Reproducibility of locus coeruleus and substantia nigra imaging with neuromelanin sensitive MRI.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the reproducibility of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and locus coeruleus (LC) delineation and measurement with neuromelanin-sensitive MRI.


METHODS
Eleven subjects underwent two neuromelanin-sensitive MRI scans. SNpc and LC volumes were extracted for each scan. Reproducibility of volume and magnetization transfer contrast measurements in SNpc and LC was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and dice similarity coefficients (DSC).


RESULTS
SNpc and LC volume measurements showed excellent reproducibility (SNpc-ICC: 0.94, p < 0.001; LC-ICC: 0.96, p < 0.001). SNpc and LC were accurately delineated between scans (SNpc-DSC: 0.80 ± 0.03; LC-DSC: 0.63 ± 0.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI can consistently delineate SNpc and LC.
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
Jason
J
Langley
Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Daniel E
DE
Huddleston
The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Christine J
CJ
Liu
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. xhu@engr.ucr.edu.|Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Materials Science and Engineering 205, Riverside, CA, USA. xhu@engr.ucr.edu.
Xiaoping
X
Hu
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D015415:Biomarkers; D008543:Melanins; C014121:neuromelanin
Locus coeruleus; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neuromelanin; Reproducibility; Substantia nigra
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