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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Tyrosinemia: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, and proton spectroscopy findings in the brain.

In a 5-month-old boy with tyrosinemia, computed tomography revealed diffuse hypodensity in the centrum semiovale. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed partial signal differences in the white matter and perirolandic regions, and the posterior limbs of the internal capsules revealed higher signal compared with the remainder of the white matter. There were high-signal changes (restricted water diffusion) in the corresponding regions on images of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (b = 1000 s/mm). This likely represented the presence of intramyelinic edema attributable to status spongiosus. Proton MR spectroscopy (repetition time = 1500 milliseconds, echo time = 40 milliseconds) from the lesion sites revealed 2 separate prominent peaks spread between 3.4 and 3.9 ppm. These peaks could represent the CH and CH2 aliphatic protons of the tyrosine molecule.

Brain↗

Thrombolytic reversal of acute human cerebral ischemic injury shown by diffusion/perfusion magnetic resonance imaging.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging provides an early marker of acute cerebral ischemic injury. Thrombolytic reversal of diffusion abnormalities has not previously been demonstrated in humans. Serial diffusion and perfusion imaging studies were acquired in patients experiencing acute hemispheric cerebral ischemia treated with intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy within 6 hours of symptom onset. Seven patients met inclusion criteria of prethrombolysis and postthrombolysis magnetic resonance studies, presence of large artery anterior circulation occlusion at angiography, and achievement of vessel recanalization. Mean diffusion-weighted imaging lesion volume at baseline was 23 cm3 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 8-38 cm3) and decreased to 10 cm3 (95% CI, 3-17 cm3) 2.5 to 9.5 hours after thrombolysis. Mean apparent diffusion coefficient lesion volume decreased from 9 cm3 (95% CI, 2-16 cm3) at baseline to 1 cm3 (95% CI, 0.4-2 cm3) early after thrombolysis. A secondary increase in diffusion volumes was seen in 3 of 6 patients at day 7. In all 4 patients in whom perfusion imaging was obtained before and after treatment, complete resolution of the perfusion deficit was shown. Diffusion magnetic resonance signatures of early tissue ischemic injury can be reversed in humans by prompt thrombolytic vessel recanalization. The ischemic penumbra includes not only the region of diffusion/perfusion mismatch, but also portions of the region of initial diffusion abnormality.

Acute Disease↗

Evaluation of white matter integrity in ex vivo brains of amyloid plaque-bearing APPsw transgenic mice using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging.

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine the integrity of midline white matter tracts in APPsw (Tg2576) transgenic mice, a mouse-model of cerebral amyloid deposition. Ex vivo DTI was performed on formalin-fixed brains from APPsw and age-matched transgene-negative control mice at the ages of 12, 15, and 17 months. The characteristics of water diffusion in six midline white matter tracts were quantified using four metrics: relative anisotropy (RA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. Two-way ANOVA analyses indicated a significant main effect of transgene on RA in the corpus callosum (CC) and ventral hippocampal commissure (VHC), due to small reductions (2-6%) in RA in APPsw mice relative to age-matched control mice. However, these reductions were not significant at any specific age group and were not progressive with increasing age. The other diffusion metrics exhibited no significant differences between APPsw and control mice in the CC and VHC, nor did any of the diffusion metrics exhibit significant differences between APPsw and control mice in other midline white matter tracts (anterior commissure, posterior commissure, fornix, and dorsal fornix). Overall, these results indicate that white matter integrity, as measured by ex vivo DTI, is predominately unaltered in formalin-fixed brains from amyloid plaque-bearing APPsw mice.

Age Factors↗

Brain dysmyelination and recovery assessment by noninvasive in vivo diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) was applied for in vivo quantification of myelin loss and regeneration. A transgenic mouse line (Oligo-TTK) expressing a truncated form of the herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase gene (hsv1-tk) in oligodendrocytes was studied along with two induced phenotypes of myelin pathology. Myelin loss and axonal abnormalities differentially affect values of DT-MRI parameters in the brain of transgenic mice. Changes in the anisotropy of the white matter were assessed by calculating and mapping the radial (D perpendicular) and axial (D parallel) water diffusion to axonal tracts and fractional anisotropy (FA). A significant increase in D perpendicular attributed to the lack of myelin was observed in all selected brain white matter tracts in dysmyelinated mice. Lower D parallel values were consistent with the histological observation of axonal modifications, including reduced axonal caliber and overexpression of neurofilaments and III beta-tubulin. We show clearly that myelination and axonal changes play a role in the degree of diffusion anisotropy, because FA was significantly decreased in dysmyelinated brain. Importantly, myelin reparation during brain postnatal development induced a decrease in the magnitude of D( perpendicular) and an increase in FA compared with the same brain before recovery. The progressive increase in D parallel values was attributed to the gain in normal axonal morphology. This regeneration was confirmed by the detection of enlarged oligodendrocyte population, newly formed myelin sheaths around additional axons, and a gradual increase in axonal caliber.

Animals↗

Microstructure of temporo-parietal white matter as a basis for reading ability: evidence from diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study the microstructural integrity of white matter in adults with poor or normal reading ability. Subjects with reading difficulty exhibited decreased diffusion anisotropy bilaterally in temporoparietal white matter. Axons in these regions were predominantly anterior-posterior in direction. No differences in T1-weighted MRI signal were found between poor readers and control subjects, demonstrating specificity of the group difference to the microstructural characteristics measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). White matter diffusion anisotropy in the temporo-parietal region of the left hemisphere was significantly correlated with reading scores within the reading-impaired adults and within the control group. The anisotropy reflects microstructure of white matter tracts, which may contribute to reading ability by determining the strength of communication between cortical areas involved in visual, auditory, and language processing.

Adult↗

Histological validation of myocardial microstructure obtained from diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a possible new means of elucidating the anatomic structure of the myocardium. It enjoys several advantages over traditional histological approaches, including the ability to rapidly measure fiber organization in isolated, perfused, arrested hearts, thereby avoiding fixation and sectioning of artifacts. However, quantitative validation of this MRI method has been lacking. Here, fiber orientations estimated in the same locations in the same heart using both diffusion tensor MRI and histology are compared in a total of two perfused rabbit hearts. Fiber orientations were statistically similar for both methods and differed on average by 12 degrees at any single location. This is similar to the 10 degrees uncertainty in fiber orientation achieved with histology. In addition, imaging studies performed in a total of seven hearts support a level of organization beyond the myofiber, the recently described laminar organization of the ventricular myocardium.

Animals↗

A linear relationship exists among brain diffusion eigenvalues measured by diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.

Diffusion in biological tissues can be measured by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging The complex nature of anisotropic diffusion in the brain has been described by a diffusion tensor which contains information about the magnitude of diffusion in different directions. Each tensor contains a set of three eigenvalues which are related to the major, intermediate, and minor axes of a diffusion ellipsoid. This investigation demonstrates that the various sets of diffusion eigenvalues from different regions of the brain lie along a line in ordered eigenvalue space. Sets of ordered diffusion eigenvalues were considered points in ordered eigenvalue space. The line which best fit the data by minimizing the total squared deviations was determined. A new coordinate system was constructed through translation and rotation which spanned ordered eigenvalue space. Eigenvalues from both monkey brain and human brain were studied. It was found that the sets of eigenvalues from both species have significant linear trends. Moreover, the same line may describe the brain eigenvalues from both species. It is likely that this linear relationship of the eigenvalues observed in an ordered eigenvalue plot is related to a combination of (1) conservation of total isotropic diffusion and (2) the degree of orientational dispersion of the microfibers within each voxel.

Animals↗

Magnetic resonance diffusion imaging of ovarian masses: a first experience with 12 cases.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement for the differential diagnosis of malignancy in ovarian masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve cases involving ovarian masses were imaged using spin echo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Five cases involved malignant ovarian masses, on the basis of postoperative histologic examination, and the rest involved benign masses. The ovarian masses were imaged in vivo (10 cases) before surgery and ex vivo (8 cases) after surgical resection. Diffusion-weighted data were corrected for motion using the phase data from unweighted data in nine cases. Multifactorial analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effects of malignancy, location (in vivo versus ex vivo), and motion correction on the measurement of ADC intensity and texture. RESULTS: Motion correction caused an undesirable spatial smoothing of the ADC maps and a significant interaction (p=0.047) was found between location and motion correction. ADC value (p=0.028) and texture (p=0.001) differences were found between malignant and nonmalignant ovarian masses. CONCLUSION: Measurement of ADC intensity and texture has the potential to differentially diagnose malignancy in individual ovarian masses if the problem of image motion artifact can be eliminated through the use of faster imaging sequences.

Adult↗

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis.

This paper reviews the use of magnetic resonance diffusion imaging in studies of multiple sclerosis. Firstly, the principles of diffusion imaging are explained together with a discussion of the hardware and techniques required. The concept of diffusion tensor imaging is introduced and images obtained using this method are presented. Studies that have used diffusion imaging in patients with multiple sclerosis and the implications of the results are discussed. There is an increase in the diffusion coefficient of water molecules in the plaques of patients with multiple sclerosis, compared with healthy brain. Some workers also report increased diffusion in the normal appearing white matter of some patients with multiple sclerosis. Possible mechanisms are given for these findings, together with the experimental evidence to support them.

Brain↗

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging: its principle and applications.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most rapidly evolving techniques in the MRI field. This method exploits the random diffusional motion of water molecules, which has intriguing properties depending on the physiological and anatomical environment of the organisms studied. We explain the principles of this emerging technique and subsequently introduce some of its present applications to neuroimaging, namely detection of ischemic stroke and reconstruction of axonal bundles and myelin fibers.

Acute Disease↗

Ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging: diffusion and perfusion.

Echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to measure apparent diffusion coefficients noninvasively in vivo, with scan times of 150 milliseconds or less, and to assess early ischemic effects in the feline experimental model, which has an occluded middle cerebral artery (MCA). The apparent diffusion coefficient in ischemic regions, which are identified later from vital staining, is significantly decreased from normal values within 1 hour after the MCA becomes occluded. A series of 10 echo-planar images that are progressively diffusion-weighted can be collected in 1 minute (effective TR of 6 seconds). Semilogarithmic plots of image intensity versus gradient strength factors (b values) were linear. Collecting sequential gradient echo-planar images during the passage of a bolus of contrast medium is also useful when assessing perfusion or vascular integrity before and during ischemic episodes. After intravenous injection of dysprosium-diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid-bis(methylamide), typical signal losses of 40% to 80% were observed and were dose-dependent. Areas of possible ischemia identified from diffusion-weighted images did not lose signal intensity with the use of contrast medium and were seen as regions of relative hyperintensity, clearly discernible from normally perfused tissues.

Animals↗

Therapeutic efficacy of DTI-015 using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging as an early surrogate marker.

To investigate diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging as a quantitative surrogate marker for evaluating the therapy-induced cellular changes in an orthotopic experimental glioma model, tumors were treated with direct intratumoral administration of DTI-015, a solution of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) in 100% EtOH. Intracerebral 9L tumors were induced in Fischer 344 rats, and three treatment groups were established: DTI-015, EtOH, and sham. Two groups of rats received intratumoral injection of either 67 mg/mL BCNU in EtOH or EtOH alone at 50% of the tumor volume up to a maximum of 30 mul under stereotactic guidance. Diffusion magnetic resonance images were acquired before treatment and after treatment at 1, 24, 48, and 72 hours and then 3 times per week thereafter. Tumor cell viability was examined using multislice diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion weighted transverse magnetic resonance images and histogram plots of each tumor quantified over time. Control animals (EtOH- or sham-treated animals) showed mean apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) that remained essentially unchanged over the experimental time course. In contrast, rats treated with DTI-015 showed a significant increase in ADC relative to the pretreatment within 24 hours, which further increased over time, followed by a significant therapeutic response as evidenced by subsequent tumor volume shrinkage, development of a cystic region, and enhanced animal survival. Finally, not only were ADC measurements predictive of differences between treatment groups, but they also yielded spatial and temporal data regarding the efficacy of treatment within individual treated animals that could be used to guide subsequent therapy.

Animals↗

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in intermediate form of maple syrup urine disease.

An 8-year-old boy with the intermediate variant of maple syrup urine disease is reported. On b = 1000 s/mm2 (heavily diffusion weighted) images of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, there was symmetric high signal in the globus pallidus, mesencephalon, dorsal pons, and nucleus dentatus, consistent with restriction of the mobility of water molecules. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps revealed low ADC values ranging from 0.42 to 0.56 x 10(-3) mm2/s in these regions, compared to those of apparently unaffected regions in the brain parenchyma ranging from 0.63 to 0.97 x 10(-3) mm2/s. It is suggested that the areas of increased signal (and low ADC values) are the result of dysmyelination as a reflection of disorganized tissue integrity.

Brain Chemistry↗

Central nervous system aspergillosis: magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy features.

Aspergillus infection is invasive in nature in the immunosuppressed population and disseminates throughout the body, with the brain being a common site. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) play a life-saving role in the early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of this potentially fatal infection. We present MRI, DWI, and MRS findings of a case of central nervous system aspergillosis with treatment follow-up.

Adult↗

Collateral nerve fibers in human spinal cord: visualization with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging provides structural information about nerve fiber tissue. The first eigenvector of the diffusion tensor is aligned with the nerve fibers, i.e., longitudinally in the spinal cord. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that the presence of collateral nerve fibers running orthogonal to the longitudinal fibers results in an orderly arrangement of the second eigenvectors. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor scans were performed with line scan diffusion imaging on a clinical MR scanner. Axial sections were scanned in a human cervical spinal cord specimen at 625 microm resolution and the cervical spinal cord of four normal volunteers at 1250 microm resolution. The spinal cord specimen was fixed and stained for later light microscopy of the collateral fiber architecture at 0.53 microm resolution. Diffusion measured by MR was found to be anisotropic for both white and gray matter areas of the spinal cord specimen; the average fractional anisotropy (FA) was 0.63 +/- 0.09 (diffusion eigenvalues lambda1 0.38 +/- 0.05 micros/mm2, lambda2 0.14 +/- 0.03 micros/mm2, lambda3 0.10 +/- 0.03 micros/mm2) in white matter and 0.27 +/- 0.04 (lambda1 0.36 +/- 0.04 micros/mm2, lambda2 0.28 +/- 0.03 micros/mm2, lambda3 0.21 +/- 0.04 micros/mm2 in gray matter. The normal-volunteer FA values were similar, i.e., 0.66 +/- 0.04 (lambda1 1.66 +/- 0.14 micros/mm2, lambda2 0.55 +/- 0.02 micros/mm2, lambda3 0.40 +/- 0.01 micros/mm2) in white matter and 0.35 +/- 0.03 (lambda1 1.14 +/- 0.07 micros/mm2, lambda2 0.70 +/- 0.03 micros/mm2, lambda3 0.58 +/- 0.02 micros/mm2) in gray matter. The first eigenvector pointed, as expected, in the longitudinal direction. The second eigenvector directions exhibited a striking arrangement, consistent with the distribution of interconnecting collateral nerve fibers discerned on the histology section. This finding was confirmed for the specimen by quantitative pixel-wise comparison of second eigenvector directions and collateral fiber directions assessed on light microscopy image data. Diffusion tensor MRI can reveal non-invasively and in great detail the intricate fiber architecture of the human spinal cord.

Adult↗

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging study of a rat hippocampal slice model for acute brain injury.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a surrogate marker of acute brain pathology, yet few studies have resolved the evolution of water diffusion changes during the first 8 hours after acute injury, a critical period for therapeutic intervention. To characterize this early period, this study used a 17.6-T wide-bore magnet to measure multicomponent water diffusion at high b-values (7 to 8,080 s/mm(2)) for rat hippocampal slices at baseline and serially for 8 hours after treatment with the calcium ionophore A23187. The mean fast diffusing water fraction (Ffast) progressively decreased for slices treated with 10-microM/L A23187 (-20.9 +/- 6.3% at 8 hours). Slices treated with 50-micromol/L A23187 had significantly reduced Ffast 80 minutes earlier than slices treated with 10-microM/L A23187 (P < 0.05), but otherwise, the two doses had equivalent effects on the diffusion properties of tissue water. Correlative histologic analysis showed dose-related selective vulnerability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons (CA1 > CA3) to pathologic swelling induced by A23187, confirming that particular intravoxel cell populations may contribute disproportionately to water diffusion changes observed by MRI after acute brain injury. These data suggest diffusion-weighted images at high b-values and the diffusion parameter Ffast may be highly sensitive correlates of cell swelling in nervous issue after acute injury.

Acute Disease↗

In vivo monitoring of age-related changes in rat brain using quantitative diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance relaxometry.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proven to be a sensitive diagnostic tool to examine age associated acute and chronic changes in brain tissue. The aim of our study was to examine whether there are differences in brain diffusion and transverse relaxation time between young and adult rats. In an experimental MR scanner, 24 young (age: 3 months) and 26 adult rats (age: 12 months) were examined using diffusion-weighted and transverse relaxation time (T2)-weighted MRI sequences. There were no differences in the T2 relaxation time between the two animal groups, either local or global. However, the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) within the whole brain was significantly lower (P<0.0005) in the adult animals (765+/-35 x 10(-6) mm(2)/s) than in the young animals (829+/-45 x 10(-6) mm(2)/s). ADC decrease was mainly found in the cerebral cortex. These results can be attributed to an activity-related or central nervous system damage-related internal water shift from the extracellular to the intracellular space without a net increase in water content in brain tissue. Our study also shows that age-related changes in diffusion should be considered when performing longitudinal studies in rats.

Aging↗

Canavan disease: diffusion magnetic resonance imaging findings.

A 15-month-old boy with Canavan disease is reported in whom a restricted diffusion pattern on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (high signal on b = 1,000 mm2/s images and low apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] values) was evident in the affected regions of the brain, including the peripheral white matter, globi pallidi, thalami, brainstem, dorsal pons, and dentate nuclei. The ADC values at these regions ranged from 0.42 to 0.56 x 10(-3) mm2/s compared with the normal ADC values from the uninvolved deep frontal white matter (0.68-0.92 x 10(-3) mm2/s). The known histopathologic features in Canavan disease include edematous and gelatinous brain tissue associated with diffuse vacuolization. Considering these and the diffusion MRI findings in this patient, it is likely that existence of a gel (gelatinous) state rather than the usual sol state of water molecules in the affected brain regions accounted for the restricted diffusion pattern in Canavan disease.

Brain↗