title: Cervical spondylosis: Evaluation of microstructural changes in spinal cord white matter and gray matter by diffusional kurtosis imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated microstructural changes in the spinal cord, separately for white matter and gray matter, in patients with cervical spondylosis by using diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 13 consecutive patients with cervical myelopathy (15 affected sides and 11 unaffected sides). After conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, DKI data were acquired by using a 3T MR imaging scanner. Values for fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and mean diffusional kurtosis (MK) were calculated and compared between unaffected and affected spinal cords, separately for white matter and gray matter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tract-specific analysis of white matter in the lateral funiculus showed no statistical differences between the affected and unaffected sides. In gray matter, only MK was significantly lower in the affected spinal cords than in unaffected spinal cords (0.60±0.18 vs. 0.73±0.13, P=0.0005, Wilcoxon's signed rank test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MK values in the spinal cord may reflect microstructural changes and gray matter damage and can potentially provide more information beyond that obtained with conventional diffusion metrics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: mahori@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Michimasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumine S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyogoku
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Yaesu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Yaesu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Health Science, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Issei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Philips Electronics Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamagata
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masutani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000473:pathology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Apparent diffusion coefficient; Cervical spondylosis; Diffusional kurtosis; Fractional anisotropy; Gray matter; Spinal cord