Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Axonal Response to Spinal Cord Injury
Abstract
This project has developed magnetic resonance (MR) imaging approaches to estimate severity of tissue damage after spinal cord injury (SCI). We have performed q-space imaging (QSI) in small animal spinal cord models with high field research imagers and in pig spinal cord specimens using clinical human instruments. We have shown that QSI permits precise estimates of axonal diameter distributions. We have developed direct imaging of spinal cord myelin using ultra short TE (UTE) and zero TE (ZTE) methods that take advantage of the extremely short T2 of myelin. We have shown these methods to be quantitatively reliable. We have developed a high b-value imaging method that permits estimates of axon diameters in spinal cord and applied this to human subjects. We have developed inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (IHMT) approaches to estimating spinal cord myelin content and applied this to normal volunteers. The results appear consistent with the know distribution of myelin in normal spinal cord. Overall, we have developed a suite of approaches to spinal cord imaging that permit estimation of axonal loss and myelin loss as a result of SCI. These methods will permit better characterization of tissue injury in SCI, selection of therapies and evaluation of treatment effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA622478
Entities
People
- David B. Hackney
Organizations
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center