Development of a new diagnostic method for multiple sclerosis using advanced MRI technique quantify brain microstructures

• Project/Area Number: 19K17177
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52040:Radiological sciences-related
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Shohei 順天堂大学, 医学部, 非常勤助手 (60827244)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
• Keywords: 磁気共鳴画像 / イメージング / 多発性硬化症 / 磁気共鳴画像法 / Quantitative MRI / 磁気共鳴撮像法 / 定量MRI / in vivo imaging / MR imaging / Multiple sclerosis / Synthetic MRI / NODDI

Outline of Research at the Start

多発性硬化症（MS）患者では通常の脳MRIでは異常を検出できない脳領域の脳微細組織にも障害が生じており、運動機能や高次機能に影響する可能性が指摘されています。本研究では、脳微細組織を評価する最新のMRI撮像法であるneurite orientation dispersion and density imagingと3D quantitative synthetic MRIで得られる複数の定量値を統合的に解析する新規アプローチを提案し、MSの病態を反映した画像的特徴を解明します。さらにこれらに基づき、MSの類縁疾患であるNMOとの鑑別ならびに治療効果判定に有用な画像的指標の創出を目指します。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted an evaluation of quantitative synthetic MRI in the detection ability of plaques in patients with multiple sclerosis and demonstrated that it was possible to maintain detection ability while reducing the imaging time by about half (Fujita et al. AJNR 2021). Furthermore, we explored the distribution and degree of characteristic disease impairments through ROI analysis and image statistics analysis of various quantitative values, including longitudinal relaxation time (T1), transverse relaxation time (T2), proton density (PD), and myelin content. We successfully performed these analyses not only on a single scanner but also on multiple scanners from different vendors (Fujita et al. Proc. ISMRM 2022).

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

多発性硬化症のMRI検査において、撮像時間を約半分に短縮しながら、従来の方法と同等のプラーク検出能力を維持できることが示されました。また、病気に特有の障害分布や程度を調べることが可能であることも明らかになりました。この研究成果は、より迅速で正確な多発性硬化症の診断と治療につながり、患者の生活の質の向上に貢献することが期待されます。さらに、撮像時間の短縮によって、検査待ち時間の短縮にもつながる可能性があります。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 3D Quantitative Synthetic MRI in the Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions (2021)
  • Author(s): Fujita S.、Yokoyama K.、Hagiwara A.、Kato S.、Andica C.、Kamagata K.、Hattori N.、Abe O.、Aoki S.
  • Journal Title: American Journal of Neuroradiology Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Pages: 471-478
  • DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a6930
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Synthetic MRI and MR fingerprinting in routine neuroimaging protocol: What's the next step? (2020)
  • Author(s): Fujita Shohei、Hagiwara Akifumi、Aoki Shigeki、Abe Osamu
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neuroradiology Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Pages: 134-135
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2020.02.001
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Deep Learning Approach for Generating MRA Images From 3D Quantitative Synthetic MRI Without Additional Scans (2020)
  • Author(s): Fujita Shohei、Hagiwara Akifumi、Otsuka Yujiro、Hori Masaaki、Takei Naoyuki、Hwang Ken-Pin、Irie Ryusuke、Andica Christina、Kamagata Koji、Akashi Toshiaki、Kunishima Kumamaru Kanako、Suzuki Michimasa、Wada Akihiko、Abe Osamu、Aoki Shigeki
  • Journal Title: Investigative Radiology Volume: 55 Issue: 4 Pages: 249-256
  • DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000628
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Three-dimensional high-resolution simultaneous quantitative mapping of the whole brain with 3D-QALAS: An accuracy and repeatability study (2019)
  • Author(s): Fujita Shohei、Hagiwara Akifumi、Hori Masaaki、Warntjes Marcel、Kamagata Koji、Fukunaga Issei、Andica Christina、Maekawa Tomoko、Irie Ryusuke、Takemura Mariko Yoshida、Kumamaru Kanako Kunishima、Wada Akihiko、Suzuki Michimasa、Ozaki Yutaka、Abe Osamu、Aoki Shigeki
  • Journal Title: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Volume: 63 Pages: 235-243
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2019.08.031
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 3D quantitative synthetic MRI‐derived cortical thickness and subcortical brain volumes: Scan?rescan repeatability and comparison with conventional T 1 ‐weighted images (2019)
  • Author(s): Fujita Shohei、Hagiwara Akifumi、Hori Masaaki、Warntjes Marcel、Kamagata Koji、Fukunaga Issei、Goto Masami、Takuya Haruyama、Takasu Kohei、Andica Christina、Maekawa Tomoko、Takemura Mariko Yoshida、Irie Ryusuke、Wada Akihiko、Suzuki Michimasa、Aoki Shigeki
  • Journal Title: Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Volume: ahead of print Issue: 6 Pages: 1-9
  • DOI: 10.1002/jmri.26744
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Multi-vendor comparison of three-dimensional multi-parametric mapping of the human brain at 3T: A multi-center study (2022)
  • Author(s): Shohei Fujita, Borjan Gagoski, Ken-Pin Hwang, Marcel Warntjes, Issei Fukunaga, Wataru Uchida, Yuma Nishimura, Tomoya Muroi, Toshiya Akatsu, Akihiro Kasahara, Ryo Sato, Tsuyoshi Ueyama, Christina Andica, Akifumi Hagiwara, Koji Kamagata, Shiori Amemiya, Hidemasa Takao, Osamu Abe, Shigeki Aoki
  • Organizer: The 31st ISMRM International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
  • Int'l Joint Research