Diffusion tensor imaging of the spinal cord: a review

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance technique capable of measuring the magnitude and direction of water molecule diffusion in various tissues. The use of DTI is being expanded to evaluate a variety of spinal cord disorders both for prognostication and to guide therapy. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on spinal cord DTI in both animal models and humans in different neurosurgical conditions. DTI of the spinal cord shows promise in traumatic spinal cord injury, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and intramedullary tumors. However, scanning protocols and image processing need to be refined and standardized.

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Role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in Post Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

The Medical Journal of Cairo University ◽

10.21608/mjcu.2018.63144 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 86 (12) ◽

pp. 4429-4433

Author(s):

RANIA Z. HASSEN, M.D.; SHAIMA F. EL-KHOLY, M.D.

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

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Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Spinal Cord

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/neu.0000000000000171 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 74 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Aditya Vedantam ◽

Michael B. Jirjis ◽

Brian D. Schmit ◽

Marjorie C. Wang ◽

John L. Ulmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Cord Compression ◽

Directional Diffusion ◽

Neural Damage ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Spinal Cord Disorders ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

Abstract Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides a measure of the directional diffusion of water molecules in tissues. The measurement of DTI indexes within the spinal cord provides a quantitative assessment of neural damage in various spinal cord pathologies. DTI studies in animal models of spinal cord injury indicate that DTI is a reliable imaging technique with important histological and functional correlates. These studies demonstrate that DTI is a noninvasive marker of microstructural change within the spinal cord. In human studies, spinal cord DTI shows definite changes in subjects with acute and chronic spinal cord injury, as well as cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Interestingly, changes in DTI indexes are visualized in regions of the cord, which appear normal on conventional magnetic resonance imaging and are remote from the site of cord compression. Spinal cord DTI provides data that can help us understand underlying microstructural changes within the cord and assist in prognostication and planning of therapies. In this article, we review the use of DTI to investigate spinal cord pathology in animals and humans and describe advances in this technique that establish DTI as a promising biomarker for spinal cord disorders.

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Application of multishot diffusion tensor imaging in spinal cord tumors

Brain Science Advances ◽

10.1177/2096595819896176 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 59-64

Author(s):

Jiefei Li ◽

Le He ◽

Yuqi Zhang

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Preoperative Imaging ◽

Spinal Cord Tumors ◽

Intramedullary Tumors ◽

Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

Objective: To explore the usefulness of multishot diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for evaluating the neurological function of patients with spinal cord tumors Methods: Routine magnetic resonance imaging and multishot DTI were performed in five patients with spinal cord tumors. The values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed. Results: Multishot DTI of spinal cord tumors allowed for defining the margins of tumors and determining the relationship of tumors with the adjacent white matter structures of the spinal cord. Multishot DTI demonstrated significantly increased RD and decreased FA of spinal cord tumors compared with those of the normal spinal cord. Conclusions: Multishot DTI is a potentially useful modality for differentiating resectable tumors from nonresectable ones based on preoperative imaging alone as well as for differentiating intramedullary tumors from extramedullary ones. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these results.

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Clinical correlates of cerebral diffusion tensor imaging findings in chronic traumatic spinal cord injury

Spinal Cord ◽

10.1038/sc.2013.163 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 202-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

E A Koskinen ◽

U Hakulinen ◽

A E Brander ◽

T M Luoto ◽

A Ylinen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Imaging Findings ◽

Clinical Correlates ◽

Cord Injury

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Diffusion Tensor Imaging Findings in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study

American Journal of Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration ◽

10.1166/ajnn.2014.1082 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 62-64

Author(s):

Fang Wang ◽

Xijing He

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Imaging Findings ◽

Cord Injury

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Diffusion tensor imaging in the evaluation of the long-term efficacy of HBO2 therapy in rats after traumatic spinal cord injury

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine ◽

10.22462/03.07.2020.4 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 435-443

Author(s):

Yijing Zhao ◽

◽

Yingyan Zheng ◽

Zebin Xiao ◽

Jianyi iu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Term Efficacy ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Hbo2 Therapy ◽

Over Time

Objective: This study explored the feasibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the evaluation of the long-term efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy in rats after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) with different degrees of injury. Method: Adult Sprague-Dawley rats (total n = 60) were randomly separated into three groups of mild, moderate and severe TSCI (20 rats per group). Each group was then randomly divided into TSCI and TSCI+HBO2 subgroups (10 rats per subgroup). Basso Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scores and DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean apparent diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were collected at pre-TSCI and at 0, six and 24 hours, and three, seven, 14, 21, 28 and 56 days post-TSCI. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used for comparison between the TSCI and TSCI+HBO2 subgroups over time in the mild, moderate and severe TSCI groups. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to analyze the correlations between BBB scores and DTI parameters. Results: BBB scores, FA, MD and RD values showed significant differences between the TSCI and TSCI+HBO2 subgroups over time in the mild, moderate and severe TSCI groups (all p<0.01). FA, MD and RD values were positively correlated with BBB scores in all TSCI and TSCI+HBO2 subgroups (all p<0.05). Conclusions: DTI parameters, especially MD, could quantifiably assess the long-term efficacy of HBO2 therapy and reflect the functional recovery in rats after TSCI with different degrees of injury.

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