Serial diffusion tensor imaging to characterize radiation-induced changes in normal-appearing white matter following radiotherapy in patients with adult low-grade gliomas

Our objectives were to determine the reproducibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in volunteers and to evaluate the ability of the method to monitor longitudinal changes occurring in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). DTI was performed three-mo nthly for one year in seven MS patients: three relapsing-remitting (RRMS), three secondary progressive (SPMS) and one relapsing SP. They were selected with a limited cerebral lesion load. Seven age- and sex-matched controls also underwent monthly examinations for three months. Diffusivity and anisotropy were quantified over the segmented whole supratentorial white matter, with the indices of trace (Tr) and fractional anisotropy (FA). Results obtained in volunteers show the reproducibility of the method. Patients had higher trace and lower anisotropy than matched controls (P B-0.0001). O ver the follow-up, both Tr and FA indicated a recovery after the acute phase in RRMS and a progressive shift towards abnormal values in SPMS. A lthough this result is not statistically significant, it suggests that DTI is sensitive to microscopic changes occurring in tissue of normal appearance in conventional images and could be useful for monitoring the course of the disease, even though it was unable to clearly distinguish between the various physiopathological processes involved.

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Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Normal Appearing White Matter and Its Correlation with Cognitive Functioning in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1196/annals.1379.021 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 1097 (1) ◽

pp. 259-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

J. HUANG ◽

A. P AUCHUS

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

White Matter ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Normal Appearing White Matter

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Changes in language white matter tract microarchitecture associated with cognitive deficits in patients with presumed low-grade glioma

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2017.12.jns171681 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 130 (5) ◽

pp. 1538-1546 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Fatih Incekara ◽

Djaina Satoer ◽

Evy Visch-Brink ◽

Arnaud Vincent ◽

Marion Smits

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

White Matter ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Low Grade Glioma ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Awake Surgery ◽

Low Grade ◽

Linear Regression Models

OBJECTIVEThe authors conducted a study to determine whether cognitive functioning of patients with presumed low-grade glioma is associated with white matter (WM) tract changes.METHODSThe authors included 77 patients with presumed low-grade glioma who underwent awake surgery between 2005 and 2013. Diffusion tensor imaging with deterministic tractography was performed preoperatively to identify the arcuate, inferior frontooccipital, and uncinate fasciculi and to obtain the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity per tract. All patients were evaluated preoperatively using an extensive neuropsychological protocol that included assessments of the language, memory, and attention/executive function domains. Linear regression models were used to analyze each cognitive domain and each diffusion tensor imaging metric of the 3 WM tracts.RESULTSSignificant correlations (corrected for multiple testing) were found between FA of the arcuate fasciculus and results of the repetition test for the language domain (β = 0.59, p < 0.0001) and between FA of the inferior frontooccipital fasciculus and results of the imprinting test for the memory domain (β = −0.55, p = 0.002) and the attention test for the attention and executive function domain (β = −0.62, p = 0.006).CONCLUSIONSIn patients with glioma, language deficits in repetition of speech, imprinting, and attention deficits are associated with changes in the microarchitecture of the arcuate and inferior frontooccipital fasciculi.

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