Quantitative mapping of the myelin water content can provide significant insight into the pathophysiology of several white matter diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and leukoencephalopathies, and can potentially become a useful clinical tool for early diagnosis of these diseases. In this study, multicompartment analysis of T* 2 decay (MCAT2*) was used for the quantitative mapping of myelin water fraction (MWF). T* 2 decay of each voxel at multiple slice locations was acquired in fixed human brains using a multigradient-echo (MGRE) pulse sequence with alternating readout gradient polarities. Compared to prior techniques using Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) acquisition, the MGRE acquisition approach has: 1) a very short first echo time (Ϸ2 ms) and echo-spacing (Ϸ1 ms), which allows for the acquisition of multiple sampling points during the fast decay of the myelin water signal; 2) a low RF duty cycle, which is especially important for achieving acceptable specific absorption rate (SAR) levels at high field strengths. Multicompartment analysis was then applied to the T* 2 decay in each pixel using a 3-pool model of white matter to detect the signal arising from the myelin water, myelinated axonal water, and mixed water While conventional MRI methods are sensitive to the various pathologies affecting white matter in the central nervous system, it provides relatively nonspecific information about the nature of the underlying pathology. One approach developed based on multicompartment analysis of T 2 decay provides quantitative measurements of myelin water fraction (MWF) (1). Quantitative mapping of the MWF is a direct indicator of the integrity of the myelin sheath and can provide valuable insights into the pathology of focal and diffuse white matter (WM) diseases, such as in multiple sclerosis (MS).One technique for quantitative in vivo mapping of the MWF was presented by MacKay et al. (2). In this technique the time course of T 2 decay was acquired using a 32-echo single-slice Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence with composite 90°x-180°y-90°x refocusing pulses (3) and big crusher gradients around the refocusing pulses (4). A nonnegative least squares (NNLS) algorithm was used to estimate the MWF from the short T 2 decay compartment (5). This technique has very successfully demonstrated the merit of quantitative MWF measurement in the study of MS (6). However, there are some limitations associated with this technique. First, it is difficult to further shorten the first echo time (TE1) and echo spacing (ES) with this pulse sequence, since the durations of the nonselective refocusing pulses and the crusher gradients (4) substantially increase the minimum TE1 and ES. With the TE1 and ES values typically used, the myelin water signal is effectively detected only in the first 2-3 measurements (i.e., first 2-3 echoes), leading to compromised accuracy in estimating the MWF using multicompartment analysis. For example, the myelin water signal with a T 2 of 15 ms is reduced to 51% at the first echo, 26% at the seco...
Imbalanced levels of excitation and inhibition (E/I) have been proposed to account for various behavioral and electrophysiological phenotypes in autism. Although proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies have been published on various metabolite levels in autism, including glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter, few 1H-MRS studies have yet been conducted the major inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Seventeen individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) participated in a single-voxel, point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) study conducted on a 3T magnet. Data were also acquired on 14 unaffected siblings of children with autism, and 17 age- and gender- matched healthy control subjects. GABA concentration was measured along with Creatine (Cr) in a single voxel aligned with the auditory cortex in the perisylvian region of the left hemisphere. The ratio of GABA to Cr was significantly lower in the ASD group than the control subjects. Siblings also exhibited lower GABA/Cr ratios compared to controls. Cr concentration did not differ between groups. The volumes of gray matter, white matter and CSF did not differ between groups in the whole brain or within the spectroscopy voxel. Reduced auditory GABA concentration in ASD is consistent with one previous MRS study of GABA concentration in the frontal lobe in autism, suggesting that multiple neocortical areas may be involved. Lower GABA levels are consistent with theories of ASD as a disorder involving impaired inhibitory neurotransmission and E/I imbalance. The reduction in unaffected siblings suggests that it may be a heritable biomarker, or endophenotype, of autism.
Lay Abstract We investigated brain chemistry of the primary region of the brain involved in auditory processing in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Due to the highly heritable nature of ASD and the lack of prior brain chemistry data on unaffected first-degree relatives, we also enrolled parents of children with ASD (pASD), comparing both groups to a healthy adult control group. The technique used to quantify chemical signals was magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which we used to assess the concentration of auditory glutamate, the primary excitatory brain neurotransmitter, as well as other metabolites that assess neuronal integrity and metabolism. We found significantly higher levels of auditory glutamate in persons with ASD. In addition, increases in two other metabolites, n-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), and creatine (Cr), were observed in the ASD group. No differences were observed in the pASD group in any MRS measurement. We interpret the glutamate finding as suggestive of an increase in brain excitability, and the NAA and Cr findings as indicative of a change in brain energy metabolism in ASD. Scientific Abstract Increased glutamate levels have been reported in the hippocampal and frontal regions of persons with autism using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Although autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heritable, MRS studies have not included relatives of persons with ASD. We therefore conducted a study to determine if glutamate levels are elevated in people with autism and parents of children with autism. Single-voxel, point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) data were acquired at 3T for left and right hemisphere auditory cortical voxels in 13 adults with autism, 15 parents of children with autism, and 15 adult control subjects. The primary measure was Glx. Additional measures included n-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myoinositol (mI) and creatine (Cr). The autism group had significantly higher Glx, NAA and Cr concentrations than the control subjects. Parents did not differ from control subjects on any measures. No significant differences in Cho or mI levels were seen among groups. No reliable correlations between autism symptom measures and MRS variables were seen after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. The elevation in Glx in autism is consistent with prior MRS data in the hippocampus and frontal lobe and may suggest increased cortical excitability. Increased NAA and Cr may indicate brain metabolism disturbances in autism. In the current study, we found no reliable evidence of a familial effect for any spectroscopy measure. This may indicate that these metabolites have no heritable component in autism, the presence of a compensatory factor in parents, or sample specific limitations such the participation of singleton families.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.