Longitudinal assessment of spinal cord injuries in nonhuman primates with quantitative magnetization transfer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and specificity of quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) imaging for monitoring spinal cord injuries (SCIs).

Methods

MRI scans were performed in anesthetized monkeys at 9.4T, before and serially after a unilateral lesion of the cervical spinal cord. A two-pool fitting model was used to derive qMT parameters.

Results

qMT measures were reproducible across normal subjects, with an average pool size ratio (PSR) of 0.086 ± 0.003 (mean ± SD) for gray matter, and 0.120 ± 0.005 for white matter, respectively. Compared with normal gray matter, the PSR of abnormal tissues rostral and caudal to the injury site decreased by 19.5% (P < 0.05), while the PSR of the cyst-like volume decreased drastically weeks after SCI. St

SUBMITTER: Wang F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4637273 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature