颈椎病脊髓损伤MRI弥散张量成像(DTI)的评价

目的探讨MRI弥散张量成像(DTI)对颈椎病脊髓损伤评价。方法对30例临床综合诊断为颈椎病患者,行颈椎常规序列MRI和颈髓弥散张量成像(DTI)检查,测量并比较所有椎间盘相应层面脊髓的表观扩散系数(ADC)、各项异性(FA)值,同时重建分析弥散张量纤维束(DTT)。结果所有研究对象的DTI均可得到颈髓的ADC图和FA图。突出椎间盘和未突出椎间盘相邻层面的颈髓FA值和ADC值差别有统计学意义(P0.05)。不同突出程度间颈椎间盘相应层面的颈髓ADC值和FA值差别有统计学意义(P0.05)。30例弥散张量纤维束中23例患者均观察到神经纤维束的受压、移位,更有11例显示部分腹侧神经纤维束中断。结论 DTI对评价颈椎病脊髓损伤具有重要价值。     

Investigating cervical spinal cord structure using axial diffusion tensor imaging

This study describes a new technique for Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) that acquires axial (transverse) images of the cervical spinal cord. The DTI images depict axonal fiber orientation, enable quantification of diffusion characteristics along the spinal cord, and have the potential to demonstrate the connectivity of cord white matter tracts. Because of the high sensitivity to motion of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and the small size of the spinal cord, a fast imaging method with high in-plane resolution was developed. Images were acquired with a single-shot EPI technique, named ZOOM-EPI (zonally magnified oblique multislice echo planar imaging), which selects localized areas and reduces artefacts caused by susceptibility changes between soft tissue and the adjacent vertebrae. Cardiac gating was used to reduce pulsatile flow artefacts from the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid. Voxel resolution was 1.25 x 1.25 mm(2) in-plane with 5-mm slice thickness. Both the mean diffusivity (MD) and the fractional anisotropy (FA) indices of the cervical spinal cord were measured. The FA index demonstrated high anisotropy of the spinal cord with an average value of 0.61 +/- 0.05 (highest value of 0.66 +/- 0.03 at C3), comparable to white matter tracts in the brain. The diffusivity components parallel and orthogonal to the longitudinal axes of the cord were lambda( parallel) = (1648 +/- 123) x 10(-6) mm(2)s(-1) and lambda( perpendicular) = (570 +/- 47) x 10(-6) mm(2) s(-1), respectively. The high axial resolution allowed preliminary evaluation of fiber connectivity using the fast-marching tractography algorithm, which generated traces of fiber paths consistent with the well-known cord anatomy.     

多发性硬化颈髓扩散张量成像的初步研究

目的探讨多发性硬化颈髓的扩散张量成像(diffusion tensor imaging, DTI)的可行性及临床应用价值.方法采用平面回波成像技术对36例健康志愿者和12例多发性硬化患者行颈髓的扩散张量成像检查,并测量其表观扩散系数(apparent diffusion coefficient, ADC)值、各向异性分数(fractional anisotropy, FA)值、第1本征值(λ1)、第2本征值(λ2)及第3本征值(λ3).结果 ADC图与FA图均能显示多发性硬化患者颈髓之异常信号区,其ADC值为(1473.7±227.8)×10-6mm2/s,FA值为(467.83±43.66)×10-3,λ1值为(2024.1±283.3)×10-6mm2/s,λ2值为(1151.8±146.1)×10-6mm2/s,λ3值为(1231.0±360.9)×10-6mm2/s,2λ1/(λ2 λ3)值为1.73±0.22.多发性硬化患者颈髓病变区的ADC、λ1 、λ2、λ3值明显高于正常组(P＜0.05),其FA值与2λ1/(λ2 λ3)值明显低于正常组(P＜0.05),λ1与λ2、λ3值之间有显著性差异(P＜0.05),λ1大于λ2与λ3.结论 DTI是一种显示颈髓多发性硬化的可靠检查手段,其病变区各向同性扩散明显增高,其各向异性扩散明显减低;颈髓病变区仍保持了各向异性,呈柱状扩散.     

Processing and visualization for diffusion tensor MRI

This paper presents processing and visualization techniques for Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI). In DT-MRI, each voxel is assigned a tensor that describes local water diffusion. The geometric nature of diffusion tensors enables us to quantitatively characterize the local structure in tissues such as bone, muscle, and white matter of the brain. This makes DT-MRI an interesting modality for image analysis. In this paper we present a novel analytical solution to the Stejskal-Tanner diffusion equation system whereby a dual tensor basis, derived from the diffusion sensitizing gradient configuration, eliminates the need to solve this equation for each voxel. We further describe decomposition of the diffusion tensor based on its symmetrical properties, which in turn describe the geometry of the diffusion ellipsoid. A simple anisotropy measure follows naturally from this analysis. We describe how the geometry or shape of the tensor can be visualized using a coloring scheme based on the derived shape measures. In addition, we demonstrate that human brain tensor data when filtered can effectively describe macrostructural diffusion, which is important in the assessment of fiber-tract organization. We also describe how white matter pathways can be monitored with the methods introduced in this paper. DT-MRI tractography is useful for demonstrating neural connectivity (in vivo) in healthy and diseased brain tissue.     

Frontal circuitry degradation marks healthy adult aging: Evidence from diffusion tensor imaging

In vivo study of white matter microstructural integrity through magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) permits examination of degradation of axonal circuitry that may underlie functional decline of frontally-based processes in normal adult aging. Determination of the pattern of age-related degradation of white matter microstructure requires quantitative comparison of the rostral-caudal and superior-inferior extents of the brain's white matter. To date, this has not been accomplished, probably because of significant artifacts from spatial distortion and poor signal resolution that precludes accurate analysis in prefrontal and inferior brain regions. Here, we report a profile analysis of the integrity of white matter microstructure across the supratentorium and in selected focal regions using DTI data collected at high-field strength (3 T), with isotropic voxel acquisition, and an analysis based on a concurrently-acquired field map to permit accurate quantification of artifact-prone, anterior and inferior brain regions. The groups comprised 10 younger and 10 older individuals; all were high functioning, highly educated, and in excellent health. The DTI profile analysis revealed a robust frontal distribution of low white matter anisotropy and high bulk mean diffusivity in healthy older compared with younger adults. In contrast to frontal fiber systems, posterior systems were largely preserved with age. A second analysis, based on focal samples of FA, confirmed that the age-related FA decline was restricted to frontal regions, leaving posterior and inferior brain regions relatively intact. The selective decline of anterior anisotropy with advancing age provides evidence for the potential of a microstructural white matter mechanism for the commonly observed decline in frontally-based functions.     

Fiber tract-oriented statistics for quantitative diffusion tensor MRI analysis

Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has become the major imaging modality to study properties of white matter and the geometry of fiber tracts of the human brain. Clinical studies mostly focus on regional statistics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) derived from tensors. Existing analysis techniques do not sufficiently take into account that the measurements are tensors, and thus require proper interpolation and statistics of tensors, and that regions of interest are fiber tracts with complex spatial geometry. We propose a new framework for quantitative tract-oriented DTI analysis that systematically includes tensor interpolation and averaging, using nonlinear Riemannian symmetric space. A new measure of tensor anisotropy, called geodesic anisotropy (GA) is applied and compared with FA. As a result, tracts of interest are represented by the geometry of the medial spine attributed with tensor statistics (average and variance) calculated within cross-sections. Feasibility of our approach is demonstrated on various fiber tracts of a single data set. A validation study, based on six repeated scans of the same subject, assesses the reproducibility of this new DTI data analysis framework.     

颈髓软化扩散张量成像的初步研究

目的探讨颈髓软化扩散张量成像的可行性及临床应用价值.方法采用平面回波成像技术对12例颈髓软化患者和36例健康志愿者行扩散张量成像(DTI)检查,并测量其表观扩散系数(ADC)值、各向异性分数(FA)值、第1本征值(λ1)、第2本征值(λ2)以及第3本征值(λ3).结果 ADC图与FA图均能显示颈髓软化区之异常信号,其ADC值为(1512.44±450.16)×10-6mm2/s,FA值为(407.81±86.14)×10-3,λ1值为(2229.31±417.19)×10-6mm2/s,λ2值为(1416.01±379.05)×10-6mm2/s,λ3值为(1401.48±589.18)×10-6mm2/s,2λ1/(λ2 λ3)值为1.67±0.23.颈髓软化患者病变区的ADC、λ1、λ2、λ3值明显高于正常组(P<0.05),其FA值与2λ1/(λ2 λ3)值明显低于正常组(P<0.05),λ1与λ2、λ3值之间有显著性差异(P<0.05),λ1大于λ2与λ3.结论 DTI是一种显示颈髓软化的可靠检查手段,软化灶的各向同性扩散明显增高,其各向异性扩散明显减低.     

Comparison of regularization methods for human cardiac diffusion tensor MRI

Diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) is an imaging technique that is gaining importance in clinical applications. However, there is very little work concerning the human heart. When applying DT-MRI to in vivo human hearts, the data have to be acquired rapidly to minimize artefacts due to cardiac and respiratory motion and to improve patient comfort, often at the expense of image quality. This results in diffusion weighted (DW) images corrupted by noise, which can have a significant impact on the shape and orientation of tensors and leads to diffusion tensor (DT) datasets that are not suitable for fibre tracking. This paper compares regularization approaches that operate either on diffusion weighted images or on diffusion tensors. Experiments on synthetic data show that, for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the methods operating on DW images produce the best results; they substantially reduce noise error propagation throughout the diffusion calculations. However, when the SNR is low, Rician Cholesky and Log-Euclidean DT regularization methods handle the bias introduced by Rician noise and ensure symmetry and positive definiteness of the tensors. Results based on a set of sixteen ex vivo human hearts show that the different regularization methods tend to provide equivalent results.     

磁共振扩散张量成像在急性隐匿性颈髓损伤中的诊断价值

目的探讨磁共振扩散张量成像(DTI)在急性隐匿性颈髓损伤(CSCI)中的诊断价值。 方法选取2016年6月至2017年7月在九江市中医医院骨伤科及神经外科就诊,72 h内有明确外伤史,临床诊断为CSCI而常规磁共振(MR)序列显示脊髓无异常信号(隐匿性脊髓损伤)患者30例(损伤组)及30例健康志愿者(对照组)分别接受常规MR序列、DTI序列检查。对两组的DTI进行数据处理与分析,获得扩散张量纤维束成像(DTT)。分别测量损伤组和对照组的各向异性分数(FA)值和表观扩散系数(ADC)值,采用两独立样本t检验比较两组间差异。 结果损伤组的FA值(0.53±0.22)明显低于对照组FA值(0.65±0.12),差异具有统计学意义(t＝5.00,P<0.01)。损伤组的ADC值[(1.15±0.28)×10^－3mm²/s]明显高于对照组ADC值[(1.04±0.57)×10^－3mm²/s],差异具有统计学意义(t＝11.20,P<0.01)。损伤组颈髓DTT图示受损区域的白质纤维束稀疏、扭曲及断裂。 结论DTI的FA值和ADC值可定量分析CSCI患者脊髓白质损伤的严重程度,DTT图可准确描绘脊髓白质损伤的位置及范围,是目前无创性诊断隐匿性颈髓损伤和评估预后的一个重要手段。     

急性颈髓损伤的扩散张量成像表现与神经功能改变的相关性

目的 探讨急性颈髓损伤的扩散张量成像(DTI)表现及其与神经功能改变的相关性。方法 对32例急性期颈髓损伤患者,于伤后72 h内行神经功能检查和MR扫描,观察不同神经功能改变与DTI特征性参数节段各向异性分数(FA)值、表观扩散系数(ADC)值的相关性。结果 急性颈髓损伤的FA值、ADC值与其神经功能改变有相关性(FA值:r=－0.75,P＜0.05;ADC值:r=0.69,P＜0.05)。结论 DTI特征性FA值、ADC值与其神经功能改变有相关性,能客观定量地反映颈髓损伤的程度和评价颈髓传导功能的完整性,且较常规MRI更敏感。     

Atlas-based fiber reconstruction from diffusion tensor MRI data

Purpose

Develop a neural fiber reconstruction method based on diffusion tensor imaging, which is not as sensitive to user-defined regions of interest as streamline tractography.

Methods

A simulated annealing approach is employed to find a non-rigid transformation to map a fiber bundle from a fiber atlas to another fiber bundle, which minimizes a specific energy functional. The energy functional describes how well the transformed fiber bundle fits the patient??s diffusion tensor data.

Results

The feasibility of the method is demonstrated on a diffusion tensor software phantom. We analyze the behavior of the algorithm with respect to image noise and number of iterations. First results on the datasets of patients are presented.

Conclusions

The described method maps fiber bundles based on diffusion tensor data and shows high robustness to image noise. Future developments of the method should help simplify inter-subject comparisons of fiber bundles.     

Delineating white matter structure in diffusion tensor MRI with anisotropy creases

Geometric models of white matter architecture play an increasing role in neuroscientific applications of diffusion tensor imaging, and the most popular method for building them is fiber tractography. For some analysis tasks, however, a compelling alternative may be found in the first and second derivatives of diffusion anisotropy. We extend to tensor fields the notion from classical computer vision of ridges and valleys, and define anisotropy creases as features of locally extremal tensor anisotropy. Mathematically, these are the loci where the gradient of anisotropy is orthogonal to one or more eigenvectors of its Hessian. We propose that anisotropy creases provide a basis for extracting a skeleton of the major white matter pathways, in that ridges of anisotropy coincide with interiors of fiber tracts, and valleys of anisotropy coincide with the interfaces between adjacent but distinctly oriented tracts. The crease extraction algorithm we present generates high-quality polygonal models of crease surfaces, which are further simplified by connected-component analysis. We demonstrate anisotropy creases on measured diffusion MRI data, and visualize them in combination with tractography to confirm their anatomic relevance.     

Resolution of crossing fibers with constrained compressed sensing using diffusion tensor MRI

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is widely used to characterize tissue micro-architecture and brain connectivity. In regions of crossing fibers, however, the tensor model fails because it cannot represent multiple, independent intra-voxel orientations. Most of the methods that have been proposed to resolve this problem require diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data that comprise large numbers of angles and high b-values, making them problematic for routine clinical imaging and many scientific studies. We present a technique based on compressed sensing that can resolve crossing fibers using diffusion MRI data that can be rapidly and routinely acquired in the clinic (30 directions, b-value equal to 700 s/mm²). The method assumes that the observed data can be well fit using a sparse linear combination of tensors taken from a fixed collection of possible tensors each having a different orientation. A fast algorithm for computing the best orientations based on a hierarchical compressed sensing algorithm and a novel metric for comparing estimated orientations are also proposed. The performance of this approach is demonstrated using both simulations and in vivo images. The method is observed to resolve crossing fibers using conventional data as well as a standard q-ball approach using much richer data that requires considerably more image acquisition time.     

Spatial normalization of diffusion tensor MRI using multiple channels

Diffusion Tensor MRI (DT-MRI) can provide important in vivo information for the detection of brain abnormalities in diseases characterized by compromised neural connectivity. To quantify diffusion tensor abnormalities based on voxel-based statistical analysis, spatial normalization is required to minimize the anatomical variability between studied brain structures. In this article, we used a multiple input channel registration algorithm based on a demons algorithm and evaluated the spatial normalization of diffusion tensor image in terms of the input information used for registration. Registration was performed on 16 DT-MRI data sets using different combinations of the channels, including a channel of T2-weighted intensity, a channel of the fractional anisotropy, a channel of the difference of the first and second eigenvalues, two channels of the fractional anisotropy and the trace of tensor, three channels of the eigenvalues of the tensor, and the six channel tensor components. To evaluate the registration of tensor data, we defined two similarity measures, i.e., the endpoint divergence and the mean square error, which we applied to the fiber bundles of target images and registered images at the same seed points in white matter segmentation. We also evaluated the tensor registration by examining the voxel-by-voxel alignment of tensors in a sample of 15 normalized DT-MRIs. In all evaluations, nonlinear warping using six independent tensor components as input channels showed the best performance in effectively normalizing the tract morphology and tensor orientation. We also present a nonlinear method for creating a group diffusion tensor atlas using the average tensor field and the average deformation field, which we believe is a better approach than a strict linear one for representing both tensor distribution and morphological distribution of the population.     

DTI在脊髓型颈椎病中的应用价值

目的探讨弥散张量成像(DTI)在脊髓型颈椎病(CSM)中的应用价值。方法40例临床及影像学证实为CSM且髓内无明显T2高信号患者,行颈髓MRI和扩散张量成像检查,并分析影像表现和测量其表观弥散系数(ADC)值及各向异性分数(FA)值。结果所有研究对象的DTI均可得到颈髓的ADC图及FA图。其中约90%(36/40)患者脊髓受压部位ADC值较正常部位升高(P=0.015),约70%(28/40)患者脊髓受压部位FA值较正常部位降低(P=0.037)。结论DTI对CSM患者早期脊髓损伤具有较高的敏感性。     

磁共振扩散张量成像对脊髓型颈椎病脊髓慢性损伤的评价

目的 评价磁共振扩散张量成像（DTI）对脊髓型颈椎病脊髓慢性损伤早期诊断的可行性。方法 采用单次激发平面回波成像（SE-EPI）序列对31例临床确诊的脊髓型颈椎病患者行颈髓常规MRI和DTI检查。测量病变处ADC值和FA值并按病变常规T2WI高信号阳性与阴性分组进行数据分析,计算常规MRI和DTI对颈髓病变检出的敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值（PPV）、阴性预测值（NPV）。结果所有脊髓型颈椎病患者均能完成DTI检查,后处理图像颈髓显示清晰,无明显图像变形及伪影。9例（29%）表现为颈髓病变T2WI高信号的患者均出现颈髓受压平面ADC值升高,FA值下降,平均ADC值为（1183.44±121.96）×10-6mm2/s,相应FA值为（432.56±59.97）×10-3,与正常值相比有统计学意义;22例（71%）颈髓病变T2WI高信号阴性患者中,7例（32%）病变处平均ADC值及FA较正常值无明显变化;15例（68%）颈髓受压平面ADC值升高,FA值下降,平均ADC值（1055.07±80.61）×10-6mm2/s,FA值为（501.87±41.09）×10-3,有统计学意义。检查方法的敏感度常规T2WI为29.0%,DTI为67.7%;特异度常规T2WI为71.0%,DTI为22.6%;PPV常规T2WI为27.3%,DTI为72.7%;NPV常规T2WI为75.9%,DTI为24.1%。结论 DTI较常规MRI更早期而准确地诊断脊髓型颈椎病颈髓慢性损伤,是一种显示脊髓型颈椎病颈髓病变和观察病变修复过程的有效手段。     

健康老年人和阿尔茨海默病人脑白质改变的扩散张量成像研究

目的 应用扩散张量成像（DTI）研究健康老年人（ON）和早期阿尔茨海默（AD）病人脑白质改变的情况。方法对20例中青年健康志愿者（YN组），18例ON，14例AD进行DTI扫描，在9个感兴趣区（ROI）测量并比较五个DTI参数：各向异性分数（FA）、平均扩散系数（〈D〉）和扩散张量本征值（λ1、λ2、λ3）。结果与YN组相比，ON组的〈D〉、λ1、λ2和λ3在所有ROI均有提高，FA仅在胼胝体膝部和体部（CCM）降低（P％0．05）。与ON组相比，AD病人显示在胼胝体压部（CCP）的〈D）提高、在CCP和后顶一颞叶皮层下白质FA显著降低、在CCM的λ1提高、在CCP的b提高（P＜0．05）。结论DTI显示有较强的由年龄引起的脑白质变化，早期AD病人存在额外的脑白质结构异常。DTI的不同测量参数在检测脑白质变化中具有不同的敏感性。     

扩散张量成像在急性脊髓损伤中的研究进展

脊髓是中枢神经系统的重要组成部分,不同时期、不同程度的脊髓损伤造成的后果及预后也不同,急性脊髓损伤病情发展迅速且较为严重。常规磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)上的信号变化对于临床评估具有一定的局限性,磁共振扩散加权成像(diffusion weighted imaging,DWI)和磁共振扩散张量成像(diffusion tensor imaging,DTI)通过测量水分子的扩散运动,从微观上反映脊髓的损伤情况,不仅能早期及时地判断出急性脊髓损伤,而且能定量分析白质纤维束损伤的严重程度,为临床对这类患者的干预提供一定的价值信息。本文简要介绍了磁共振扩散加权成像和磁共振扩散张量成像技术在急性脊髓损伤中的应用情况及研究进展。     

扩散张量成像和扩散峰度成像在颈髓疾病中的应用进展

DTI和扩散峰度成像(DKI)能早期发现并定量分析颈髓内部微细结构的改变,对指导临床和判断颈椎疾病的预后有重要意义。本文就DTI、DKI成像原理及其在颈髓疾病中的应用进行综述。