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Diffusion tensor imaging reveals brain structure changes in dogs after spinal cord injury
Chang-Bin Liu1, De-Gang Yang2, Jun Li2
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Neural Regeneration Research
|July 8, 2022
Summary
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can detect brain structure changes following spinal cord injury. Dynamic changes in DTI parameters correlate with axonal and cellular alterations in the brain within 12 weeks post-injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes Wallerian degeneration and cellular changes in the brain.
- The dynamic alterations in brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters after SCI are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dynamic changes in brain DTI parameters following SCI.
- To correlate DTI findings with underlying neuropathological changes.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of a Beagle dog model with T10 spinal cord contusion.
- Acquisition of DTI data from the injured spinal cord over 12 weeks.
- Immunohistochemical analysis for neurofilament heavy polypeptide, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and NeuN.
Main Results:
- Dynamic changes in DTI parameters were observed in specific brain regions (cerebral peduncle, internal capsule, pre- and postcentral gyri) within 12 weeks post-SCI.
- These DTI changes corresponded with alterations in axonal markers, glial cells, and neuronal markers.
- Pathological findings were consistent with the observed DTI parameter variations.
Conclusions:
- DTI is a sensitive imaging technique for detecting brain structural changes after spinal cord injury.
- The study demonstrates a correlation between DTI parameter dynamics and neuropathological alterations post-SCI.
