Research Development of MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Track Density Imaging in Central Nervous System / 中国医疗器械杂志

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is being used more and more widely in the diagnosis of central nervous system. Based on DTI, track density imaging (TDI) is an emerging technique applied to clinical use. This article introduced the principle and clinical application, analyzed pros and cons, and made conclusion and prospect of these two techniques.

Super-Resolution Track-Density Imaging Reveals Fine Anatomical Features in Tree Shrew Primary Visual Cortex and Hippocampus / 神经科学通报·英文版

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is widely used to study white and gray matter (GM) micro-organization and structural connectivity in the brain. Super-resolution track-density imaging (TDI) is an image reconstruction method for dMRI data, which is capable of providing spatial resolution beyond the acquired data, as well as novel and meaningful anatomical contrast that cannot be obtained with conventional reconstruction methods. TDI has been used to reveal anatomical features in human and animal brains. In this study, we used short track TDI (stTDI), a variation of TDI with enhanced contrast for GM structures, to reconstruct direction-encoded color maps of fixed tree shrew brain. The results were compared with those obtained with the traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) method. We demonstrated that fine microstructures in the tree shrew brain, such as Baillarger bands in the primary visual cortex and the longitudinal component of the mossy fibers within the hippocampal CA3 subfield, were observable with stTDI, but not with DTI reconstructions from the same dMRI data. The possible mechanisms underlying the enhanced GM contrast are discussed.

Más allá del tensor de difusión: experiencia preliminar en tractografía HARDI-CSD y super-resolución en 1. 5T / Beyond the diffusion tensor model: preliminary experience inHARDI tractography-CSD and super-resolution 1. 5T

Introduction: For more than a decade the diffusion tensor imaging model has been widely used in order to resolve and represent the intracranial white-matter microanatomy. Howeverthere are numerous studies that have successfully demonstrated the limitations associated with DTI in trying to define crossing-fibre regions. Various models have been developed with the intention of overcoming these limitations. This is why our study focuses on the description and preliminary experience in the use of tractography based on high-angular-resolution-diffusion imaging (HARDI) using the constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) technique. Methods: The data was acquired on a Philips Achieva 1.5T resonator using a diffusion weighted single-shot echoplanar sequence along 32 directions with a b-value of 1000s/mm2. The images were processed using FSL v5.0 and MRtrix v0.2.10 software. Results: We achieved tensor free high-angular-resolution-diffusion tractographic images that better represented the white-matter micro-architecture than those obtained from the tensor model. Additionally, it was possible to generate track-density images (TDI) with a final resolution more than 500 times that of the acquired data.

Introducción: Desde hace más de una década que el modelo de tensor de difusión ha sido ampliamente utilizado con el fin de resolver y representar la microanatomía de la sustancia blanca intra-cerebral. Sin embargo, no son pocos los estudios que han logrado demostrar las grandes desventajas que el modelo presenta al tratar de definir regiones de entrecruzamiento de fibras. Diversos modelos han sido desarrollados para ofrecer una solución consistente, capaz de representar dichas regiones con mayor grado de correlación anatómica. Es por ello que nuestro estudio se enfoca en la descripción y experiencia preliminar en el uso de tractografía basada en imágenes de difusión de alta resolución angular (HARDI) usando el modelo de deconvolución esférica restringida (CSD). Métodos: La adquisición se realizó en un resonador Philips Achieva 1.5T mediante secuencia de difusión single-shot echo-planar de 32 direcciones con un b-value de 1.000s/mm² procesamiento de las imágenes se realizó mediante software FSL v5.0 y MRtrix v0.2.10. Resultados: Se lograron tractografías libres de tensor de difusión de alta resolución angular que representan la micro-arquitectura de la sustancia blanca de mejor manera que con las generadas a partir del modelo de tensor. Adicionalmente, se logró generar imágenes de densidad tractográfica (TDI) con una resolución final de más de 500 veces a la de adquisición.