Diffusion tensor MRI to investigate dementias: a brief review.
Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) is a powerful quantitative technique with the ability to detect in vivo microscopic characteristics and abnormalities of brain tissue. It has been successfully applied to a number of neurological conditions, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and brain tumors, providing information otherwise inaccessible on the pathological substrates. DT-MRI has also been used to study patients with cognitive decline, mainly those with Alzheimer's disease. Several image-analysis approaches have been employed, including region of interest, histogram, voxel-based analyses and DT-MRI-based tractography. Specific patterns of spatial distribution of tissue damage and correlations with neuropsychological measures have been reported. This review focuses on the use of DT-MRI to investigate dementias. The main clinical results and the different methods of image analysis will be overviewed and discussed.
Bozzali
Marco
M
Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. m.bozzali@hsantalucia.it
Cherubini
Andrea
A
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003071:Cognition; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors