Faculty Collaboration Database

Axial diffusivity is the primary correlate of axonal injury in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis spinal cord: a quantitative pixelwise analysis. J Neurosci 2009 Mar 04;29(9):2805-13

Date

03/06/2009

Pubmed ID

19261876

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2673458

DOI

10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4605-08.2009

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-63849246613 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   426 Citations

Abstract

The dissociation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and permanent disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), termed the clinicoradiological paradox, can primarily be attributed to the lack of specificity of conventional, relaxivity-based MRI measurements in detecting axonal damage, the primary pathological correlate of long-term impairment in MS. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has shown promise in specifically detecting axonal damage and demyelination in MS and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To quantify the specificity of DTI in detecting axonal injury, in vivo DTI maps from the spinal cords of mice with EAE and quantitative histological maps were both registered to a common space. A pixelwise correlation analysis between DTI parameters, histological metrics, and EAE scores revealed a significant correlation between the water diffusion parallel to the white matter fibers, or axial diffusivity, and EAE score. Furthermore, axial diffusivity was the primary correlate of quantitative staining for neurofilaments (SMI31), markers of axonal integrity. Both axial diffusivity and neurofilament staining were decreased throughout the entire white matter, not solely within the demyelinated lesions seen in EAE. In contrast, although anisotropy was significantly correlated with EAE score, it was not correlated with axonal damage. The results demonstrate a strong, quantitative relationship between axial diffusivity and axonal damage and show that anisotropy is not specific for axonal damage after inflammatory demyelination.

Author List

Budde MD, Xie M, Cross AH, Song SK

Author

Matthew Budde PhD Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Anisotropy
Axons
Biomarkers
Demyelinating Diseases
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental
Female
Hindlimb
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Mice
Neurofilament Proteins
Spinal Cord