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Abstract #4091

High Resolution Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Brainstem Nuclei Across the Healthy Lifespan

Marium Soliman1, Nnemdi Osadunkwu1, Pablo Stack-Sanchez2, Nashwan Naji1, Peter Seres1, Alan Wilman1,2, Donald Gross3, Richard Camicioli3, and Christian Beaulieu1,2
1Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 2Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 3Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Synopsis

Keywords: Aging, Aging, Gray matter

Motivation: Brainstem nuclei are understudied in brain development/aging due to typically low spatial resolution of diffusion MRI.

Goal(s): To investigate micro-structural changes with age/sex in red nucleus and substantia nigra across the lifespan.

Approach: Diffusion tensor imaging was acquired with 1 mm³ voxels to assess age trajectories in 193 healthy controls (5-83 years; 105 females).

Results: Diffusion metrics had non-linear age trajectories that differed from volume and susceptibility. For both nuclei, mean diffusivity showed a quadratic age trajectory (minima ~50 years) with similar values between males and females in children, but became divergent at older ages (females higher).

Impact: High-resolution diffusion MRI of brainstem nuclei indicated marked non-linear changes with age across the typical lifespan that differed with sex. This establishes a baseline for investigation of micro-structural alterations of the red nucleus and substantia nigra in neurological disorders.

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Keywords