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Regional changes of fractional anisotropy with normal aging using statistical parametric mapping (SPM)
Kaori Furutani1, Masafumi Harada, Masako Minato
1Department of Radiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
The Journal of Medical Investigation : JMI
|September 20, 2005
Summary
Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) effectively reveals age-related changes in water diffusion anisotropy using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This method offers an unbiased alternative to region of interest (ROI) measurements for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Radiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is valuable for assessing age- and disease-related brain changes.
- Current DTI evaluation often relies on the Region of Interest (ROI) methodology, which can be subjective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) for assessing normal aging using DTI.
- To compare the effectiveness of SPM with the traditional ROI method in evaluating age-related DTI changes.
Main Methods:
- Examined ten young and ten senior healthy volunteers.
- Normalized tensor images were analyzed using SPM.
- Statistical comparison between the young and senior groups was performed using a t-test.
Main Results:
- SPM analysis revealed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the senior group's basal ganglia, cingulate gyrus, and cortical gray matter.
- SPM showed lower FA in the corona radiata, internal capsule, centrum semiovale, and corpus callosum in seniors.
- ROI method results were largely consistent with SPM, with minor discrepancies in peripheral brain regions.
Conclusions:
- SPM effectively demonstrates age-related alterations in water diffusion anisotropy.
- SPM provides an objective and operator-independent approach for evaluating diffusion anisotropy changes.
- SPM is a promising tool for clinical settings, offering an alternative to subjective ROI measurements.