Diffusion-relaxation scattered MR signal representation in a multi-parametric sequence

Bogusz, Fabian; Pieciak, Tomasz; Afzali, Maryam; Pizzolato, Marco

doi:10.1016/j.mri.2022.05.007

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

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“…These metrics include return-to-origin probability (RTOP), return-to-axis probability (RTAP), and return-to-plane probability (RTPP), which correspond to various aspects of pore structure as described in pore theory (Callaghan et al, 1992). Specifically, RTOP is associated with the average volume of pores, RTAP to their cross-sectional area and RTPP to their length as detailed in earlier studies, meaning higher values of these metrics reflect a more restricted diffusion in neural tissues (Bogusz et al, 2022;Mitra et al, 1995;Özarslan et al, 2013). These quantitative indices offer valuable information of tissue heterogeneity (Brusini et al, 2018), ischemic stroke (Brusini et al, 2016;Galazzo et al, 2018), multiple sclerosis (Brusini et al, 2021), cognitive impairment detection (Menon et al, 2020;Pitteri et al, 2021), and aging and dementia (Bouhrara et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Moon,

Mahzarnia,

Stout

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains one of the most extensively researched neurodegenerative disorders due to its widespread prevalence and complex risk factors. Age is a crucial risk factor for AD, which can be estimated by the disparity between physiological age and estimated brain age. To model AD risk more effectively, integrating biological, genetic, and cognitive markers is essential. Here, we utilized mouse models expressing the major APOE human alleles and human nitric oxide synthase 2 to replicate genetic risk for AD and a humanized innate immune response. We estimated brain age employing a multivariate dataset that includes brain connectomes, APOE genotype, subject traits such as age and sex, and behavioral data. Our methodology used Feature Attention Graph Neural Networks (FAGNN) for integrating different data types. Behavioral data were processed with a 2D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), subject traits with a 1D CNN, brain connectomes through a Graph Neural Network using quadrant attention module. The model yielded a mean absolute error for age prediction of 31.85 days, with a root mean squared error of 41.84 days, outperforming other, reduced models. In addition, FAGNN identified key brain connections involved in the aging process. The highest weights were assigned to the connections between cingulum and corpus callosum, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and piriform cortex. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of predicting brain age in models of aging and genetic risk for AD. To verify the validity of our findings, we compared Fractional Anisotropy (FA) along the tracts of regions with the highest connectivity, the Return-to-Origin Probability (RTOP), Return-to-Plane Probability (RTPP), and Return-to-Axis Probability (RTAP), which showed significant differences between young, middle-aged, and old age groups. Younger mice exhibited higher FA, RTOP, RTAP, and RTPP compared to older groups in the selected connections, suggesting that degradation of white matter tracts plays a critical role in aging and for FAGNN’s selections. Our analysis suggests a potential neuroprotective role of APOE2, relative to APOE3 and APOE4, where APOE2 appears to mitigate age-related changes. Our findings highlighted a complex interplay of genetics and brain aging in the context of AD risk modeling.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Moon,

Mahzarnia,

Stout

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Moon,

Mahzarnia,

Stout

et al. 2024

Imaging Neuroscience

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Alzheimer's disease (AD), a widely studied neurodegenerative disorder, poses significant research challenges due to its high prevalence and complex etiology. Age, a critical risk factor for AD, is typically assessed by comparing physiological and estimated brain ages. This study utilizes mouse models expressing human alleles of APOE and human nitric oxide synthase 2 (hNOS2), replicating genetic risks for AD alongside a human-like immune response. We developed a multivariate model that incorporates brain structural connectomes, APOE genotypes, demographic traits (age and sex), environmental factors such as diet, and behavioral data to estimate brain age. Our methodology employs a Feature Attention Graph Neural Network (FAGNN) to integrate these diverse datasets. Behavioral data are processed using a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN), demographic traits via a 1D CNN, and brain connectomes through a graph neural network equipped with a quadrant attention module that accentuates critical neural connections. The FAGNN model demonstrated a mean absolute error in age prediction of 31.85 days and a root mean squared error of 41.84 days, significantly outperforming simpler models. Our analysis further focused on the brain age delta, which assesses accelerated or delayed aging by comparing brain age, predicted by FAGNN, to the chronological age. A high-fat diet and the presence of the human NOS2 gene were identified as significant accelerators of brain aging in the old age group. Key neural connections identified by FAGNN, such as those between the cingulum, corpus callosum, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and piriform cortex, were found to be significant in the aging process. Validation using diffusion MRI-based metrics, including fractional anisotropy and return-to-origin probability measures across these connections, revealed significant age-related differences. These findings suggest that white matter degradation in the connections highlighted by FAGNN plays a key role in aging. Our findings suggest that the complex interplay of APOE genotype with sex, immunity, and environmental factors modulates brain aging and enhances our understanding of AD risk in mouse models of aging.

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Diffusion-relaxation scattered MR signal representation in a multi-parametric sequence

Cited by 2 publications

References 52 publications

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Feature attention graph neural network for estimating brain age and identifying important neural connections in mouse models of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease

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