MRI diffusion coefficients in spinal cord correlate with axon morphometry.
Following spinal cord injury, diffusion MRI (DWI) has been shown to detect injury and functionally significant neuroprotection following treatment that otherwise would go undetected with conventional MRI. The underlying histologic correlates to directional apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) obtained with DWI have not been determined, however, and we address this issue by directly correlating ADC values with corresponding axon morphometry in the normal rat cervical spinal cord. ADC values transverse (perpendicular) and longitudinal (parallel) to axons both correlate with axon counts, however each directional ADC reflects distinct histologic parameters. DWI may therefore be capable of providing specific histologic data regarding the integrity of white matter.
Schwartz
Eric D
ED
Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1 Silverstein, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. eric.schwartz@uphs.upenn.edu
Cooper
Emily T
ET
Fan
Yingli
Y
Jawad
Abbas F
AF
Chin
Chih-Liang
CL
Nissanov
Jonathan
J
Hackney
David B
DB
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*