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Reproducibility of tract-based white matter microstructural measures using the ENIGMA-DTI protocol
Ashley Acheson1, S Andrea Wijtenburg2, Laura M Rowland3
1Department of Psychiatry University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio TX USA; Research Imaging Institute University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio TX USA.
The Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA)-diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocol shows excellent reproducibility for fractional anisotropy (FA) values. This makes it a reliable tool for studying white matter development in youth, even those with substance use disorder family histories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Longitudinal studies require reliable measures of white matter development.
- Assessing brain development in youth with family histories of substance use disorders (FH+) necessitates reproducible neuroimaging techniques.
- The Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA)-diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocol is utilized for measuring fractional anisotropy (FA) values.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the reproducibility and reliability of global and regional fractional anisotropy (FA) measures using the ENIGMA-DTI protocol.
- To validate the ENIGMA-DTI protocol for longitudinal analyses of white matter development in adolescents.
- To assess if family history of substance use disorders impacts the reproducibility of FA measures.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed reproducibility data from 12 healthy young adults imaged thrice within a week.
- Calculated FA metrics from data collected 1-year apart in 68 FH+ and 21 FH- adolescents.
- Estimated reproducibility using mean coefficients of variation (MCV), mean absolute differences (MAD), and intraclass correlations (ICC).
Main Results:
- Demonstrated excellent reproducibility for whole-brain DTI-FA values and most white matter tracts.
- Found no significant effect of family history (FH) group on reproducibility (p = .4).
- Observed a strong positive correlation (r = .6) between regional FA reproducibility and previously reported FA heritability measures.
Conclusions:
- The ENIGMA-DTI FA protocol exhibits excellent reproducibility, confirming its viability for longitudinal studies.
- The protocol is suitable for repeated assessments of white matter microstructure in diverse youth populations.
- Findings support the use of ENIGMA-DTI FA for detecting subtle developmental differences in white matter.
