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Abstract #4070

Multi-shot EPI diffusion tensor imaging of the human lumbar spinal cord is sensitive to microstructural tissue changes in multiple sclerosis

Alicia E Cronin1, Lipika Narisetti1, Grace Sweeney1, Kurt G Schilling1,2, Seth Stubblefield2, Colin D McKnight2, Ryan K Robison1,2,3, Francesca Bagnato4,5, Subramaniam Sriram4, Seth A Smith1,2,6, and Kristin P O'Grady1,2,6
1Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, 2Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, 3Philips, Cambridge, MA, United States, 4Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, 5Department of Neurology, Nashville VA Medical Center, TN Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, United States, 6Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Spinal Cord, Multiple Sclerosis

Motivation: Lumbar spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could provide insight into lower extremity dysfunction in multiple sclerosis; however, susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortions cause challenges.

Goal(s): Our goal was to deploy a multi-shot, reduced field-of-view, 2D-navigated DTI sequence in the lumbar enlargement to compare healthy and multiple sclerosis findings.

Approach: 28 healthy controls and 35 multiple sclerosis patients were imaged, and difference in DTI indices were explored both within-subject and between-subject.

Results: Significant DTI lesion and white matter differences were found between healthy controls and multiple sclerosis patients, and heterogeneity in DTI indices was found throughout the healthy lumbar spinal cord.

Impact: Evaluation of multi-shot, reduced field-of-view, 2D-navigated DTI of the lumbar spinal cord of healthy volunteers and multiple sclerosis patients provides a unique way to study tissue heterogeneity, and identifying specific lesion locations is necessary to evaluate disease-related damage.

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