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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
White Matter tract involvement in brain tumors: a diffusion tensor imaging analysis
Pao Sheng Yen1, Beng Tiong Teo, Cheng Hui Chiu
1Department of Medical Imaging, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. bb1472@hotmail.com
Background:
Characterization of WM alteration using MR imaging is important in the pre- and intraoperative assessment of brain tumors. This study characterizes the extent and severity of WM tract alterations near brain tumors using DTI in an effort to determine preoperative viability or resectability of the adjacent WM tracts. Fractional anisotropy is an important DTI-derived metric of MR imaging.
Methods:
Twenty-one patients underwent MR DTI. Eighty-six WM tracts composed of 43 WM lesions paired with 43 contralateral WM hemispheric controls were categorized using FA. Neuroradiologists categorized the WM tracts as edematous, displaced, disrupted, or infiltrated with tumor using directionally encoded color maps. A mixed model analysis was used to compare FA.
Results:
Of the lesioned tracts, 5 were scored as edema, 9 as infiltration, 18 as displacement, and 11 as disruption. A significant DeltaFA(%) was found between the lesioned and contralateral hemispheres only in WM disruption (P = .0056). Both edema FA and disruption FA are significantly less than displacement FA (P < .05). The FA change (DeltaFA(%) = [FA(lesion) - FA(normal)]/FA(normal) x 100%) on the lesioned side was calculated. A DeltaFA% less than -30% is likely to be associated with WM disruption. A positive DeltaFA% is likely to be associated with edema or displacement, and a DeltaFA% between 0% and -30% is likely to be associated with WM displacement or infiltration.
Conclusions:
Quantitative analysis of DTI data may provide insight as to whether WM tracts are salvageable preoperatively.
Insights
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) quantifies white matter (WM) changes near brain tumors. Fractional anisotropy (FA) changes help predict WM tract viability, aiding surgical planning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Radiology
- Neuro-oncology
Background:
- Accurate characterization of white matter (WM) alterations using Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is crucial for pre- and intraoperative assessment of brain tumors.
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) provides quantitative metrics, such as Fractional Anisotropy (FA), to assess WM integrity.
- Understanding the extent and severity of WM tract alterations near tumors is key to determining their preoperative viability and resectability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the extent and severity of white matter (WM) tract alterations adjacent to brain tumors using DTI.
- To determine the preoperative viability or resectability of WM tracts based on DTI metrics.
- To correlate Fractional Anisotropy (FA) changes with specific types of WM alterations (edema, displacement, disruption, infiltration).
Main Methods:
- MR DTI was performed on 21 patients with brain tumors.
- Eighty-six WM tracts (43 lesioned and 43 contralateral controls) were analyzed.
- WM tracts were categorized by neuroradiologists as edematous, displaced, disrupted, or infiltrated using directionally encoded color maps and FA values. A mixed model analysis compared FA between lesioned and control tracts.
Main Results:
- WM disruption showed a significant difference in FA compared to contralateral hemispheres (P = .0056).
- Edema and disruption FA values were significantly lower than displacement FA values (P < .05).
- A Fractional Anisotropy change (DeltaFA%) less than -30% indicated WM disruption; positive DeltaFA% suggested edema or displacement; 0% to -30% indicated displacement or infiltration.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative analysis of DTI data, specifically FA changes, can offer insights into the preoperative status of white matter tracts.
- This approach may help predict whether WM tracts adjacent to brain tumors are salvageable, guiding surgical decisions.
