Establishment and clinical application of non-Gaussian diffusion MR imaging in evaluation of spine and spinal cord imaging pathology

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461847
• 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: HORI Masaaki 順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40334867)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 脊髄MRI / 拡散定量値 / 軸索測定 / QSI / DKI / NODDI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are several limitations in the conventional MRI imaging to evaluate spine and spinal cord pathology in vivo, we tried new MR imaging technique, non-Gaussian diffusion MR imaging (dMRI) to apply for clinical spine and spinal cord imaging. Other than brain, it was necessary to optimize the MR imaging parameters and data analysis methods for spine and spinal cord dMRI and new technique and analysis methods were added to our investigation, which was not expected before. Our results showed that non-Gaussian dMRI analysis provided the additional information of microstructural changes in the spine and spinal cord pathology (i.e. cervical spondylotic myelopathy), which conventional MR images did not revealed.

Free Research Field

放射線診断学