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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diffusion tensor imaging analysis with tract-based spatial statistics of the white matter abnormalities after
D Nguyen1, M I Vargas2, N Khaw3
1Neuroradiology Department, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland; CDRC, Geneva, Switzerland.
Epilepsy Research
|March 8, 2011
Summary
Temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) caused white matter changes. Post-surgery, the ipsilesional fornix showed degeneration, while the contralesional fornix had increased fractional anisotropy (FA), suggesting brain reorganization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Epilepsy Research
- White Matter Integrity
Background:
- Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) presents with diffuse white matter abnormalities.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is used to assess white matter integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate white matter diffusion changes after temporal lobe surgery using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS).
- To compare voxel-based and region-of-interest (ROI) analyses for detecting diffusion changes.
Main Methods:
- Included 22 patients with unilateral HS; 12 underwent temporal lobe surgery.
- Used voxel-based TBSS for whole-brain analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD).
- Performed skeleton-based region of interest (SROI) analysis on the fornices.
Main Results:
- Post-surgery, 10 of 12 patients (83.3%) became seizure-free.
- Voxelwise analysis showed widespread diffusion alteration in the lesional hemisphere.
- SROI revealed decreased FA and increased MD in the ipsilesional fornix, and increased FA in the contralesional fornix.
Conclusions:
- Ipsilesional fornix changes suggest Wallerian degeneration post-surgery.
- Contralesional fornix FA increase may indicate structural reorganization.
- Highlights the differing statistical sensitivity of voxelwise versus ROI analyses.
