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15
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Qiu T, Zhang Y, Tang X, Liu X, Wang Y, Zhou C, Luo C, Zhang J. Precentral degeneration and cerebellar compensation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A multimodal MRI analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:3464-3474. [PMID: 31020731 PMCID: PMC6865414 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and intractable neurodegenerative disease of human motor system characterized by progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. A considerable body of research has demonstrated significant structural and functional abnormalities of the primary motor cortex in patients with ALS. In contrast, much less attention has been paid to the abnormalities of cerebellum in this disease. Using multimodal magnetic resonance imagining data of 60 patients with ALS and 60 healthy controls, we examined changes in gray matter volume (GMV), white matter (WM) fractional anisotropy (FA), and functional connectivity (FC) in patients with ALS. Compared with healthy controls, patients with ALS showed decreased GMV in the left precentral gyrus and increased GMV in bilateral cerebellum, decreased FA in the left corticospinal tract and body of corpus callosum, and decreased FC in multiple brain regions, involving bilateral postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus and cerebellum anterior lobe, among others. Meanwhile, we found significant intermodal correlations among GMV of left precentral gyrus, FA of altered WM tracts, and FC of left precentral gyrus, and that WM microstructural alterations seem to play important roles in mediating the relationship between GMV and FC of the precentral gyrus, as well as the relationship between GMVs of the precentral gyrus and cerebellum. These findings provided evidence for the precentral degeneration and cerebellar compensation in ALS, and the involvement of WM alterations in mediating the relationship between pathologies of the primary motor cortex and cerebellum, which may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Qiu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yuanchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xie Tang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoping Liu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Chaoyang Zhou
- Department of RadiologySouthwest Hospital, Third Military Medical UniversityChongqingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Chunxia Luo
- Department of NeurologySouthwest Hospital, Third Military Medical UniversityChongqingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jiuquan Zhang
- Department of RadiologyChongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer HospitalChongqingPeople's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education (Chongqing University)Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer HospitalChongqingPeople's Republic of China
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16
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Rajagopalan V, Pioro EP. Unbiased MRI Analyses Identify Micropathologic Differences Between Upper Motor Neuron-Predominant ALS Phenotypes. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:704. [PMID: 31354413 PMCID: PMC6639827 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable and progressively fatal neurodegenerative disease that manifests with distinct clinical phenotypes, which are seen in neuroimaging, and clinical studies. T2- and proton density (PD)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) displays hyperintense signal along the corticospinal tract (CST) in some ALS patients with upper motor neuron (UMN)-predominant signs. These patients tend to be younger and have significantly faster disease progression. We hypothesize that such ALS patients with CST hyperintensity (ALS-CST+) comprise a clinical subtype distinct from other ALS subtypes, namely patients with UMN-predominant ALS without CST hyperintensity, classic ALS, and ALS with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Novel approaches such as fractal dimension analysis on conventional MRI (cMRI) and advanced MR techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveal significant differences between ALS-CST+ and the aforementioned ALS subtypes. Our unbiased neuroimaging studies demonstrate that the ALS-CST+ group, which can be initially identified by T2-, PD-, and FLAIR-weighted cMRI, is distinctive and distinguishable from other ALS subtypes with possible differences in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkateswaran Rajagopalan
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Hyderabad, India.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, ND2, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Erik P Pioro
- Department of Neurology, Neuromuscular Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
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17
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Deterministic-tractography-based approach for diagnosis and disease monitoring of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2019; 181:73-75. [PMID: 31009854 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Upper and lower motor neuron signs are required for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The detection of upper motor neuron signs is key for the diagnosis, as quite a few patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis lack upper motor neuron signs during the course of disease. This study sought to investigate whether deterministic tractography of the corticospinal tract, reflecting upper motor neuron signs, could be a surrogate biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifteen patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ten controls underwent imaging on a 3.0 T MRI. The corticospinal tract was reconstructed using deterministic tractography, and the track number was calculated. We analyzed the differences between the groups and the relationship between the track number and disease severity, disease duration, progression rate or upper motor neuron signs. RESULTS A reduction in the track number of the corticospinal tract was found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis compared with controls (Student's t test, P = 0.008). The sensitivity and specificity were 0.67 and 0.9, respectively. The track number correlated with disease severity alone (r = 0.71, P = 0.003), and significantly associated with upper motor neuron signs (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the deterministic-tractography-based approach is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and disease monitoring of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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18
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Weidman EK, Schweitzer AD, Niogi SN, Brady EJ, Starikov A, Askin G, Shahbazi M, Wang Y, Lange D, Tsiouris AJ. Diffusion tensor imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping as diagnostic tools for motor neuron disorders. Clin Imaging 2019; 53:6-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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19
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Mazón M, Vázquez Costa JF, Ten-Esteve A, Martí-Bonmatí L. Imaging Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. The Example of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:784. [PMID: 30410433 PMCID: PMC6209630 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The term amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) comprises a heterogeneous group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders of largely unknown etiology characterized by the upper motor neurons (UMN) and/or lower motor neurons (LMN) degeneration. The development of brain imaging biomarkers is essential to advance in the diagnosis, stratification and monitoring of ALS, both in the clinical practice and clinical trials. In this review, the characteristics of an optimal imaging biomarker and common pitfalls in biomarkers evaluation will be discussed. Moreover, the development and application of the most promising brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging biomarkers will be reviewed. Finally, the integration of both qualitative and quantitative multimodal brain MR biomarkers in a structured report will be proposed as a support tool for ALS diagnosis and stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Mazón
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research Group (GIBI230), La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital and La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Francisco Vázquez Costa
- Neuromuscular Research Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria la Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
- ALS Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Valencia, Spain
| | - Amadeo Ten-Esteve
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research Group (GIBI230), La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital and La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Martí-Bonmatí
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research Group (GIBI230), La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital and La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
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20
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CSF cystatin C and diffusion tensor imaging parameters as biomarkers of upper motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2018; 172:162-168. [PMID: 30016754 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The establishment of biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will be useful for early diagnosis and may provide evidence about pathogenesis. To elucidate whether high-field magnetic resonance (MR) findings and multimodal analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of cystatin C could be indicators of upper motor neuron (UMN) involvement in ALS. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with ALS (n = 20), multiple sclerosis (n = 15), immune mediated chronic polyneuropathy (n = 17), and acute polyneuropathy (n = 12) were included in this retrospective study. Clinical indices including UMN signs were assessed, and 3.0-Tesla diffusion tensor imaging and MR spectroscopy were performed in patients with ALS. CSF levels of cystatin C were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS MR findings indicated that decreased anisotropy, increased diffusion, and increased myo-inositol/creatine ratio were also significantly correlated with UMN involvement in patients with ALS. The CSF cystatin C levels were significantly lower in patients with ALS than in the other three groups. The reduction of CSF cystatin C levels was significantly correlated with clinical UMN involvement (r = -0.505, p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS Reduced cystatin C in CSF can reflect UMN involvement as shown in high-field MR of ALS, potentially providing a new biomarker for UMN degeneration in ALS.
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21
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Zhou H, Tang Y, Yuan Z. White matter asymmetries in patients with cerebral small vessel disease. J Integr Neurosci 2018. [DOI: 10.3233/jin-170037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhou
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- South China Institute of Software Engineering, Guangzhou, 510990, P. R. China
- School of Basic Medical Science Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yan Tang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Zhi Yuan
- South China Institute of Software Engineering, Guangzhou, 510990, P. R. China
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22
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Stämpfli P, Sommer S, Czell D, Kozerke S, Neuwirth C, Weber M, Sartoretti-Schefer S, Seifritz E, Gutzeit A, Reischauer C. Investigation of Neurodegenerative Processes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using White Matter Fiber Density. Clin Neuroradiol 2018; 29:493-503. [DOI: 10.1007/s00062-018-0670-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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23
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Diffusion tensor imaging and tractography of the white matter in normal aging: The rate-of-change differs between segments within tracts. Magn Reson Imaging 2018; 45:113-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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24
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The effect of diffusion gradient direction number on corticospinal tractography in the human brain: an along-tract analysis. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2016; 30:265-280. [PMID: 28000087 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-016-0600-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We evaluated diffusion imaging measures of the corticospinal tract obtained with a probabilistic tractography algorithm applied to data of two acquisition protocols based on different numbers of diffusion gradient directions (NDGDs). MATERIALS AND METHODS The corticospinal tracts (CST) of 18 healthy subjects were delineated using 22 and 66-NDGD data. An along-tract analysis of diffusion metrics was performed to detect possible local differences due to NDGD. RESULTS FA values at 22-NDGD showed an increase along the central portion of the CST. The mean of partial volume fraction of the orientation of the second fiber (f2) was higher at 66-NDGD bilaterally, because for 66-NDGD data the algorithm more readily detects dominant fiber directions beyond the first, thus the increase in FA at 22-NDGD is due to a substantially reduced detection of crossing fiber volume. However, the good spatial correlation between the tracts drawn at 22 and 66 NDGD shows that the extent of the tract can be successfully defined even at lower NDGD. CONCLUSIONS Given the spatial tract localization obtained even at 22-NDGD, local analysis of CST can be performed using a NDGD compatible with clinical protocols. The probabilistic approach was particularly powerful in evaluating crossing fibers when present.
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25
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Sarica A, Cerasa A, Valentino P, Yeatman J, Trotta M, Barone S, Granata A, Nisticò R, Perrotta P, Pucci F, Quattrone A. The corticospinal tract profile in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:727-739. [PMID: 27659483 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This work evaluates the potential in diagnostic application of a new advanced neuroimaging method, which delineates the profile of tissue properties along the corticospinal tract (CST) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), by means of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-four ALS patients and twenty-four demographically matched healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The Automated Fiber Quantification (AFQ), a tool for the automatic reconstruction of white matter tract profiles, based on a deterministic tractography algorithm to automatically identify the CST and quantify its diffusion properties, was used. At a group level, the highest non-overlapping DTI-related differences were detected in the cerebral peduncle, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and primary motor cortex. Fractional anisotropy (FA) decrease and mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) increases were detected when comparing ALS patients to controls. The machine learning approach used to assess the clinical utility of this DTI tool revealed that, by combining all DTI metrics measured along tract between the cerebral peduncle and the corona radiata, a mean 5-fold cross validation accuracy of 80% was reached in discriminating ALS from controls. Our study provides a useful new neuroimaging tool to characterize ALS-related neurodegenerative processes by means of CST profile. We demonstrated that specific microstructural changes in the upper part of the brainstem might be considered as a valid biomarker. With further validations this method has the potential to be considered a promising step toward the diagnostic utility of DTI measures in ALS. Hum Brain Mapp 38:727-739, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Sarica
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Antonio Cerasa
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Paola Valentino
- Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Jason Yeatman
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Maria Trotta
- Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefania Barone
- Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alfredo Granata
- Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Rita Nisticò
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Paolo Perrotta
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Franco Pucci
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Aldo Quattrone
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy
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26
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Schuster C, Elamin M, Hardiman O, Bede P. The segmental diffusivity profile of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated white matter degeneration. Eur J Neurol 2016; 23:1361-71. [DOI: 10.1111/ene.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Schuster
- Quantitative Neuroimaging Group; Academic Unit of Neurology; Biomedical Sciences Institute; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
| | - M. Elamin
- Quantitative Neuroimaging Group; Academic Unit of Neurology; Biomedical Sciences Institute; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
| | - O. Hardiman
- Quantitative Neuroimaging Group; Academic Unit of Neurology; Biomedical Sciences Institute; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
| | - P. Bede
- Quantitative Neuroimaging Group; Academic Unit of Neurology; Biomedical Sciences Institute; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
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27
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Vora M, Kumar S, Sharma S, Sharma S, Makhaik S, Sood RG. Advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging in bulbar and limb onset early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurosci Rural Pract 2016; 7:102-8. [PMID: 26933355 PMCID: PMC4750305 DOI: 10.4103/0976-3147.165423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal and most common motor neuron disease, caused by progressive loss of motor neurons. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) studies detect pathological changes in neuronal fibers in vivo. We evaluated the role of DTI and MRS in early course of the disease, which may prove beneficial in the early diagnosis and better management. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients with ALS and 13 age-matched controls received 1.5T DTI and three-dimensional multi-voxel MRS. Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient, N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Creatine (Cr), and NAA/Choline (Ch) ratios were analyzed in various regions of the brain and compared with healthy controls. ALS patients were classified as definite, possible, and probable category, and patients were also studied in limb versus bulbar onset. Results: Decreased FA and increase mean diffusivity values in regions of corticospinal tract (CST) and corpus callosum (CC) was consistent finding in definite and probable disease category (P < 0.05). In possible disease, CC involvement was not significant. NAA/Cr and NAA/Ch ratios were lower in CC and regions of CST. However, in possible disease, CC involvement was not significant, while regions of CST were showing significant reduction in NAA/Cr and NAA/Ch ratios (P < 0.05). Conclusion: DTI and MRS detect changes associated with ALS even in the early phase of the disease. Bulbar onset and limb onset ALS patients show different pattern of involvement. Extramotor involvement suggested by CC involvement is a feature seen in bulbar onset patient and can suggest poor outcome in such patients. The present findings may be helpful for designing further studies in the direction of more early diagnosis of disease and its management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulik Vora
- Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Sanjiv Sharma
- Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Sudhir Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Sushma Makhaik
- Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - R G Sood
- Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Krishna V, Sammartino F, Yee P, Mikulis D, Walker M, Elias G, Hodaie M. Diffusion tensor imaging assessment of microstructural brainstem integrity in Chiari malformation Type I. J Neurosurg 2016; 125:1112-1119. [PMID: 26848913 DOI: 10.3171/2015.9.jns151196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The diagnosis of Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) is primarily based on the degree of cerebellar tonsillar herniation even though it does not always correlate with symptoms. Neurological dysfunction in CM-I presumably results from brainstem compression. With the premise that conventional MRI does not reveal brain microstructural changes, this study examined both structural and microstructural neuroimaging metrics to distinguish patients with CM-I from age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. METHODS Eight patients with CM-I and 16 controls were analyzed. Image postprocessing involved coregistration of anatomical T1-weighted with diffusion tensor images using 3D Slicer software. The structural parameters included volumes of the posterior fossa, fourth ventricle, and tentorial angle. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated separately in the anterior and posterior compartments of the lower brainstem. RESULTS The mean age of patients in the CM-I cohort was 42.6 ± 10.4 years with mean tonsillar herniation of 12 mm (SD 0.7 mm). There were no significant differences in the posterior fossa volume (p = 0.06) or fourth ventricular volume between the 2 groups (p = 0.11). However, the FA in the anterior brainstem compartment was significantly higher in patients with CM-I preoperatively (p = 0.001). The FA values normalized after Chiari decompression except for persistently elevated FA in the posterior brainstem compartment in patients with CM-I and syrinx. CONCLUSIONS In this case-control study, microstructural alterations appear to be reliably associated with the diagnosis of CM-I, with a significantly elevated FA in the lower brainstem in patients with CM-I compared with controls. More importantly, the FA values normalized after decompressive surgery. These findings should be validated in future studies to determine the significance of diffusion tensor imaging-based assessment of brainstem microstructural integrity as an adjunct to the clinical assessment in patients with CM-I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhor Krishna
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery.,2Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Philip Yee
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery
| | - David Mikulis
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery.,3Division of Brain Imaging, Behaviour Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute; and.,4Institute of Medical Science, and.,5Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and.,6Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto
| | - Matthew Walker
- 3Division of Brain Imaging, Behaviour Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute; and
| | - Gavin Elias
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery.,3Division of Brain Imaging, Behaviour Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute; and.,4Institute of Medical Science, and.,5Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
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Sheelakumari R, Madhusoodanan M, Radhakrishnan A, Ranjith G, Thomas B. A Potential Biomarker in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Can Assessment of Brain Iron Deposition with SWI and Corticospinal Tract Degeneration with DTI Help? AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2015; 37:252-8. [PMID: 26494694 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a4524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Iron-mediated oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study aimed to assess iron deposition qualitatively and quantitatively by using SWI and microstructural changes in the corticospinal tract by using DTI in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventeen patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 15 age- and sex-matched controls underwent brain MR imaging with SWI and DTI. SWI was analyzed for both signal-intensity scoring and quantitative estimation of iron deposition in the anterior and posterior banks of the motor and sensory cortices and deep gray nuclei. The diffusion measurements along the corticospinal tract at the level of pons and medulla were obtained by ROI analysis. RESULTS Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showed reduced signal-intensity grades in the posterior bank of the motor cortex bilaterally. Quantitative analysis confirmed significantly higher iron content in the posterior bank of the motor cortex in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In contrast, no significant differences were noted for the anterior bank of the motor cortex, anterior and posterior banks of the sensory cortex, and deep nuclei. Receiver operating characteristic comparison showed a cutoff of 35μg Fe/g of tissue with an area under the curve of 0.78 (P = .008) for the posterior bank of the motor cortex in discriminating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from controls. Fractional anisotropy was lower in the pyramidal tracts of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the pons and medulla on either side, along with higher directionally averaged mean diffusivity values. The combination of SWI and DTI revealed an area under the curve of 0.784 for differentiating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from controls. CONCLUSIONS Measurements of motor cortex iron deposition and diffusion tensor parameters of the corticospinal tract may be useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of clinically suspected amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - G Ranjith
- Devices Testing Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing (G.R.)
| | - B Thomas
- Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology (B.T.), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
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Role of Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging in Degenerative Cervical Spine Disease: a Review of the Literature. Clin Neuroradiol 2015; 26:265-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s00062-015-0467-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Goveas J, O'Dwyer L, Mascalchi M, Cosottini M, Diciotti S, De Santis S, Passamonti L, Tessa C, Toschi N, Giannelli M. Diffusion-MRI in neurodegenerative disorders. Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 33:853-76. [PMID: 25917917 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to image the whole brain through ever more subtle and specific methods/contrasts has come to play a key role in understanding the basis of brain abnormalities in several diseases. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), "diffusion" (i.e. the random, thermally-induced displacements of water molecules over time) represents an extraordinarily sensitive contrast mechanism, and the exquisite structural detail it affords has proven useful in a vast number of clinical as well as research applications. Since diffusion-MRI is a truly quantitative imaging technique, the indices it provides can serve as potential imaging biomarkers which could allow early detection of pathological alterations as well as tracking and possibly predicting subtle changes in follow-up examinations and clinical trials. Accordingly, diffusion-MRI has proven useful in obtaining information to better understand the microstructural changes and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying various neurodegenerative disorders. In this review article, we summarize and explore the main applications, findings, perspectives as well as challenges and future research of diffusion-MRI in various neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease and degenerative ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Goveas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and Institute for Health and Society, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Laurence O'Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mario Mascalchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Quantitative and Functional Neuroradiology Research Program at Meyer Children and Careggi Hospitals of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Unit of Neuroradiology, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Silvia De Santis
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlo Tessa
- Division of Radiology, "Versilia" Hospital, AUSL 12 Viareggio, Lido di Camaiore, Italy
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Medical Physics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Giannelli
- Unit of Medical Physics, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Pisa, Italy.
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Role of diffusion tensor imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the diagnosis and disability assessment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2015; 348:206-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Woo JH, Wang S, Melhem ER, Gee JC, Cucchiara A, McCluskey L, Elman L. Linear associations between clinically assessed upper motor neuron disease and diffusion tensor imaging metrics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105753. [PMID: 25144708 PMCID: PMC4140827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess the relationship between clinically assessed Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) disease in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and local diffusion alterations measured in the brain corticospinal tract (CST) by a tractography-driven template-space region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). Methods This cross-sectional study included 34 patients with ALS, on whom DTI was performed. Clinical measures were separately obtained including the Penn UMN Score, a summary metric based upon standard clinical methods. After normalizing all DTI data to a population-specific template, tractography was performed to determine a region-of-interest (ROI) outlining the CST, in which average Mean Diffusivity (MD) and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) were estimated. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate associations of DTI metrics (MD, FA) with clinical measures (Penn UMN Score, ALSFRS-R, duration-of-disease), along with age, sex, handedness, and El Escorial category as covariates. Results For MD, the regression model was significant (p = 0.02), and the only significant predictors were the Penn UMN Score (p = 0.005) and age (p = 0.03). The FA regression model was also significant (p = 0.02); the only significant predictor was the Penn UMN Score (p = 0.003). Conclusions Measured by the template-space ROI method, both MD and FA were linearly associated with the Penn UMN Score, supporting the hypothesis that DTI alterations reflect UMN pathology as assessed by the clinical examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H. Woo
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sumei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elias R. Melhem
- Department of Radiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - James C. Gee
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andrew Cucchiara
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Leo McCluskey
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lauren Elman
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Wang Y, Liu L, Ma L, Huang X, Lou X, Wang Y, Wu N, Liu T, Guo X. Preliminary study on cervical spinal cord in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using MR diffusion tensor imaging. Acad Radiol 2014; 21:590-6. [PMID: 24703471 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2014.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the conventional magnetic resonance (MR) findings of cervical spinal cord, to explore the possible changes on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and to assess the correlations between the changes on DTI and clinical parameters in patients with ALS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Conventional MR imaging (MRI) and DTI in 24 patients with ALS and 16 age-matched control subjects were obtained. On axial planes, regions of interest (ROIs) were marked in bilateral spinothalamic tracts (STs), posterior funiculus, and bilateral lateral corticospinal tracts (LCTs), respectively, at the levels of cervical 2-4 vertebral bodies. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of these ROIs were estimated. Independent sample t test and Pearson correlation analysis were used. RESULTS In patients with ALS, no abnormal findings were noted in the cervical spinal cord on conventional MRI. FA values of bilateral LCTs decreased significantly compared to those of the control group (P < .05), and ADC values of bilateral LCTs were significantly greater than those of the control group (P < .05). FA and ADC values of bilateral LCTs showed no significant difference between patients with definite and probable ALS (P > .05). No significant correlation existed between abnormal DTI parameters (FA and ADC values of bilateral LCTs) and clinical parameters (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS Subtle abnormalities in bilateral LCTs in the "normal-appearing" cervical spinal cord can be detected using quantitative DTI technique in patients with ALS.
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Tir M, Delmaire C, Besson P, Defebvre L. The value of novel MRI techniques in Parkinson-plus syndromes: diffusion tensor imaging and anatomical connectivity studies. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2014; 170:266-76. [PMID: 24656811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Conventional MRI is a well-described, highly useful tool for the differential diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonian syndromes. Nevertheless, the observed abnormalities may only appear in late-stage disease. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can identify microstructural changes in brain tissue integrity and connectivity. The technique has proven value in the differential diagnosis of multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we performed a systematic review of the literature on the main corticosubcortical DTI abnormalities identified to date in the context of the diagnosis of MSA and PSP with diffusion-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and anatomical connectivity studies. In good agreement with the histological data, increased diffusivity in the putamen (in MSA and PSP), in the middle cerebellar peduncles (in MSA) and in the upper cerebellar peduncles (in PSP) has been reported. Motor pathway involvement is characterized by low fraction anisotropy (FA) in the primary motor cortex in MSA-P and PSP, a high apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and low FA in the supplementary motor area in PSP. We then outline the value of these techniques in differential diagnosis (especially with respect to PD). Anatomical connectivity studies have revealed a lower number of fibers in the corticospinal tract in MSA and PSP (relative to PD and controls) and fewer tracked cortical projection fibers in patients with PSP or late-stage MSA (relative to patients with early MSA or PD and controls). Lastly, we report the main literature data concerning the value of DTI parameters in monitoring disease progression. The observed correlations between DTI parameters on one hand and clinical scores and/or disease duration on the other constitute strong evidence of the value of DTI in monitoring disease progression. In MSA, the ataxia score was correlated with ADC values in the pons and the upper cerebellar peduncles, whereas both the motor score and the disease duration were correlated with putaminal ADC values. In conclusion, DTI and connectivity studies constitute promising tools for differentiating between "Parkinson-plus" syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tir
- Service de neurologie et pathologie du mouvement, hôpital Salengro, CHRU de Lille, EA 1046, département de pharmacologie médicale, université Lille Nord de France, 1, place de Verdun, 59045 Lille cedex, France; Service de neurologie, CHU d'Amiens, EA 4559, SFR CAP-Santé (FED 4231), université de Picardie-Jules-Verne, chemin du Thil, 80000 Amiens, France.
| | - C Delmaire
- Service de neuroradiologie, hôpital Salengro, CHRU de Lille, EA 4559, université Lille Nord de France, rue Prof.-Émile-Laine, 59037 Lille cedex, France
| | - P Besson
- Service de neuroradiologie, hôpital Salengro, CHRU de Lille, EA 4559, université Lille Nord de France, rue Prof.-Émile-Laine, 59037 Lille cedex, France
| | - L Defebvre
- Service de neurologie et pathologie du mouvement, hôpital Salengro, CHRU de Lille, EA 1046, département de pharmacologie médicale, université Lille Nord de France, 1, place de Verdun, 59045 Lille cedex, France
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Grapperon AM, Verschueren A, Duclos Y, Confort-Gouny S, Soulier E, Loundou AD, Guye M, Cozzone PJ, Pouget J, Ranjeva JP, Attarian S. Association between structural and functional corticospinal involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis assessed by diffusion tensor MRI and triple stimulation technique. Muscle Nerve 2014; 49:551-7. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.23957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Revised: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aude-Marie Grapperon
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Annie Verschueren
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Yann Duclos
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Sylviane Confort-Gouny
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Elisabeth Soulier
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Anderson D. Loundou
- Department of Methodological Aid to Clinical Research; CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Maxime Guye
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Patrick J. Cozzone
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Jean Pouget
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Jean-Philippe Ranjeva
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Shahram Attarian
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
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Diffusion tensor MRI changes in gray structures of the frontal-subcortical circuits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurol Sci 2014; 35:911-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-013-1626-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Rüber T, Lindenberg R, Schlaug G. Differential adaptation of descending motor tracts in musicians. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 25:1490-8. [PMID: 24363265 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Between-group comparisons of musicians and nonmusicians have revealed structural brain differences and also functional differences in motor performance. In this study, we aimed to examine the relation between white matter microstructure and high-level motor skills by contrasting 2 groups of musicians with different instrument-specific motor requirements. We used diffusion tensor imaging to compare diffusivity measures of different corticospinal motor tracts of 10 keyboard players, 10 string players, and 10 nonmusicians. Additionally, the maximal tapping rates of their left and right index fingers were determined. When compared with nonmusicians, fractional anisotropy (FA) values of right-hemispheric motor tracts were significantly higher in both musician groups, whereas left-hemispheric motor tracts showed significantly higher FA values only in the keyboard players. Voxel-wise FA analysis found a group effect in white matter underlying the right motor cortex. Diffusivity measures of fibers originating in the primary motor cortex correlated with the maximal tapping rate of the contralateral index finger across all groups. The observed between-group diffusivity differences might represent an adaptation to the specific motor demands of the respective musical instrument. This is supported further by finding correlations between diffusivity measures and maximal tapping rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodor Rüber
- Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratories, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Epileptology, Bonn University Hospital, Bonn, Germany and
| | - Robert Lindenberg
- Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratories, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gottfried Schlaug
- Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratories, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Foerster BR, Welsh RC, Feldman EL. 25 years of neuroimaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2013; 9:513-24. [PMID: 23917850 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2013.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease for which a precise cause has not yet been identified. Standard CT or MRI evaluation does not demonstrate gross structural nervous system changes in ALS, so conventional neuroimaging techniques have provided little insight into the pathophysiology of this disease. Advanced neuroimaging techniques--such as structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy--allow evaluation of alterations of the nervous system in ALS. These alterations include focal loss of grey and white matter and reductions in white matter tract integrity, as well as changes in neural networks and in the chemistry, metabolism and receptor distribution in the brain. Given their potential for investigation of both brain structure and function, advanced neuroimaging methods offer important opportunities to improve diagnosis, guide prognosis, and direct future treatment strategies in ALS. In this article, we review the contributions made by various advanced neuroimaging techniques to our understanding of the impact of ALS on different brain regions, and the potential role of such measures in biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley R Foerster
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Rajagopalan V, Yue GH, Pioro EP. Brain white matter diffusion tensor metrics from clinical 1.5T MRI distinguish between ALS phenotypes. J Neurol 2013; 260:2532-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-013-7012-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Revised: 06/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Muscular weakness in individuals with HIV associated with a disorganization of the cortico-spinal tract: a multi-modal MRI investigation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66810. [PMID: 23874398 PMCID: PMC3708953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor impairment is highly prevalent in HIV-infected patients. Here, we assess associations between peripheral muscular deficits as evaluated by the 5 sit-to-stand test (5STS) and structural integrity of the motor system at a central level. Eighty-six HIV-infected patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy and with no major cerebral events, underwent an MRI scan and the 5STS. Out of 86 participants, forty presented a score greater than two standard deviations above mean normative scores calculated for the 5STS and were therefore considered as motor-impaired. MRI-structural cerebral parameters were compared to the unimpaired participants. Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Axial Diffusivity (AD) and Radial Diffusivity (RD), reflecting microstructural integrity, were extracted from Diffusion-Tensor MRI. Global and regional cerebral volumes or thicknesses were extracted from 3D-T1 morphological MRI. Whereas the two groups did not differ for any HIV variables, voxel-wise analysis revealed that motor-impaired participants present low FA values in various cortico-motor tracts and low AD in left cortico-spinal tract. However, they did not present reduced volumes or thicknesses of the precentral cortices compared to unimpaired participants. The absence of alterations in cortical regions holding motor-neurons might argue against neurodegenerative process as an explanation of White Matter (WM) disorganization.
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Seizeur R, Magro E, Prima S, Wiest-Daesslé N, Maumet C, Morandi X. Corticospinal tract asymmetry and handedness in right- and left-handers by diffusion tensor tractography. Surg Radiol Anat 2013; 36:111-24. [PMID: 23807198 DOI: 10.1007/s00276-013-1156-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cerebral hemispheres represent both structural and functional asymmetry, which differs among right- and left-handers. The left hemisphere is specialised for language and task execution of the right hand in right-handers. We studied the corticospinal tract in right- and left-handers by diffusion tensor imaging and tractography. The present study aimed at revealing a morphological difference resulting from a region of interest (ROI) obtained by functional MRI (fMRI). METHODS Twenty-five healthy participants (right-handed: 15, left-handed: 10) were enrolled in our assessment of morphological, functional and diffusion tensor MRI. Assessment of brain fibre reconstruction (tractography) was done using a deterministic algorithm. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were studied on the tractography traces of the reference slices. RESULTS We observed a significant difference in number of leftward fibres based on laterality. The significant difference in regard to FA and MD was based on the slices obtained at different levels and the laterality index. We found left-hand asymmetry and right-hand asymmetry, respectively, for the MD and FA. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed the presence of hemispheric asymmetry based on laterality index in right- and left-handers. These results are inconsistent with some studies and consistent with others. The reported difference in hemispheric asymmetry could be related to dexterity (manual skill).
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Affiliation(s)
- Romuald Seizeur
- INSERM UMR 1101, LaTIM, Université de Brest, Brest, 29200, France,
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Jenkins TM, Burness C, Connolly DJ, Rao DG, Hoggard N, Mawson S, McDermott CJ, Wilkinson ID, Shaw PJ. A prospective pilot study measuring muscle volumetric change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:414-23. [PMID: 23705876 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2013.795597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to investigate the potential of muscle volume, measured with magnetic resonance (MR), as a biomarker to quantify disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this longitudinal pilot study, we first sought to determine the stability of volumetric muscle MR measurements in 11 control subjects at two time-points. We assessed feasibility of detecting atrophy in four patients with ALS, followed at three-month intervals for 12 months. Muscle power and MR volume were measured in thenar eminence (TEm), first dorsal interosseous (1DIO), tibialis anterior (TA) and tongue. Changes over time were assessed using linear regression models and t-tests. Results demonstrated that, in controls, no volumetric MR changes were seen (mean volume variation in all muscles < 5%, p > 0.1). In patients, between-subject heterogeneity was identified. Trends for volume loss were found in TEm (mean, - 26.84%, p = 0.056) and TA (- 8.29%, p = 0.077), but not in 1DIO (- 18.47%, p = 0.121) or tongue (< 5%, p = 0.367). In conclusion, volumetric muscle MR appears a stable measure in controls, and progressive volume loss was demonstrable in individuals with ALS in whom clinical weakness progressed. In this small study, subclinical atrophy was not demonstrable using muscle MR. Clinico-radiological discordance between muscle weakness and MR atrophy could reflect a contribution of upper motor neuron pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Jenkins
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK.
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Meng X, Jun C, Wang Q, Zhang X, Li Z, Li Q, Hou J, Zeng Q, Wang Q, Ma X. High b-value diffusion tensor imaging of the remote white matter and white matter of obstructive unilateral cerebral arterial regions. Clin Radiol 2013; 68:815-22. [PMID: 23623577 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess diffusion changes in the remote white matter and areas of white matter with cerebral artery obstruction without magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of brain parenchymal abnormalities using high b-value diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 34 patients with severe unilateral stenosis (≥75%) or occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) without abnormal brain parenchymal signals at MRI underwent DTI with a b value of 2200 s/mm(2) at 3 T. Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), axial diffusivity (eigenvalue λ₁) and radial diffusivity (eigenvalue λ₂₃) were measured at the bilateral corona radiata, anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, and pons. RESULTS The mean FA was significantly lower at the ipsilateral corona radiata and anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule than at the contralateral corona radiata and anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule (p < 0.05). The mean ADC, λ₁ and λ₂₃ were significantly higher at the ipsilateral corona radiata than at the contralateral corona radiata (p < 0.01). The mean λ₂₃ were significantly higher at the ipsilateral anterior and posterior limb of the internal capsule than at the contralateral anterior and posterior limb of the internal capsule (p < 0.05). The mean ADC, λ₁ and λ₂ ₃were not significantly different between the ipsilateral cerebral peduncle and pons. CONCLUSIONS High b-value DTI could sensitively reveal diffusion changes in white matter in regions of cerebral artery obstruction without abnormal anisotropy and diffusivity of the remote white matter of patients with severe MCA stenosis or occlusion without MRI evidence of brain parenchymal abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Meng
- Department of Radiology, Qi Lu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Ignjatović A, Stević Z, Lavrnić S, Daković M, Bačić G. Brain iron MRI: a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2013; 38:1472-9. [PMID: 23564606 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the usefulness of MRI detection of hypointensity areas (iron deposits) in the brain using a dedicated MRI technique in patients with ALS in establishing this sign as a potential surrogate biomarker that correlates with the severity of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-six ALS patients and 26 age-matched controls were examined by MRI. The ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) score was determined before the first MRI examination. The sub-set of 25 ALS patients was re-examined around 6 months after the first MRI examination. The MRI examination consisted of routine T1W, T2W, and FLAIR sequences with the addition of a thin slice heavily T2* weighted sequence to accentuate magnetic susceptibility artifacts. RESULTS T2*W sequence is superior to any other MRI sequence in detecting hypointensities in the brain of ALS patients. Hypointensities were found only in the precentral gyruses gray matter (PGGM) and were detected in 42 patients. The extent of hypointensities was measured and scored (0-3) and correlated with ALSFRS (r = -0.545). Twenty-five patients were re-examined 6 months later, and the majority of them showed the shift toward higher MRI scores. No control subjects had hypointensities in PGGM. CONCLUSION The detection of hypointensities in PGGM appears to be a very promising surrogate MRI biomarker for ALS due to its simplicity, high sensitivity and specificity, suitability for longitudinal studies, and relationship with the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Takao H, Hayashi N, Ohtomo K. White matter microstructure asymmetry: effects of volume asymmetry on fractional anisotropy asymmetry. Neuroscience 2012; 231:1-12. [PMID: 23219841 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides information regarding white matter microstructure; however, macroscopic fiber architectures can affect DTI measures. A larger brain (fiber tract) has a 'relatively' smaller voxel size, and the voxels are less likely to contain more than one fiber orientation and more likely to have higher fractional anisotropy (FA). Previous DTI studies report left-to-right differences in the white matter; however, these may reflect true microscopic differences or be caused purely by volume differences. Using tract-based spatial statistics, we investigated left-to-right differences in white matter microstructure across the whole brain. Voxel-wise analysis revealed a large number of white matter volume asymmetries, including leftward asymmetry of the arcuate fasciculus and cingulum. In many white matter regions, FA asymmetry was positively correlated with volume asymmetry. Voxel-wise analysis with adjustment for volume asymmetry revealed many white matter FA asymmetries, including leftward asymmetry of the arcuate fasciculus and cingulum. The voxel-wise analysis showed a reduced number of regions with significant FA asymmetry compared with analysis performed without adjustment for volume asymmetry; however, the overall trend of the results was unchanged. The results of the present study suggest that these FA asymmetries are not caused by volume differences and reflect microscopic differences in the white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Takao
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
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Turner MR, Agosta F, Bede P, Govind V, Lulé D, Verstraete E. Neuroimaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biomark Med 2012; 6:319-37. [PMID: 22731907 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.12.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The catastrophic system failure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration within the corticospinal tracts, brainstem nuclei and spinal cord anterior horns, with an extra-motor pathology that has overlap with frontotemporal dementia. The development of computed tomography and, even more so, MRI has brought insights into neurological disease, previously only available through post-mortem study. Although largely research-based, radionuclide imaging has continued to provide mechanistic insights into neurodegenerative disorders. The evolution of MRI to use advanced sequences highly sensitive to cortical and white matter structure, parenchymal metabolites and blood flow, many of which are now applicable to the spinal cord as well as the brain, make it a uniquely valuable tool for the study of a multisystem disorder such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This comprehensive review considers the full range of neuroimaging techniques applied to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over the last 25 years, the biomarkers they have revealed and future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, UK.
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Magnetic resonance imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurol Res Int 2012; 2012:608501. [PMID: 22848820 PMCID: PMC3400399 DOI: 10.1155/2012/608501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder which is incurable to date. As there are many ongoing studies with therapeutic candidates, it is of major interest to develop biomarkers not only to facilitate early diagnosis but also as a monitoring tool to predict disease progression and to enable correct randomization of patients in clinical trials. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made substantial progress over the last three decades and is a practical, noninvasive method to gain insights into the pathology of the disease. Disease-specific MRI changes therefore represent potential biomarkers for ALS. In this paper we give an overview of structural and functional MRI alterations in ALS with the focus on task-free resting-state investigations to detect cortical network failures.
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Rocha AJD, Maia Júnior ACM. Is magnetic resonance imaging a plausible biomarker for upper motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/primary lateral sclerosis or merely a useful paraclinical tool to exclude mimic syndromes? A critical review of imaging applicability in clinical routine. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2012; 70:532-9. [DOI: 10.1590/s0004-282x2012000700012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord, brain regions in which conventional magnetic resonance imaging is often uninformative. Although the mean time from symptom onset to diagnosis is estimated to be about one year, the current criteria only prescribe magnetic resonance imaging to exclude "ALS mimic syndromes". Extensive application of non-conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the study of ALS has improved our understanding of the in vivo pathological mechanisms involved in the disease. These modern imaging techniques have recently been added to the list of potential ALS biomarkers to aid in both diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. This article provides a comprehensive review of the clinical applicability of the neuroimaging progress that has been made over the past two decades towards establishing suitable diagnostic tools for upper motor neuron (UMN) degeneration in ALS.
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Cirillo M, Esposito F, Tedeschi G, Caiazzo G, Sagnelli A, Piccirillo G, Conforti R, Tortora F, Monsurrò MR, Cirillo S, Trojsi F. Widespread microstructural white matter involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a whole-brain DTI study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2012; 33:1102-8. [PMID: 22300932 PMCID: PMC8013257 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a2918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The extensive application of advanced MR imaging techniques to the study of ALS has undoubtedly improved our knowledge of disease pathophysiology, even if the actual spread of the neurodegenerative process throughout the central nervous system is not fully understood. The present study aimed to detect WM patterns of microstructural abnormalities to better investigate the pathologic process in ALS, within but also beyond CSTs, in a whole-brain analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS DTI was performed in 19 patients with ALS and 20 matched healthy controls, by using whole-brain TBSS and VOI analyses. RESULTS We observed a significant decrease of FA in the body of CC of the ALS group (P < .05). At the VOI level, both FA decrease and RD increase in the body of CC significantly correlated with the UMN score (P = .003 and P = .02). Additionally, significant voxelwise positive correlations between FA and the ALSFRS-R were detected in the WM tracts underneath the left premotor cortex (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS The correlations between reduction of FA and increase of RD in the body of CC with the UMN score indicate that the WM degeneration in the CC is strictly related to the ALS pyramidal impairment, while the correlation between FA and ALSFRS-R in the associative tracts underneath the left premotor cortex might reflect the progressive spread of the disease from the motor toward the extramotor areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cirillo
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
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