Studying idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus with non-Gaussian diffusion imaging

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09937
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Kamiya Kouhei 順天堂大学, 医学部, 非常勤助手 (30749825)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 青木 茂樹 順天堂大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (80222470)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: MRI / 拡散 / 拡散テンソルイメージング / 白質モデル / 特発性正常圧水頭症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The symptoms of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can be improved by shunt surgery, but prediction of treatment outcome is not established. We investigated changes of the corticospinal tract (CST) in iNPH before and after shunt surgery using diffusion microstructural imaging. The orientational coherence within the CSTs was higher in patients than in controls, and some normalization occurred after the surgery in patients indicating recovery from axon stretching. The estimated axon density was lower in patients than in controls but remained unchanged after the surgery, suggesting its potential as a marker for irreversible neuronal damage. Thus, diffusion MRI may distinguish between reversible and irreversible microstructural changes in iNPH. Our findings constitute a step towards a quantitative image biomarker that reflects pathological process and treatment outcomes of iNPH.

Free Research Field

拡散MRI