Analysis of the diffusion tensor imaging parameters of a normal cervical spinal cord in a healthy population.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) shows great advantage in the diagnosis of brain diseases, including cervical spinal cord (CSC) disease. This study aims to obtain the normal values of the DTI parameters for a healthy population and to establish a baseline for CSC disease diagnosis using DTI.



A total of 36 healthy adults were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the entire CSC using the Siemens 3.0 T MR System. Sagittal DTI acquisition was carried out with a single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence along 12 non-collinear directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were determined at different cervical levels using a region of interest (ROI) method, following which they were correlated with parameters, like age and sex. Further, diffusion tensor tracking (DTT) was carried out to reconstruct the white matter fiber bundles of the CSC.



The full and complete fiber bundle structure of a normal CSC was confirmed in both the T2-weighted and DTI images. The FA and ADC values were significantly negatively correlated with each other and showed strongly negative and positive correlations with age, respectively, but not with sex. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the FA and the ADC values at different cervical levels.



The DTI technique can act as an important supplement to the conventional MRI technique for CSC observation. Moreover, the FA and ADC values can be used as sensitive parameters in the DTI study on the CSC by taking the effects of age into consideration.
a Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou General Hospital , Fuzhou Clinical Medicine School of Second Military Medical University , Fuzhou , 350025 , P.R. China.
Liang-Feng
LF
Wei
a Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou General Hospital , Fuzhou Clinical Medicine School of Second Military Medical University , Fuzhou , 350025 , P.R. China.
Shou-Sen
SS
Wang
a Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou General Hospital , Fuzhou Clinical Medicine School of Second Military Medical University , Fuzhou , 350025 , P.R. China.
Zhao-Cong
ZC
Zheng
a Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou General Hospital , Fuzhou Clinical Medicine School of Second Military Medical University , Fuzhou , 350025 , P.R. China.
Jun
J
Tian
a Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou General Hospital , Fuzhou Clinical Medicine School of Second Military Medical University , Fuzhou , 350025 , P.R. China.
Liang
L
Xue
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D066193:Cervical Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
Apparent diffusion coefficient; Cervical spinal cord; Diffusion tensor imaging; Fractional anisotropy