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Relationships between brain water content and diffusion tensor imaging parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient and
Paul E Sijens1, Roy Irwan, Jan Hendrik Potze
1Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, The Netherlands. p.e.sijens@rad.umcg.nl
European Radiology
|December 7, 2005
Summary
Multiple sclerosis patients show increased brain water content and altered diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters, fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). These changes correlate with water content, suggesting DTI
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biophysics
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in the central nervous system.
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) parameters like fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) are sensitive to microstructural changes in brain tissue.
- Increased water content is a hallmark of tissue damage in neurological disorders, but its direct correlation with DTI metrics in MS requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between water content and DTI parameters (FA and ADC) in both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) of multiple sclerosis patients.
- To assess the potential of DTI metrics for monitoring disease progression or therapeutic response in MS, particularly in normal-appearing brain tissue.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen multiple sclerosis patients and controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and 2D-chemical shift imaging (CSI) to quantify water content and DTI parameters.
- Superventricular volumes of interest (VOI) encompassing both GM and WM were analyzed.
- Point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) 2D-CSI was performed without water suppression to measure water content.
Main Results:
- MS patients exhibited significantly higher water content in both GM and WM compared to controls.
- FA values were decreased, and ADC values were increased in the brains of MS patients.
- Strong correlations were observed between water content and DTI parameters (FA, ADC) in WM, and weaker correlations in GM. FA and ADC were also strongly correlated within WM.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a significant relationship between DTI parameters (FA, ADC) and water content in both GM and WM of MS patients.
- These findings suggest that DTI may serve as a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring microstructural changes and water accumulation in normal-appearing brain tissue in MS.
- The results highlight the potential of DTI for non-invasive therapy monitoring in multiple sclerosis.