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Characterizing Microstructural Tissue Properties in Multiple Sclerosis with Diffusion MRI at 7 T and 3 T: The Impact
Silvia De Santis1, Matteo Bastiani2, Amgad Droby3
1Istituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Abstract:
The recent introduction of advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques to characterize focal and global degeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS), like the Composite Hindered and Restricted Model of Diffusion, or CHARMED, diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) made available new tools to image axonal pathology non-invasively in vivo. These methods already showed greater sensitivity and specificity compared to conventional diffusion tensor-based metrics (e.g., fractional anisotropy), overcoming some of its limitations. While previous studies uncovered global and focal axonal degeneration in MS patients compared to healthy controls, here our aim is to investigate and compare different diffusion MRI acquisition protocols in their ability to highlight microstructural differences between MS and control tissue over several much used models. For comparison, we contrasted the ability of fractional anisotropy measurements to uncover differences between lesion, normal-appearing white matter (WM), gray matter and healthy tissue under the same imaging protocols. We show that: (1) focal and diffuse differences in several microstructural parameters are observed under clinical settings; (2) advanced models (CHARMED, DKI and NODDI) have increased specificity and sensitivity to neurodegeneration when compared to fractional anisotropy measurements; and (3) both high (3 T) and ultra-high fields (7 T) are viable options for imaging tissue change in MS lesions and normal appearing WM, while higher b-values are less beneficial under the tested short-time (10 min acquisition) conditions.
Insights
Advanced MRI techniques like CHARMED, DKI, and NODDI offer superior detection of axonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to traditional methods. Both 3T and 7T MRI are effective for imaging MS-related tissue changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biomedical Engineering
- Radiology
Background:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) involves focal and global neurodegeneration.
- Conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics like fractional anisotropy (FA) have limitations in characterizing MS pathology.
- Advanced diffusion MRI models offer improved sensitivity and specificity for in vivo axonal damage assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of various diffusion MRI acquisition protocols in detecting microstructural differences in MS.
- To evaluate advanced models (CHARMED, DKI, NODDI) against conventional FA measurements.
- To assess the utility of different magnetic field strengths (3T and 7T) for MS imaging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced diffusion MRI models: Composite Hindered and Restricted Model of Diffusion (CHARMED), Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging (DKI), and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI).
- Compared these advanced models with conventional fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements.
- Acquired data using both 3 Tesla (3T) and 7 Tesla (7T) MRI scanners under short acquisition time (10 min) conditions.
Main Results:
- Focal and diffuse microstructural differences were identified in MS patients compared to controls under clinical settings.
- Advanced models (CHARMED, DKI, NODDI) demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity for neurodegeneration than FA.
- Both 3T and 7T MRI are suitable for imaging MS lesions and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), with higher b-values showing limited benefit in short acquisitions.
Conclusions:
- Advanced diffusion MRI models provide more sensitive and specific characterization of axonal pathology in MS than conventional FA.
- Both 3T and 7T MRI are viable for MS neuroimaging, offering flexibility in clinical and research settings.
- Optimized acquisition protocols are crucial for maximizing the benefits of advanced diffusion MRI in MS research and clinical practice.
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