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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diffusion tensor tractography-based group mapping of the pyramidal tract in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
1National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Background And Purpose:
Many studies have reported abnormal changes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) by histogram and region-of-interest-based methods by using diffusion tenor imaging. However, there are few studies on specific white matter fiber tracts of RRMS. Our study sought to use diffusion tensor tractography-based group mapping to investigate the presence of abnormal diffusion in the normal-appearing pyramidal tract (PYT) of RRMS and its possible mechanism.
Methods:
A PYT probability map was first constructed from data on 20 healthy patients based on the deterministic-based tractography method. The PYT probability map was then applied to 29 RRMS patients to calculate diffusion indices of the PYT. In this study, 4 quantitative indices-fractional anisotropy (FA), directionally averaged diffusion coefficient (D(av)), axial diffusion coefficient (lambda(1)), and radial diffusion coefficient (lambda(23))-were used to characterize the abnormal diffusion.
Results:
Compared with healthy controls, RRMS patients had a significantly higher D(av) and lambda(23) but a lower FA and a trend toward a lower lambda(1) in the normal-appearing PYT. In RRMS patients, PYT lesions had a significantly higher lambda(23) and a lower FA, but there were no differences for D(av) and lambda(1) when compared with the normal-appearing PYT. Moreover, the diffusion indices derived from the normal-appearing PYT were significantly correlated with PYT lesion volumes by using the Spearman correlation analysis.
Conclusion:
Our findings confirm the presence of abnormal diffusion in the normal-appearing PYT of RRMS patients and suggest that wallerian degeneration might be its mechanism.
