Functional correlates of diffusion tensor imaging in spinal cord injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) assesses neural microstructure and spinal cord integrity.
• The link between DTI-assessed spinal cord integrity and functional electrophysiology is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between spinal evoked potential (SpSEP) characteristics and ex vivo diffusion measurements.
• To explore the potential of DTI as a prognostic tool for spinal cord function.

Main Methods:

• Ex vivo diffusion measurements of medial and lateral spinothalamic tracts (STTs) and dorsal columns.
• Correlation analysis between DTI metrics and SpSEP components (early, middle, late).

Main Results:

• Medial spinothalamic tract (MSTT) diffusion strongly correlated with very early SpSEP components.
• Dorsal column diffusion correlated with early SpSEP components post-injury.
• Lateral spinothalamic tract (LSTT) diffusion correlated significantly with late SpSEP components.

Conclusions:

• Spinal cord DTI measurements can predict electrophysiological function.
• DTI shows promise as both a functional and structural prognostic tool for spinal cord injuries.