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Updated: Aug 23, 2025
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Investigating Tissue-Specific Abnormalities in Alzheimer's Disease with Multi-Shell Diffusion MRI
Diana L Giraldo1,2,3, Robert E Smith4,5, Hanne Struyfs6
1Computer Imaging and Medical Applications Laboratory - Cim@Lab, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Background:
Most studies using diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have focused their analyses on white matter (WM) microstructural changes using the diffusion (kurtosis) tensor model. Although recent works have addressed some limitations of the tensor model, such as the representation of crossing fibers and partial volume effects with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the focus remains in modeling and analyzing the WM.
Objective:
In this work, we present a brain analysis approach for DW-MRI that disentangles multiple tissue compartments as well as micro- and macroscopic effects to investigate differences between groups of subjects in the AD continuum and controls.
Methods:
By means of the multi-tissue constrained spherical deconvolution of multi-shell DW-MRI, underlying brain tissue is modeled with a WM fiber orientation distribution function along with the contributions of gray matter (GM) and CSF to the diffusion signal. From this multi-tissue model, a set of measures capturing tissue diffusivity properties and morphology are extracted. Group differences were interrogated following fixel-, voxel-, and tensor-based morphometry approaches while including strong FWE control across multiple comparisons.
Results:
Abnormalities related to AD stages were detected in WM tracts including the splenium, cingulum, longitudinal fasciculi, and corticospinal tract. Changes in tissue composition were identified, particularly in the medial temporal lobe and superior longitudinal fasciculus.
Conclusion:
This analysis framework constitutes a comprehensive approach allowing simultaneous macro and microscopic assessment of WM, GM, and CSF, from a single DW-MRI dataset.
Insights
This study introduces a new diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) analysis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) that examines white matter (WM), gray matter (GM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for both micro and macro changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biomedical Engineering
- Radiology
Background:
- Most Alzheimer's disease (AD) diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) studies focus on white matter (WM) using tensor models, overlooking gray matter (GM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- Existing tensor models have limitations in representing complex fiber structures and partial volume effects with CSF.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel DW-MRI analysis approach for AD that disentangles multiple tissue compartments (WM, GM, CSF).
- To investigate micro- and macroscopic effects and identify differences between AD continuum groups and controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multi-tissue constrained spherical deconvolution of multi-shell DW-MRI data.
- Modeled WM fiber orientation distribution, GM, and CSF contributions to the diffusion signal.
- Extracted diffusivity and morphology measures, employing fixel-, voxel-, and tensor-based morphometry with FWE control.
Main Results:
- Detected AD-related abnormalities in WM tracts like the splenium, cingulum, and corticospinal tract.
- Identified changes in tissue composition within the medial temporal lobe and superior longitudinal fasciculus.
Conclusions:
- The developed framework enables simultaneous macro- and microscopic assessment of WM, GM, and CSF.
- This comprehensive approach advances DW-MRI analysis for neurodegenerative diseases.
