Intercenter differences in diffusion tensor MRI acquisition.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect on diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of acquiring data with different scanners.


METHODS
Forty-four healthy controls and 36 multiple sclerosis patients with low disability were studied using eight MR scanners with acquisition protocols that were as close to a standard protocol as possible. Between 7 and 13 subjects were studied in each center. Region-of-interest (ROI) and histogram-based analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (D(ax)), radial (D(rad)), and mean diffusivity (MD) were performed. The influence of variables such as the acquisition center and the control/patient group was determined with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.


RESULTS
The patient/control group explained approximately 25% of data variability of FA and D(rad) from midsagittal corpus callosum (CC) ROIs. Global FA, MD, and D(rad) in the white matter differentiated patients from controls, but with lower discriminatory power than for the CC. In the gray matter, MD discriminated patients from controls (30% of variability explained by group vs. 17% by center).


CONCLUSIONS
Significant variability of DT-MRI data can be attributed to the acquisition center, even when a standardized protocol is used. The use of appropriate segmentation methods and statistical models allows DT-derived metrics to differentiate patients from healthy controls.
Pagani
Elisabetta
E
Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute and University Hospital San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Hirsch
Jochen G
JG
Pouwels
Petra J W
PJ
Horsfield
Mark A
MA
Perego
Elisabetta
E
Gass
Achim
A
Roosendaal
Stefan D
SD
Barkhof
Frederik
F
Agosta
Federica
F
Rovaris
Marco
M
Caputo
Domenico
D
Giorgio
Antonio
A
Palace
Jacqueline
J
Marino
Silvia
S
De Stefano
Nicola
N
Ropele
Stefan
S
Fazekas
Franz
F
Filippi
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D014867:Water