Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging of the healthy cervical spinal cord in vivo
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Here we present the application of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to the healthy spinal cord in vivo. NODDI provides maps such as the intra-neurite tissue volume fraction (vin), the orientation dispersion index (ODI) and the isotropic volume fraction (viso), and here we investigate their potential for spinal cord imaging. We scanned five healthy volunteers, four of whom twice, on a 3T MRI system with a ZOOM-EPI sequence. In accordance to the published NODDI protocol, multiple b-shells were acquired at cervical level and both NODDI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics were obtained and analysed to: i) characterise differences in grey and white matter (GM/WM); ii) assess the scan-rescan reproducibility of NODDI; iii) investigate the relationship between NODDI and DTI; and iv) compare the quality of fit of NODDI and DTI. Our results demonstrated that: i) anatomical features can be identified in NODDI maps, such as clear contrast between GM and WM in ODI; ii) the variabilities of vin and ODI are comparable to that of DTI and are driven by biological differences between subjects for ODI, have similar contribution from measurement errors and biological variation for vin, whereas viso shows higher variability, driven by measurement errors; iii) NODDI identifies potential sources contributing to DTI indices, as in the brain; and iv) NODDI outperforms DTI in terms of quality of fit. In conclusion, this work shows that NODDI is a useful model for in vivo diffusion MRI of the spinal cord, providing metrics closely related to tissue microstructure, in line with findings in the brain.
Source: NeuroImage
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $1,893
Funders: National Institute for Health and Care Research, Multiple Sclerosis Society, University College London, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UCLH Biomedical Research Centre
Awards: Anatomy-Driven Brain Connectivity Mapping, Translating new magnetic resonance imaging insights in to treatment options and clinical trial design in multiple sclerosis, Axon and myelin damage assessed using advanced diffusion imaging: from mathematical models to clinical applications, G6360728708, G6783527687, G7974379690, G8390508323, G8662128564
OpenAlex ID: W1970713332