Peripheral neuropathy: assessment of proximal nerve integrity by diffusion tensor imaging

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Peripheral neuropathy affects nerve function.
• Detecting neuropathic changes in proximal nerve segments is challenging.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a novel technique for nerve assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of DTI in identifying neuropathic changes in proximal nerve segments.
• To assess DTI's utility in patients with peripheral neuropathy.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one individuals (11 with peripheral neuropathy, 10 controls) underwent DTI of a sciatic nerve segment.
• Clinical examination and nerve conduction studies were performed at baseline and 6 months.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Sciatic nerves in patients with peripheral neuropathy showed significantly lower mean FA values compared to controls.
• FA values correlated with clinical disability and electrophysiological measures of axonal damage.
• These correlations were consistent at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• DTI-derived FA values effectively distinguish healthy from impaired human sciatic nerve segments.
• DTI of proximal nerve segments shows promise for quantifying proximal axonal degeneration in peripheral neuropathies.