title: An investigation of motion correction algorithms for pediatric spinal cord DTI in healthy subjects and patients with spinal cord injury.
abstract: Patient and physiological motion can cause artifacts in DTI of the spinal cord which can impact image quality and diffusion indices. The purpose of this investigation was to determine a reliable motion correction method for pediatric spinal cord DTI and show effects of motion correction on DTI parameters in healthy subjects and patients with spinal cord injury. Ten healthy subjects and ten subjects with spinal cord injury were scanned using a 3T scanner. Images were acquired with an inner field-of-view DTI sequence covering cervical spine levels C1 to C7. Images were corrected for motion using two types of transformation (rigid and affine) and three cost functions. Corrected images and transformations were examined qualitatively and quantitatively using in-house developed code. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) indices were calculated and tested for statistical significance pre- and post- motion correction. Images corrected using rigid methods showed improvements in image quality, while affine methods frequently showed residual distortions in corrected images. Blinded evaluation of pre and post correction images showed significant improvement in cord homogeneity and edge conspicuity in corrected images (p<0.0001). The average FA changes were statistically significant (p<0.0001) in the spinal cord injury group, while healthy subjects showed less FA change and were not significant. In both healthy subjects and subjects with spinal cord injury, quantitative and qualitative analysis showed the rigid scaled-least-squares registration technique to be the most reliable and effective in improving image quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Radiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Devon M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Electronic address: feroze@temple.edu.
authors.forename: Feroze B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.affiliation: Jefferson School of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Louis N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Sphoorti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shellikeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finsterbusch
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Faro
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Pallav
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Amer F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Samdani
authors.affiliation: Jefferson School of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mulcahey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D002648:Child; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009038:Motion; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: DTI; Motion correction; Pediatric; Spinal cord