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Principal Investigator: Kurt G Schilling
Organization: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $157,404
Funding agency: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables the ability to probe both tissue microstructure and
structural connectivity of the central nervous system. However, there are no validated methods to model and
interrogate the pathways that connect the brain and spinal cord, which inhibits our ability to fully characterize
and understand the complete damage that may occur in neurological disorders. For example, disease
progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is known to stem from axonal damage in both the brain and
spinal cord, yet, coordinated medical image analysis of both structures simultaneously has not been shown.
Thus, the overall goal of the proposed research is to develop and optimize simultaneous tissue microstructural
mapping of the brain and spinal cord for clinical assessment of MS using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
specifically interrogating the microstructure and connectivity of motor pathways of the central nervous system.
The critical challenges to this goal are (1) quantifying tissue microstructure of the brain and spinal cord in
unison has not been performed, (2) clinical MRI lacks specificity for microstructural tissue integrity, and (3)
there are few methods available that allow mapping of MS lesions and pathological abnormalities in relation to
critical fiber pathways. To address this, in Aim 1 we will develop a cohesive acquisition and image processing
pipeline, minimizing artifacts and maximizing reproducibility, in order to facilitate a unified analysis of the
central nervous system. In Aim 2, we will utilize diffusion MRI modeling and fiber tractography to characterize
tissue microstructure and connectivity from the cortex to the spinal cord. Modeling will enable quantification of
highly specific pathophysiological indices of edema, axonal swelling, demyelination, and axonal loss, whereas
tractography will facilitate feature localization to specific white matter pathways and along specific pathways.
Finally, evaluate microstructure and connectivity of the motor pathways to interrogate pathology in MS,
quantifying radiological biomarkers over space and time that may contribute to impairment in this disease. The
overall impact of this proposal will be quantitative biomarkers for disease burden that may improve the value of
imaging the brain and spinal cord together as it relates to understanding pathology in vivo.
Terms: <Address><Affect><Anatomic Sites><Anatomic structures><Anatomy><Artifacts><Axon><Biological Markers><Biophysical Process><Body Tissues><Brain><Brain Mapping><Brain Nervous System><Brain Stem><Brain imaging><Brainstem><CNS Diseases><CNS Nervous System><CNS disorder><Central Nervous System><Central Nervous System Diseases><Central Nervous System Disorders><Clinical><Clinical assessments><Complex><Corticospinal Tracts><DWI (diffusion weighted imaging)><DWI-MRI><Demyelinations><Deterioration><Development><Diffusion><Diffusion MRI><Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Diffusion Weighted MRI><Diffusion weighted imaging><Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Disease><Disease Progression><Disorder><Disseminated Sclerosis><Dropsy><Edema><Encephalon><Evaluation><Evolution><Fiber><Foundations><General Radiology><Goals><Health><Human><Hydrogen Oxide><Hydrops><Image><Image Analyses><Image Analysis><Impairment><Investigation><Lesion><Literature><MR Imaging><MR Tomography><MRI><MRI biomarker><MRI marker><MRIs><MS Lesions><MS patient><Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Maps><Measures><Medical Imaging><Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance><Medulla Spinalis><Methods><Modeling><Modern Man><Morphologic artifacts><Motor Pathways><Multiple Sclerosis><Multiple Sclerosis Lesions><NMR Imaging><NMR Tomography><Nervous System Diseases><Nervous System Disorder><Neuraxis><Neurologic><Neurologic Disorders><Neurological><Neurological Disorders><Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Pathologic><Pathology><Pathway interactions><Prognosis><Radiology><Radiology Specialty><Reproducibility><Research><Resolution><Role><Sensitivity and Specificity><Specificity><Spinal Cord><Spinal Cord Diseases><Spinal Cord Disorders><Spinal cord damage><Structural Models><Structure><Swelling><Techniques><Technology><Time><Tissue Model><Tissues><Water><Zeugmatography><axon damage><axon injury><axonal damage><axonal injury><bio-markers><biologic marker><biomarker><biophysical mechanism><brain pathway><brain visualization><burden of disease><burden of illness><cohort><dMRI><demyelinate><developmental><diffused><diffuses><diffusing><diffusion tensor imaging><diffusions><disability><disease burden><image evaluation><image interpretation><image processing><imaging><improved><in vivo><indexing><insular sclerosis><magnetic resonance imaging biomarker><magnetic resonance imaging marker><motor impairment><movement impairment><movement limitation><multiple sclerosis patient><myelopathy><neurological disease><pathway><patients with MS><patients with multiple sclerosis><people with Multiple sclerosis><resolutions><social role><spinal pathway><stem><substantia alba><tractography><white matter><white matter damage>