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Optimal diffusion tensor indices for imaging the human spinal cord.

Benjamin M Ellingson1, John L Ulmer, Brian D Schmit

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, USA.

Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation
|May 10, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean anisotropy (MA1) offer the best contrast and anatomical detail for spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). These findings improve understanding of gray and white matter in the spinal cord using DTI.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is used for spinal cord imaging, but optimal diffusion indices for gray and white matter contrast remain debated.
  • Existing methods like fractional anisotropy (FA) show limitations in representing spinal cord morphology, particularly in gray matter regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the most effective diffusion indices for differentiating gray and white matter in the human spinal cord.
  • To compare the contrast and anatomical representation capabilities of various DTI-derived indices.

Main Methods:

  • DTI scans of the entire spinal cord (C1-L1) were acquired from five healthy subjects at 1.5-T.
  • Diffusion tensor eigenvalues, mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), volume ratio (VR), relative anisotropy (RA), and measured anisotropy (MA1) were calculated.

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  • Detectability index, ROC analysis, and a user survey were employed to evaluate index performance.

    • Main Results:

    • The detectability index and ROC analysis suggested FA and VR provide significant gray/white matter contrast, though ROC analysis lacked statistical significance between indices.
    • User survey data indicated that MA1 (deviation of the primary eigenvalue from mean diffusivity) significantly outperformed other indices in representing spinal cord morphology.
    • FA showed bias due to its use in classification, and MA1 results align with previous findings on FA's limitations in ventral gray matter.

    Conclusions:

    • Fractional anisotropy (FA) provides high contrast for spinal cord tissues.
    • Mean anisotropy (MA1) offers a more accurate representation of spinal cord morphology compared to other tested indices.
    • Combined use of FA and MA1 may be optimal for comprehensive spinal cord DTI analysis.