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Abstract #2009

Axon diameter distribution influences diffusion-derived axonal density estimation in the human spinal cord: in silico and in vivo evidence

Francesco Grussu1, Torben Schneider1,2, Ferran Prados1,3, Carmen Tur1, Sébastien Ourselin3, Hui Zhang4, Daniel C. Alexander4, and Claudia Angela Michela Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott1,5

1NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2Philips Healthcare, Guildford, Surrey, England, United Kingdom, 3Translational Imaging Group, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 4Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 5Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy

Diffusion MRI-derived neurite density is a potential biomarker in neurological conditions. In the brain, neurites are commonly modelled as sticks for sufficiently long diffusion times and gradient durations. However, in the spinal cord, large axons are present and typical diffusion times (20-30 ms) may not be sufficiently long to support this model. We investigate via simulations and in vivo whether neurite density estimation is affected by the diffusion time in the spinal cord. Short diffusion times lead to bias, while long diffusion times improve accuracy but reduce precision. Therefore, a trade-off accuracy-precision needs to be evaluated depending on the application.

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