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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
Quantification of Optic Nerve Cross Sectional Area on MRI: A Novel Protocol using Fiji Software
Published on: September 4, 2021
Evaluation of simultaneous multi-slice readout-segmented diffusion-weighted MRI acquisition in human optic nerve
Hiromasa Takemura1, Wei Liu2, Hideto Kuribayashi3
1Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan; Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Japan.
Simultaneous multi-slice readout-segmented echo planar imaging (SMS rsEPI) reduces artifacts in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) of the optic nerve. This advanced dMRI technique offers improved measurement of white matter tissue properties in living humans.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI)
- White matter tract analysis
Background:
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is crucial for studying white matter in vivo.
- Conventional simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) single-shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI) is limited by susceptibility-induced artifacts, particularly in tracts like the optic nerve.
- Artifacts hinder accurate analysis of white matter tissue properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of SMS readout-segmented EPI (rsEPI) for dMRI of the human optic nerve.
- To compare SMS rsEPI with conventional SMS ssEPI in reducing susceptibility artifacts.
- To assess the impact of SMS rsEPI on the measurement of optic nerve tissue properties.
Main Methods:
- Acquired dMRI data from 11 healthy volunteers using both SMS ssEPI and SMS rsEPI sequences.
- Compared the datasets visually for susceptibility-induced distortion.
- Statistically compared fractional anisotropy (FA) values along the optic nerve between the two methods.
Main Results:
- SMS rsEPI demonstrated reduced susceptibility-induced distortion compared to SMS ssEPI.
- Significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values were observed along the optic nerve using SMS rsEPI.
- SMS rsEPI provides more accurate dMRI data for the optic nerve despite longer acquisition times.
Conclusions:
- SMS rsEPI is a promising dMRI technique for investigating the optic nerve in living humans.
- This method improves the measurement of white matter tissue properties in challenging pathways.
- SMS rsEPI will advance future neuroscientific and clinical studies of the optic nerve.
