Aikaterini Kotrotsou, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Tom Golak, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Robert John Dawe BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

David A. Bennett MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Konstantinos Arfanakis PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The aims of this work were to: a) longitudinally assess the volume of human brain gray matter regions imaged with MRI ex-vivo, and b) test the hypothesis that volumes measured with ex-vivo MR volumetry are linked to those measured in-vivo.

Dataset 1: Cerebral brain hemispheres from 5 elderly human subjects were imaged with MRI ex-vivo (3T clinical scanner) on a weekly basis for 3 months postmortem, with an additional scan at 6 months postmortem. Dataset 2: Cerebral hemispheres from 7 elderly subjects were scanned with MRI both in-vivo and ex-vivo. Processing: All in-vivo datasets were segmented using FreeSurfer. All ex-vivo datasets were segmented using an in-house multi-atlas segmentation approach (based on 25 atlases). Analysis: Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between ex-vivo gray matter volume measurements and time postmortem (p<0.01), for each subject in Dataset 1. Linear regression analysis was also used to evaluate the association between volumes measured ex-vivo with those measured in-vivo on the same subjects (p<0.01), for each subject in Dataset 2.

No significant volume change was observed for a period of 6 months postmortem for any of the subjects in Dataset 1. A statistically significant linear relationship was detected between MR volumetric measurements performed in-vivo and ex-vivo on each subject of Dataset 2 (R²>0.82, p<10-20).      

Gray matter volumes measured ex-vivo remain relatively constant for a period of 6 months postmortem. Additionally, ex-vivo MR volumetry captures information that is linked to the antemortem macrostructural characteristics of the brain. Since ex-vivo MR volumetry also ensures that no additional pathology develops between imaging and histopathological examination of the tissue, it may potentially become an important tool for the assessment of the neuropathologic correlates of macrostructural brain abnormalities.

The combination of ex-vivo MR volumetry and histopathological examination of human brain tissue may enhance investigation of the neuropathological correlates of macrostructural brain abnormalities.

Kotrotsou, A, Golak, T, Dawe, R, Bennett, D, Arfanakis, K, Ex-vivo Human Brain MR Volumetry.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12043524.html