Fractional anisotropy levels derived from diffusion tensor imaging in cervical syringomyelia

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Spinal Cord Imaging
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Background:

• Syringomyelia can cause significant functional disability.
• Conventional imaging often fails to identify the root cause of syringomyelia.
• Predicting neurological deficits in syringomyelia remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate fractional anisotropy (FA) from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as a parameter for detecting dynamic forms of syringomyelia.
• To correlate DTI findings with electrophysiological measurements in patients with cervical syringomyelia.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed on six patients with cervical syringomyelia and two volunteers.
• Electrophysiological recordings, including somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials, were conducted.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were calculated from DTI data, with FA profiles analyzed across the spinal cord.

Main Results:

• FA values were significantly lower at the level of the syrinx, returning to normal values distally.
• Decreased FA values correlated with abnormal electrophysiological results.
• No evidence of FA changes in white matter tracts anterior to the syrinx was observed.

Conclusions:

• DTI can effectively visualize white matter tracts around and beyond the syrinx in syringomyelia.
• DTI findings correlate with electrophysiological data, providing a quantitative measure of pathology.
• DTI of the cervical spine offers valuable pathological information beyond conventional MRI capabilities.