Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Although multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices are known to be sensitive to the noninvasive assessment of myelin integrity, their relative sensitivities have not been directly compared. This study aimed to identify the most sensitive MRI index fo...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Philip Kyeremeh Jnr Oppong Hiroyuki Hamaguchi Maho Kitagawa Nina Patzke Kevin C. Wakeman Khin Khin Tha |
| author_facet | Philip Kyeremeh Jnr Oppong Hiroyuki Hamaguchi Maho Kitagawa Nina Patzke Kevin C. Wakeman Khin Khin Tha |
| author_sort | Philip Kyeremeh Jnr Oppong |
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| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Although multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices are known to be sensitive to the noninvasive assessment of myelin integrity, their relative sensitivities have not been directly compared. This study aimed to identify the most sensitive MRI index for characterizing myelin composition in the spinal cord’s gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). <b>Methods:</b> MRI was performed on a deer’s ex vivo cervical spinal cord. Quantitative indices known to be sensitive to myelin, including the myelin water fraction (MWF), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), the signal ratio between T1- and T2-weighted images (T1W/T2W), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), electrical conductivity (σ), and T1, T2, and T1ρ relaxation times were calculated. Their mean values were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Bonferroni tests or Friedman and post hoc Wilcoxon tests to identify differences across GM and WM columns possessing distinct myelin distributions, as revealed by histological analysis. Relationships among the indices were examined using Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis. Corrected <i>p</i> < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. <b>Results:</b> All indices except σ differed significantly between GM and all WM columns. Two of the three WM columns had significantly different MWF, FA, MD, and T2, whereas one WM column had significantly different MTR, σ, T1, and T1ρ from the others. A significant moderate to very strong correlation was observed among most indices. <b>Conclusions:</b> The sensitivity of MRI indices in distinguishing spinal cord regions varied. A strategic combination of two or more indices may allow the accurate differentiation of spinal cord regions. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-359b7fad6bed4c50a74a110e639a11012025-01-24T13:50:52ZengMDPI AGTomography2379-13812379-139X2025-01-01111810.3390/tomography11010008Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord RegionsPhilip Kyeremeh Jnr Oppong0Hiroyuki Hamaguchi1Maho Kitagawa2Nina Patzke3Kevin C. Wakeman4Khin Khin Tha5Laboratory for Biomarker Imaging Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, JapanLaboratory for Biomarker Imaging Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, JapanLaboratory for Biomarker Imaging Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, JapanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, N10 W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, JapanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, N10 W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, JapanLaboratory for Biomarker Imaging Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Although multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices are known to be sensitive to the noninvasive assessment of myelin integrity, their relative sensitivities have not been directly compared. This study aimed to identify the most sensitive MRI index for characterizing myelin composition in the spinal cord’s gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). <b>Methods:</b> MRI was performed on a deer’s ex vivo cervical spinal cord. Quantitative indices known to be sensitive to myelin, including the myelin water fraction (MWF), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), the signal ratio between T1- and T2-weighted images (T1W/T2W), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), electrical conductivity (σ), and T1, T2, and T1ρ relaxation times were calculated. Their mean values were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Bonferroni tests or Friedman and post hoc Wilcoxon tests to identify differences across GM and WM columns possessing distinct myelin distributions, as revealed by histological analysis. Relationships among the indices were examined using Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis. Corrected <i>p</i> < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. <b>Results:</b> All indices except σ differed significantly between GM and all WM columns. Two of the three WM columns had significantly different MWF, FA, MD, and T2, whereas one WM column had significantly different MTR, σ, T1, and T1ρ from the others. A significant moderate to very strong correlation was observed among most indices. <b>Conclusions:</b> The sensitivity of MRI indices in distinguishing spinal cord regions varied. A strategic combination of two or more indices may allow the accurate differentiation of spinal cord regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2379-139X/11/1/8sensitivityMRIspinal cordmyelinmyelin water fractionmagnetization transfer |
| spellingShingle | Philip Kyeremeh Jnr Oppong Hiroyuki Hamaguchi Maho Kitagawa Nina Patzke Kevin C. Wakeman Khin Khin Tha Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions Tomography sensitivity MRI spinal cord myelin myelin water fraction magnetization transfer |
| title | Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions |
| title_full | Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions |
| title_short | Comparative Sensitivity of MRI Indices for Myelin Assessment in Spinal Cord Regions |
| title_sort | comparative sensitivity of mri indices for myelin assessment in spinal cord regions |
| topic | sensitivity MRI spinal cord myelin myelin water fraction magnetization transfer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2379-139X/11/1/8 |
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