Age-related differences in diffusion tensor indices and fiber architecture in the medial and lateral gastrocnemius.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To investigate age related changes in diffusion tensor indices and fiber architecture of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius (MG and LG) muscles using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Materials and methods

The lower leg of five young and five senior subjects was scanned at 3 Tesla and DTI indices extracted using three methods: region of interest, histogram, and tract based. Tracked fibers were automatically edited to ensure physiologically relevant tracks. Pennation angles were measured with respect to the deep and superficial aponeuroses of both muscles.

Results

The three methods provided internally consistent measures of the DTI indices (correlation coefficient in the range of 0.90-0.99). The primary, secondary, and tertiary eigenvalues in the MG and LG incr

SUBMITTER: Sinha U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4212021 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature