Tianming Liu PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Geoffrey Young MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ling Huang MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nan-Kuei Chen PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

William P. Dillon MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stephen Wong PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

In this paper, we study the Grey Matter (GM) diffusivity of 4 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and compare the results with those of normal brains

We employ a new computational framework for automated analysis of GM diffusivity using DTI for study of neurodegenerative diseases. The computational framework includes three parts: 1) Automatic parcellation of GM into 76 fine-detailed neuroanatomic regions (called 76-space) on structural SPGR image via a high dimensional atlas-based warping method; 2) automatic measurement of the average Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) of each segmented GM region; and 3) 76-space analysis of GM diffusivity. The 4 CJD patients were imaged at the UCSF Medical Center, on a 1.5 Tesla clinical MR scanner with >20 mT/m fast gradients and EPI capability using GE quadrature head coils and the UCSF standard diagnostic imaging protocol for dementia and standard acquisition parameters.

It is found that eight GM structures (the right and left putamen, the right and left globus palladus, the right and left thalamus, and the right and left caudate nucleus) have significant differences (p-value < 0.05) in CJD and normal brains. Specifically, the average ADC values of putamen, thalamus, and globus palladus of CJD patients are much lower than those of normal brains. The average ADC values of CJD patients’ right and left putamen dropped 29% and 26% respectively, compared to those of normal brains. We also found that the left medial front-orbital gyrus and the left middle occipital gyrus of case 1 have much lower ADC values; and the right and left precuneus, the left middle occipital gyrus, and the right and left nucleus accumbens of case 2 have much lower ADC values. All of these ADC droppings in GM structures of CJD patients are confirmed by expert manual tracing.

Diffusion tensor imaging is a valuable tool for study and diagnosis of CJD. Our study indicates that GM diffusivity abnormalities may occur in basal ganglia, thalamus, cortex, or in a combination of these areas in CJD. Particularly, the basal ganglia might be frequently involved in CJD.

Liu, T, Young, G, Huang, L, Chen, N, Dillon, W, Wong, S, 76-space Analysis of Grey Matter Diffusivity of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4407491.html