Model-based parcellation of diffusion MRI of injured spinal cord predicts hand use impairment and recovery in squirrel monkeys

Isaac V Manzanera Esteve; Feng Wang; Jamie L Reed; Hui Xin Qi; Wesley Thayer; John C Gore; Li Min Chen

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114808

Model-based parcellation of diffusion MRI of injured spinal cord predicts hand use impairment and recovery in squirrel monkeys

Behav Brain Res. 2024 Feb 29:459:114808. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114808. Epub 2023 Dec 10.

Authors

Isaac V Manzanera Esteve¹, Feng Wang², Jamie L Reed², Hui Xin Qi³, Wesley Thayer⁴, John C Gore⁵, Li Min Chen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
⁴ Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
⁵ Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

Abstract

A mathematical model-based parcellation of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor images (DTI) has been developed to quantify progressive changes in three types of tissues - grey (GM), white matter (WM), and damaged spinal cord tissue, along with behavioral assessments over a 6 month period following targeted spinal cord injuries (SCI) in monkeys. Sigmoid Gompertz function based fittings of DTI metrics provide early indicators that correlate with, and predict, recovery of hand grasping behavior. Our three tissue pool model provided unbiased, data-driven segmentation of spinal cord images and identified DTI metrics that can serve as reliable biomarkers of severity of spinal cord injuries and predictors of behavioral outcomes.

Keywords: Behavioral outcome; Diffusion tensor images; Gompertz function; Longitudinal quantitative recovery; Spinal cord injury; Tissue parcellation model.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging* / methods
Humans
Saimiri
Spinal Cord / diagnostic imaging
Spinal Cord / pathology
Spinal Cord Injuries* / diagnostic imaging
Spinal Cord Injuries* / pathology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding