BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study's aim was to investigate diffusion properties of the cervical spinal cord in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) through analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and thereby to assess the capacity of this technique for predicting the progression of CIS to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). METHODS: The study groups were comprised of 47 patients with CIS (15 of them with progression to CDMS within 2 years of follow-up) and 57 asymptomatic controls. All patients and controls had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine including DTI and brain MRI. Methodological approaches included histogram analysis of the cervical cord's diffusion parameters and evaluation of T2 hyperintense lesions of the spinal cord and brain. All parameters were compared between the study groups. Sensitivity and specificity calculations were then performed with a view to predicting conversion to CDMS. RESULTS: The patient subgroups defined by progression to CDMS differed significantly in values of fractional anisotropy (FA) kurtosis measured within white matter (WM) and normal-appearing WM (NAWM). The same parameters also differed significantly when patients with progression to CDMS were compared to healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed sensitivity and specificity of FA kurtosis of WM and NAWM of 93% and 72%, respectively, in terms of predicting CIS to CDMS progression. CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence that histogram analysis of diffusion parameters of the cervical spinal cord in patients with CIS may be helpful in predicting conversion to CDMS.

• MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• krční mícha diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• prognóza MeSH
• progrese nemoci * MeSH
• roztroušená skleróza diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• senzitivita a specificita MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Robust voxelwise analysis using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) together with permutation statistical method is standardly used in analyzing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of brain. A similar analytical method could be useful when studying DTI of cervical spinal cord. Based on anatomical data of sixty-four healthy volunteers, white (WM) and gray matter (GM) masks were created and subsequently registered into DTI space. Using TBSS, two skeleton types were created (single line and dilated for WM as well as GM). From anatomical data, percentage rates of overlap were calculated for all skeletons in relation to WM and GM masks. Voxelwise analysis of fractional anisotropy values depending on age and sex was conducted. Correlation of fraction anisotropy values with age of subjects was also evaluated. The two WM skeleton types showed a high overlap rate with WM masks (~94%); GM skeletons showed lower rates (56% and 42%, respectively, for single line and dilated). WM and GM areas where fraction anisotropy values differ between sexes were identified (p < .05). Furthermore, using voxelwise analysis such WM voxels were identified where fraction anisotropy values differ depending on age (p < .05) and in these voxels linear dependence of fraction anisotropy and age (r = -0.57, p < .001) was confirmed by regression analysis. This dependence was not proven when using WM anatomical masks (r = -0.21, p = .10). The analytical approach presented shown to be useful for group analysis of DTI data for cervical spinal cord.

• MeSH
• algoritmy * MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• bílá hmota diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• difuzní magnetická rezonance * MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• krční mícha diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• počítačové zpracování obrazu metody   MeSH
• zdraví dobrovolníci pro lékařské studie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH