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Searching for the neurite density with diffusion MRI : Challenges for biophysical modeling

Lampinen, Björn LU ; Szczepankiewicz, Filip LU orcid ; Novén, Mikael LU ; van Westen, Danielle LU orcid ; Hansson, Oskar LU orcid ; Englund, Elisabet LU orcid ; Mårtensson, Johan LU ; Westin, Carl Fredrik and Nilsson, Markus LU (2019) In Human Brain Mapping 40(8). p.2529-2545
Abstract

In vivo mapping of the neurite density with diffusion MRI (dMRI) is a high but challenging aim. First, it is unknown whether all neurites exhibit completely anisotropic (“stick-like”) diffusion. Second, the “density” of tissue components may be confounded by non-diffusion properties such as T2 relaxation. Third, the domain of validity for the estimated parameters to serve as indices of neurite density is incompletely explored. We investigated these challenges by acquiring data with “b-tensor encoding” and multiple echo times in brain regions with low orientation coherence and in white matter lesions. Results showed that microscopic anisotropy from b-tensor data is associated with myelinated axons but not with dendrites. Furthermore,... (More)

In vivo mapping of the neurite density with diffusion MRI (dMRI) is a high but challenging aim. First, it is unknown whether all neurites exhibit completely anisotropic (“stick-like”) diffusion. Second, the “density” of tissue components may be confounded by non-diffusion properties such as T2 relaxation. Third, the domain of validity for the estimated parameters to serve as indices of neurite density is incompletely explored. We investigated these challenges by acquiring data with “b-tensor encoding” and multiple echo times in brain regions with low orientation coherence and in white matter lesions. Results showed that microscopic anisotropy from b-tensor data is associated with myelinated axons but not with dendrites. Furthermore, b-tensor data together with data acquired for multiple echo times showed that unbiased density estimates in white matter lesions require data-driven estimates of compartment-specific T2 values. Finally, the “stick” fractions of different biophysical models could generally not serve as neurite density indices across the healthy brain and white matter lesions, where outcomes of comparisons depended on the choice of constraints. In particular, constraining compartment-specific T2 values was ambiguous in the healthy brain and had a large impact on estimated values. In summary, estimating neurite density generally requires accounting for different diffusion and/or T2 properties between axons and dendrites. Constrained “index” parameters could be valid within limited domains that should be delineated by future studies.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
anisotropy, axons, dendrites, diffusion MRI, myelin, neurites
in
Human Brain Mapping
volume
40
issue
8
pages
2529 - 2545
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85062351656
  • pmid:30802367
ISSN
1065-9471
DOI
10.1002/hbm.24542
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1e2ed0b0-11ae-432c-977e-3ba4136cfc61
date added to LUP
2019-03-13 14:59:05
date last changed
2024-05-14 03:37:25
@article{1e2ed0b0-11ae-432c-977e-3ba4136cfc61,
  abstract     = {{<p>In vivo mapping of the neurite density with diffusion MRI (dMRI) is a high but challenging aim. First, it is unknown whether all neurites exhibit completely anisotropic (“stick-like”) diffusion. Second, the “density” of tissue components may be confounded by non-diffusion properties such as T2 relaxation. Third, the domain of validity for the estimated parameters to serve as indices of neurite density is incompletely explored. We investigated these challenges by acquiring data with “b-tensor encoding” and multiple echo times in brain regions with low orientation coherence and in white matter lesions. Results showed that microscopic anisotropy from b-tensor data is associated with myelinated axons but not with dendrites. Furthermore, b-tensor data together with data acquired for multiple echo times showed that unbiased density estimates in white matter lesions require data-driven estimates of compartment-specific T2 values. Finally, the “stick” fractions of different biophysical models could generally not serve as neurite density indices across the healthy brain and white matter lesions, where outcomes of comparisons depended on the choice of constraints. In particular, constraining compartment-specific T2 values was ambiguous in the healthy brain and had a large impact on estimated values. In summary, estimating neurite density generally requires accounting for different diffusion and/or T2 properties between axons and dendrites. Constrained “index” parameters could be valid within limited domains that should be delineated by future studies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lampinen, Björn and Szczepankiewicz, Filip and Novén, Mikael and van Westen, Danielle and Hansson, Oskar and Englund, Elisabet and Mårtensson, Johan and Westin, Carl Fredrik and Nilsson, Markus}},
  issn         = {{1065-9471}},
  keywords     = {{anisotropy; axons; dendrites; diffusion MRI; myelin; neurites}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{2529--2545}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Human Brain Mapping}},
  title        = {{Searching for the neurite density with diffusion MRI : Challenges for biophysical modeling}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24542}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/hbm.24542}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}