Improving spatial normalization of brain diffusion MRI to measure longitudinal changes of tissue microstructure in the cortex and white matter

ABSTRACTBackgroundFractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) are frequently used to evaluate longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure. Recently, there has been a growing interest in identifying experience-dependent plasticity in gray matter using MD. Improving registration has thus become a major goal to enhance the detection of subtle longitudinal changes in cortical microstructure.PurposeTo optimize normalization to improve registration in gray matter and reduce variability associated with multi-session registrations.Study TypeProspective longitudinal studySubjectsTwenty-one healthy subjects (18-31 years old) underwent 9 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning sessions each.Field Strength/Sequence3.0T, diffusion-weighted multiband-accelerated sequence, MP2RAGE sequence.AssessmentDiffusion-weighted images were registered to standard space using different pipelines that varied in the features used for normalization, namely the non-linear registration algorithm (FSL vs ANTs), the registration target (FA-based vs T1-based templates), and the use of intermediate individual (FA-based or T1-based) targets. We compared the across-session test-retest reproducibility error from these normalization approaches for FA and MD in white and gray matters.Statistical TestsReproducibility errors were compared using a repeated-measures analysis of variance with pipeline as within-subject factor.ResultsThe registration of FA data to the FMRIB58 FA atlas using ANTs yielded lower reproducibility errors in white matter (p<0.0001) with respect to FSL. Moreover, using the MNI152 T1 template as the target of registration resulted in lower reproducibility errors for MD (p<0.0001), whereas the FMRIB58 FA template performed better for FA (p<0.0001). Finally, the use of an intermediate individual template improved reproducibility when registration of the FA images to the MNI152-T1 was carried out within modality (FA-FA) (p<0.05), but not via a T1-based individual template.Data ConclusionA normalization approach using ANTs to register FA images to the MNI152 T1 template via an individual FA template minimized test-retest reproducibility errors both for gray and white matter.

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A Correlational Study between Microstructural White Matter Properties and Macrostructural Gray Matter Volume Across Normal Ageing: Conjoint DTI and VBM Analysis

Magnetic Resonance Insights ◽

10.1177/1178623x18799926 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 1178623X1879992 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vikas Pareek ◽

VP Subramanyam Rallabandi ◽

Prasun K Roy

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Life Span ◽

Fractional Anisotropy ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Radial Diffusivity ◽

Axial Diffusivity ◽

Matter Volume

We investigate the relationship between Gray matter’s volume vis-a-vis White matter’s integrity indices, such Axial diffusivity, Radial diffusivity, Mean diffusivity, and Fractional anisotropy, in individuals undergoing healthy aging. We investigated MRI scans of 177 adults across 20 to 85 years. We used Voxel-based morphometry, and FDT-FSL analysis for estimation of Gray matter volume and White matter’s diffusion indices respectively. Across the life span, we observed an inter-relationship between the Gray matter and White matter, namely that both Axial diffusivity and Mean Diffusivity show strong correlation with Gray matter volume, along the aging process. Furthermore, across all ages the Fractional anisotropy and Mean diffusivity are found to be significantly reduced in females when compared to males, but there are no significant gender differences in Axial Diffusivity and Radial diffusivity. We conclude that for both genders across all ages, the Gray matter’s Volume is strongly correlated with White matter’s Axial Diffusivity and Mean Diffusivity, while being weakly correlated with Fractional Anisotropy. Our study clarifies the multi-scale relationship in brain tissue, by elucidating how the White matter’s micro-structural parameters influences the Gray matter’s macro-structural characteristics, during healthy aging across the life-span.

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Associations of cigarette smoking with gray and white matter in the UK Biobank

10.31234/osf.io/wyvnm ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua Gray ◽

Matthew Thompson ◽

Chelsie Benca-Bachman ◽

Max Michael Owens ◽

Mikela Murphy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Cigarette Smoking ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Medial Lemniscus ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Uk

Chronic cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk for myriad health consequences including cognitive decline and dementia, but research on the link between smoking and brain structure is nascent. We assessed the relationship of cigarette smoking (ever smoked, cigarettes per day, and duration) with gray and white matter using the UK Biobank cohort (gray matter N = 19,615; white matter N = 17,760), adjusting for numerous demographic and health confounders. Ever smoked and duration were associated with smaller total gray matter volume. Ever smoked was associated with reduced volume of the right VIIIa cerebellum, as well as elevated white matter hyperintensity volumes. Smoking duration was associated with reduced total white matter volume. With regard to specific tracts, ever smoked was associated with reduced fractional anisotropy in the left cingulate gyrus part of the cingulum, left posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation and increased mean diffusivity in the middle cerebellar peduncle, right medial lemniscus, bilateral posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation. Overall, we found significant associations of cigarette exposure with global measures of gray and white matter. Furthermore, we found select associations of ever smoked, but not cigarettes per day or duration, with specific gray and white matter regions. These findings inform our understanding of the connections between smoking and variation in brain structure and clarify potential mechanisms of risk for common neurological sequelae.

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Impact of Educational Weaning Knowledge and Practices of Parents and Guardians of Children under Two Years Old at the David Rose Health Centre

Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research ◽

10.9734/jammr/2019/v30i1230262 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 21-22

Author(s):

Padmini Bissessar ◽

Kenesha Adams ◽

Gina Chin ◽

Sheena Chin ◽

Paul Garraway ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Educational Intervention ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Health Centre ◽

World Health Organisation ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

World Health ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Objectives: To assess the knowledge of weaning, of parents and guardians, of children under two-years-old, attending David Rose Health Centre. To assess whether there is an association between selected demographic variables, and the weaning knowledge. To educate the parents and guardians on the World Health Organisation recommended weaning practices. To assess the change in knowledge of weaning after the delivery of an educational intervention. Design and Methods: A prospective longitudinal study with repeated measures design obtained 120 participants using a convenient, non-probability sampling method. Data was collected using a pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaire. The data was processed using the SPSS Version 24 Software Program and analysed with a scoring system developed by the researchers using the PAHO/WHO “Guiding Principles for Complementary Feeding of the Breastfed Child”. Results: Both educational interventions increased the participants knowledge from good to almost 100%. Conclusions: Most parents and guardians had good baseline knowledge. However, there were certain aspects where they lacked or had inaccurate knowledge. Overall, their knowledge improved regardless of the type of educational intervention they were exposed to. Recommendations: Future studies should be held in classroom settings, with more time allowed to assess change of knowledge.

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Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Fiber Tractography

Handbook of Research on Advanced Techniques in Diagnostic Imaging and Biomedical Applications ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-314-2.ch015 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 229-246

Author(s):

Evanthia E. Tripoliti ◽

Dimitrios I. Fotiadis ◽

Konstantia Veliou

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

White Matter ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Cerebral White Matter ◽

Tissue Microstructure ◽

Diffusion Weighted Images ◽

Fiber Tracts ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modality which can significantly improve our understanding of the brain structures and neural connectivity. DTI measures are thought to be representative of brain tissue microstructure and are particularly useful for examining organized brain regions, such as white matter tract areas. DTI measures the water diffusion tensor using diffusion weighted pulse sequences which are sensitive to microscopic random water motion. The resulting diffusion weighted images (DWI) display and allow quantification of how water diffuses along axes or diffusion encoding directions. This can help to measure and quantify the tissue’s orientation and structure, making it an ideal tool for examining cerebral white matter and neural fiber tracts. In this chapter the authors discuss the theoretical aspects of DTI, the information that can be extracted from DTI data, and the use of the extracted information for the reconstruction of fiber tracts and the diagnosis of a disease. In addition, a review of known fiber tracking algorithms is presented.

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A prospective longitudinal study of the impact of early postnatal vs. chronic maternal depressive symptoms on child development

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.05.004 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (8) ◽

pp. 484-489 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

A.-L. Sutter-Dallay ◽

L. Murray ◽

L. Dequae-Merchadou ◽

E. Glatigny-Dallay ◽

M.-L. Bourgeois ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Child Development ◽

Postnatal Depression ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Postnatal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Prospective Longitudinal ◽

The Impact

AbstractBackgroundFew studies of the effects of postnatal depression on child development have considered the chronicity of depressive symptoms. We investigated whether early postnatal depressive symptoms (PNDS) predicted child developmental outcome independently of later maternal depressive symptoms.MethodsIn a prospective, longitudinal study, mothers and children were followed-up from birth to 2 years; repeated measures of PNDS were made using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); child development was assessed using the Bayley Scales II. Multilevel modelling techniques were used to examine the association between 6 week PNDS, and child development, taking subsequent depressive symptoms into account.ResultsChildren of mothers with 6 week PNDS were significantly more likely than children of non-symptomatic mothers to have poor cognitive outcome; however, this association was reduced to trend level when adjusted for later maternal depressive symptoms.ConclusionEffects of early PNDS on infant development may be partly explained by subsequent depressive symptoms.

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Loss of white matter integrity reflects tau accumulation in Alzheimer disease defined regions

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000005864 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. e313-e318 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Jeremy F. Strain ◽

Robert X. Smith ◽

Helen Beaumont ◽

Catherine M. Roe ◽

Brian A. Gordon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Alzheimer Disease ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Structural Integrity ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Cognitively Impaired ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Advanced Stages ◽

Amyloid Aβ

ObjectiveWhite matter (WM) projections were assessed from Alzheimer disease (AD) gray matter regions associated with β-amyloid (Aβ), tau, or neurodegeneration to ascertain relationship between WM structural integrity with Aβ and/or tau deposition.MethodsParticipants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), PET Aβ ([18F]AV-45 [florbetapir]), and PET tau ([18F]AV-1451 [flortaucipir]) imaging. Probabilistic WM summary and individual tracts were created from either a composite or individual gray matter seed regions derived from Aβ, tau, and neurodegeneration. Linear regressions were performed for Aβ, age, tau and WM hyperintensities (WMH) to predict mean diffusivity (MD) or fractional anisotropy (FA) from the corresponding WM summaries or tracts.ResultsOur cohort was composed of 59 cognitively normal participants and 10 cognitively impaired individuals. Aβ was not associated with DTI metrics in WM summary or individual tracts. Age and WMH strongly predicted MD and FA in several WM regions, with tau a significant predictor of MD only in the anterior temporal WM.ConclusionTau, not Aβ, was associated with changes in anterior temporal WM integrity. WMH, a proxy for vascular damage, was strongly associated with axonal damage, but tau independently contributed to the model, suggesting an additional degenerative mechanism within tracts projecting from regions vulnerable to AD pathology. WM decline was associated with early tau accumulation, and further decline may reflect tau propagation in more advanced stages of AD.

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Adapting the UK Biobank brain imaging protocol and analysis pipeline for the C-MORE multi-organ study of COVID-19 survivors

10.1101/2021.05.19.21257316 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ludovica Griffanti ◽

Betty Raman ◽

Fidel Alfaro-Almagro ◽

Nicola Filippini ◽

Mark Philip Cassar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Analysis Pipeline ◽

Imaging Protocol ◽

Diffusion Weighted Images ◽

Radiology Reports ◽

The Uk

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to damage multiple organs, including the brain. Multiorgan MRI can provide further insight on the repercussions of COVID-19 on organ health but requires a balance between richness and quality of data acquisition and total scan duration. We adapted the UK Biobank brain MRI protocol to produce high-quality images while being suitable as part of a post-COVID-19 multiorgan MRI exam. The analysis pipeline, also adapted from UK Biobank, includes new imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) designed to assess the effects of COVID-19. A first application of the protocol and pipeline was performed in 51 COVID-19 patients post-hospital discharge and 25 controls participating in the Oxford C-MORE study. The protocol acquires high resolution T1, T2-FLAIR, diffusion weighted images, susceptibility weighted images, and arterial spin labelling data in 17 minutes. The automated imaging pipeline derives 1575 IDPs, assessing brain anatomy (including olfactory bulb volume and intensity) and tissue perfusion, hyperintensities, diffusivity, and susceptibility. In the C-MORE data, these quantitative measures were consistent with clinical radiology reports. Our exploratory analysis tentatively revealed that recovered COVID-19 patients had a decrease in frontal grey matter volumes, an increased burden of white matter hyperintensities, and reduced mean diffusivity in the total and normal appearing white matter in the posterior thalamic radiation and sagittal stratum, relative to controls. These differences were generally more prominent in patients who received organ support. Increased T2* in the thalamus was also observed in recovered COVID-19 patients, with a more prominent increase for non-critical patients. This initial evidence of brain changes in COVID-19 survivors prompts the need for further investigations. Follow-up imaging in the C-MORE study is currently ongoing, and this protocol is now being used in large-scale studies. The pipeline is widely applicable and will contribute to new analyses to hopefully clarify the medium to long-term effects of COVID-19.

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The Neurocognitive Study for the Aging: Longitudinal Analysis on the Contribution of Sex, Age, Education and APOE ɛ4 on Cognitive Performance

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.680531 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Andreas Chadjikyprianou ◽

Marilena Hadjivassiliou ◽

Savvas Papacostas ◽

Fofi Constantinidou

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Performance ◽

Sex Education ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Significant Interaction Effect ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Mini Mental Status Examination ◽

Subject Factor ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Objective: The effects of normal cognitive aging on executive functions (EF), Verbal Episodic Memory (VEM) and the contribution of age, sex, education, and APOΕ ε4 in a group of old Greek Cypriots across a five-year period were investigated.Design: NEUROAGE, the first project on cognitive aging in Cyprus, is a prospective longitudinal study with a rolling admission process. Participants are assessed at baseline and retested every 24–30 months.Subjects: 170 participants completed all three testing cycles; 86 men and 84 women with ages ranging between 60 and 88 years (mean = 73.21, SD = 5.84); education, 2–20 years (mean = 9.07, SD = 4.27).Results: Α Repeated Measures Multivariate Analysis of Covariance was conducted with one between-subject factor: sex; two covariates: age and education, while Time (time 1, time 2, time 3) served as a within – subject factor. Time did not have an effect on mini mental status examination in Greek (MMSE), EF or VEM. Also, sex had no effect on MMSE, EF and VEM. There was no time by sex interaction. Age and Education significantly predicted the EF performance, F(1, 168) = 11.23, p < 0.05; F(1, 158) = 90.03, p < 0.001 and VEM performance, F(1, 171) = 17.22, p < 0.001; F(1, 171) = 61.25, p < 0.001. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction effect between time and education, for EF, F(2, 167) = 7.02, p < 0.001. Performance of the APOE ε4 carriers did not differ on any of the above measures as compared to performance of non-carriers in this older adult group.Conclusion: Cognitively healthy adults maintained overall cognitive performance across the five-year period. Male and female participants performed similarly and the pattern of change over time was similar across the two sexes. Education was predictive of VEM and EF performance across time. Furthermore, those with higher education maintained higher levels of EF performance. APOE results did not differentiate performance at baseline. Implications of findings are discussed.

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Abstract 506: Changes in Vascular Function from Pre-conception to Post-partum Among Mongolian Women

Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology ◽

10.1161/atvb.35.suppl_1.506 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Enkhmaa Davaasambuu ◽

Chrisandra Shufelt ◽

Jennifer Stuart ◽

Noel Bairey Merz ◽

Garrett Fitzmaurice ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Vascular Function ◽

Augmentation Index ◽

Post Partum ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Second Trimester ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Time Points ◽

Temporary Decrease ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Background: A recent study found significant changes in maternal cardiovascular function from pre-conception to post-partum in British women. Objective: To document vascular function before, during, and after pregnancy as measured by brachial blood pressure, heart rate-corrected augmentation index (AIx75), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) in Mongolian women. Methods: 70 women, planning to conceive, were enrolled in this prospective, longitudinal study. Within six months, 46 women conceived, 38 of whom delivered; of these, 27 with complete measurements were included in this analysis. Pre-conception, second trimester, third trimester, and 2 month post-partum vascular function were assessed using SphygmoCor arterial tonometry (Atcor Medical). Within-woman differences across time points, adjusted for age, parity and body mass index (BMI), were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of covariance. Results: Mean age was 31.3 ± 5.5 (SD) years, mean BMI was 21.9 ± 2.9 kg/m 2 and 81.5% were parous. We observed statistically significant differences across time points for AIx75 (p=0.02), with lowest levels in the second trimester and highest levels post-partum (Table). Brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressures and PWV were also lowest in the second trimester, but differences across time points were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In this pre-conception cohort followed through post-partum, we observed a significant, temporary decrease in AIx75 in pregnancy. The decrease in AIx75 represents increased vascular compliance necessary to accommodate the maternal physiologic and metabolic changes during pregnancy.

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