View Presentation Video

Colleen Bailey¹, Ved Hatolkar¹, Wendy Oakden^1,2, Margaret M Koletar¹, JoAnne McLaurin^1,3, and Jamie Near^1,4
1Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, ²Synaptive Medical, Toronto, ON, Canada, ³Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, ⁴Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease, Preclinical, neuronal loss

We examined the effect of the PLA2 inhibitor mepacrine on the levels of choline and other brain metabolites in the TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have demonstrated elevated levels of brain cholines in this model, similar to those observed in humans and attributed to increased membrane turnover. Total choline was higher in transgenic animals at baseline, but decreased following mepacrine treatment. Total choline also decreased in wildtype animals following treatment, consistent with the hypothesis that mepacrine reduces PLA2-mediated membrane turnover. Based on this finding, MRS choline measures may also serve as a biomarker for PLA2-mediated inflammatory processes.

Guixian Tang¹, Guanmao Chen¹, Long Qian², and Ying Wang^1
1First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, ²MR Research, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, fMRI (resting state)

 This study provided preliminary evidence of the association between disrupted brain functional network topology and neuroinflammation in BD. The current study demonstrated disrupted topological organization in the whole brain and regional connectivity was associated with inflammatory cytokines of the IL-4, IL-8 and IL-10 levels in BD. Moreover, our results indicated that higher IL-4 levels and impaired regional connectivity in the temporal pole may be associated with the severer depressive symptoms in BD.

View Presentation Video

Loredana Storelli¹, Elisabetta Pagani¹, Martina Rubin^1,2, Monica Margoni^1,2, Maria Assunta Rocca^1,2,3, and Massimo Filippi^1,2,3,4,5
1Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, ²Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, ³Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, ⁴Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, ⁵Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Neuroinflammation

Choroid plexus (CP) is a structure of the brain ventricular system that demonstrated an involvement in the inflammatory process of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, its role in the pathophysiology of the disease needs to be further explored but its manual delineation on MRI is time-consuming. In this study, we developed a fully-automatic method to segment CP using 3DT1-weighted and FLAIR MRI sequences. The algorithm proved to be accurate, easy to implement and do not require an initial training phase on huge amount of data, being generalizable and a fast tool to potentially be included in a clinical setting.

View Presentation Video

Meltem Karatas¹, Diaa K.A. Yahya², Merve Ayan³, Sevda Muftuoglu³, Kader Karli Oguz^1,4,5, and Halil Kamil Oge^2
1National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, ²Department of Neurosurgery, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, ³Department of Histology and Embryology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, ⁴Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, ⁵Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Translational Studies, Hydrocephalus , dexmedetomidine

Hydrocephalus is defined as an abnormal enlargement of cerebral ventricles due to disturbed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics. It is characterized by neuroinflammatory processes in the brain parenchyma and CSF, with pathological findings including reactive gliosis, axonal and neuronal damage, and loss of myelin sheaths. The use of anti-inflammatory medications in hydrocephalus may be an effective treatment strategy for neuroprotection. In this study, we used a rat model of hydrocephalus induced by kaolin. We aimed to demonstrate the potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of dexmedetomidine on hydrocephalic brains using MRI and morphometric analysis.

View Presentation Video

Emily Demmon¹, Susan Gauthier¹, Ilhami Kovanlikaya², Yi Wang², Alexey Dimov², Pascal Spincemaille², and Thanh Nguyen^2
1Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, United States, ²Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, United States

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Neuroscience

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by focal inflammatory demyelination. Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) form an important subset of chronic active MS lesions that show a hypocellular core and persistent glial inflammation and continuing myelin damage at the rim on histopathology. PRLs are a critical clinical target for MS therapy. Our goal in this project is to improve overall detection of PRLs through utilization of quantitative paramagnetic source maps.

View Presentation Video

Seong-Eun Kim¹, Trieste Francis ², Ka-Ho Wong ², John W Rose², J Scott MacNally¹, and M Mateo Paz Soldan ^2
1UCAIR, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, ²Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Molecular Imaging, USPIO

While the specific pathologic mechanisms that underpin ongoing axonal loss in progressive forms of MS are not fully characterized, ongoing innate immune activation in chronic MS lesions, particularly activated microglia and macrophages, has been proposed to be a prevailing mechanism of axonal loss in the progressive phase of disease. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles have been introduced as a potential MRI biomarker for macrophage activity in focal MS lesions. This work presents a Feromoxytol enhanced MRI to measure perilesional activated microglia and macrophages in progressive MS. which is anticipated to reflect risk for ongoing loss of CNS axons and neurons.

 

View Presentation Video

Thomas Jochmann^1,2, Jack A. Reeves², Fahad Salman², Dejan Jakimovski², Simon Hametner³, Maryam Mohebbi², Niels Bergsland², Bianca Weinstock-Gutman⁴, Michael G. Dwyer², Robert Zivadinov^2,5, Jens Haueisen¹, and Ferdinand Schweser^2,5
1Department of Computer Science and Automation, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany, ²Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States, ³Department of Neuroimmunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, ⁴Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States, ⁵Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States

Keywords: White Matter, Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis lesions have different types and stages that are challenging to distinguish by conventional MRI. We recently presented DEEPOLE QUASAR, a reconstruction technique that yields nonsusceptibility frequency maps as a novel MRI contrast. In this study, we translate the novel contrast into a tool for multiple sclerosis lesion assessment. We discuss the time course of nonsusceptibility frequency throughout different lesion stages. Within different paramagnetic rim lesions that are typically indistinguishable by conventional MRI, the nonsusceptibility frequency contrast showed hypo-, iso-, and hyperintense subtypes. At a 5-year follow-up, paramagnetic rims disappeared at significantly different proportions between these subtypes.

View Presentation Video

Jason Michael Millward^1,2, Elias Pilgrim¹, Matthias Baumann³, Eva Wendel⁴, Ines El-Naggar⁴, Annikki Bertolini⁴, Frederik Bartels⁵, Carsten Finke⁵, Thoralf Niendorf^1,2, Kevin Rostásy⁴, and Sonia Waiczies^1,2
1Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility, Max Delbruck Center, Berlin, Germany, ²Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, ³Division of Paediatric Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria, ⁴Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Datteln, Witten/Herdecke University, Datteln, Germany, ⁵Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Keywords: Neuro, Neuroinflammation, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Pediatric patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) are at risk of long-term neurocognitive consequences. We investigated a multi-center cohort of ADEM patients with serial whole brain MRI, to distinguish transient reversible expansion of brain ventricle volume (BVV) from persistent changes. Using the automated brain segmentation tool SynthSeg, we observed that ADEM patients had significantly enlarged BVV relative to sex- and age-matched pediatric control subjects, already at the first clinical presentation, before any steroid treatment. Most ADEM patients developed even greater BVV expansion over the observation period. The majority of patients recovered, though some showed persistent BVV enlargement, suggesting brain atrophy.

View Presentation Video

Elias Pilgrim¹, Wenli Xu¹, Hampus Nils Olsson¹, Eva Wendel², Ines El-Naggar², Annikki Bertolini², Kevin Rostásy², Thoralf Niendorf^1,3, Sonia Waiczies^1,3, and Jason Michael Millward^1
1Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility, Max Delbruck Center, Berlin, Germany, ²Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Datteln, Witten/Herdecke University, Datteln, Germany, ³Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Segmentation, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

We evaluated the performance of the brain segmentation tool SynthSeg on a heterogeneous multi-center cohort of pediatric patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Brain MRI of the patient cohort was acquired at multiple field strengths, with a diverse range of image spatial resolutions, MR sequences, contrasts, and w/wo administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). SynthSeg performance was generally robust to resolution and contrast differences, especially for larger brain structures. Significant differences in some calculated volumes were detected upon pair-wise comparisons among patients with high- vs. low resolution scans, T1- vs. T2-weighed scans, and w/wo GBCA application, acquired on the same day.

Jing Zhang¹ and Yali Zhao^1
1Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Neuroinflammation

The sensitivity of MRI in detecting optic neuritis (ON) including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-associated ON (NMOSD-ON) is inadequate, and the diagnostic criteria have limitations due to inherent defects in signal intensity. In this study, we quantitatively assessed the role of intrathecal cerebrospinal fluid and diameter and curvature of anterior visual pathway in the diagnosis of NMOSD-ON by nomogram using non-enhanced MRI. The altered MRI parameters showed significant associations with visual functional system scores. Our study elucidates the novel contribution of non-enhanced MRI in the detection of NMOSD-ON, which assists to solve the problem of insufficient sensitivity of MRI for ON.

View Presentation Video

Yunyan Zhang¹, Zahra Hosseinpour¹, Olayinka Oladosu¹, Julia Beaumont¹, Chloe Hao¹, and Carlos Camara-Lemarroy^1
1University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Brain

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe and heterogeneous disease. While disease worsening is common, the pattern of worsening varies between subjects. Mechanisms are unclear. This study assessed lesion heterogeneity and chronic active lesion activity in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) 5 years before conversion to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) as compared to stable disease. Based on brain MRI texture analysis and z-score of core versus rim diffusion in lesions, SPMS-converting patients have greater lesion damage and chronic active lesion density than stable patients 5 years prior. Combined approaches may help identify RRMS patients at high risk of worsening for early management.

View Presentation Video

Apurva Shah¹, Jitender Saini², Pramod Pal³, and Madhura Ingalhalikar^1
1Symbiosis Centre for Medical Image Analysis, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, ²Department of Radiology, National Institutes of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bengaluru, India, ³National Institutes of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bengaluru, India

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Brain, Diffusion Imaging, freewater, reliability

Medical imaging can offer several clinically valuable biomarkers which require accuracy across the acquiring technologies. Our study investigated the variability and reliability of diffusion microstructures over different diffusion gradient direction schemes, including high angular resolution diffusion imaging sequences and a parallel slice acquisition technique. The study's results demonstrated the 20-directional parallel slice acquisition clinically feasible sequence for standard DTI analysis with less variability and more reliability in matrices, while multishell sequences are more suitable for microstructural and tractography analysis.

View Presentation Video

Chaoqi Mu^1,2, Jamie L Reed², Feng Wang², John C Gore², and Li Min Chen^2
1Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ²Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science & Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States

Keywords: Spinal Cord, CEST & MT

We identified molecular pools of interest using CEST imaging of rats after spinal cord injury (SCI) that correlate with post-SCI behavioral deficits, and which may indicate products of neuroinflammation. Using tissue neurochemical analysis, we isolated analytes of interest and acquired CEST Z-spectra from solutions of the chemicals to elucidate the source of the CEST pool concentration changes. Several candidates present in the tissue samples showed similar (overlapping) Z-spectra around 3.0 ppm. These results suggest that CEST imaging is not specific for identifying concentration changes of individual molecules of interest.

View Presentation Video

Jillian M. Eichstaedt¹, Dalal Khatib², Phil Easter², David R. Rosenberg², Vaibhav A. Diwadkar², and Jeffrey A. Stanley^3
1Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States, ²Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States, ³Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States

Keywords: Psychiatric Disorders, Spectroscopy, Inhibitory Control

¹H fMRS was used to quantify changes in dACC glutamate evoked during excitatory and inhibitory motor control. The two response modes demanded non-selective responding (motor control with excitation) or selective responding (motor control with inhibition). dACC glutamate was significantly increased (relative to a resting baseline), regardless of response mode.  These functional responses (uncoupled from hemodynamics) demonstrate that ¹H fMRS can be successfully used to reveal glutamate related mechanisms of the dACC reflecting changes in the excitatory neurotransmission drive. 

View Presentation Video

Ryuna Kurosawa¹, Hajime Yokota², Takayuki Sada¹, Koji Matsumoto¹, Takafumi Yoda¹, Masami Yoneyama³, Takashi Namiki³, Guillaume Gilbert⁴, Yoshitada Masuda¹, and Takashi Uno^2
1Department of Radiology, Chiba university hospital, Chiba, Japan, ²Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan, ³Philips Japan, Tokyo, Japan, ⁴Philips Canada, Mississauga, ON, Canada

Keywords: Neurodegeneration, CEST & MT

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of ihMT in the diagnosis of CIDP by measuring myelin levels using ihMT imaging. ihMTR of the sciatic nerve of CIDP patients was significantly lower than that of the normal subjects. Our finding was compatible with previously reported pathological changes. Myelin imaging by ihMT has the potential to be used as a new biomarker in the diagnosis of CIDP.

View Presentation Video

Paul Condron^1,2, Maryam Tayebi^1,2, Taylor Emsden^1,2, Ben Bristow^1,3, Tuta Ngārimu^4,5, Patrick McHugh^1,6, Gil Newburn¹, Davidson Taylor^1,7, Samantha Holdsworth^1,2, Daniel Cornfeld^1,2, Miriam Scadeng^1,2, and Graeme Bydder^1,8
1Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, New Zealand, ²Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences & Centre for Brain Research, Auckland, New Zealand, ³Department of Neuroscience,, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, ⁴New Zealand P Pull, Tairāwhiti-Gisborne, New Zealand, ⁵Ngati Porou, Aotearoa, New Zealand, ⁶Tūranga Health, Tūranganui-a-kiwa, Gisborne, New Zealand, ⁷Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungungu, Rongomaiwahine, Rongowhakaata; Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Tairāwhiti, New Zealand, ⁸University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States

Keywords: Neuroinflammation, Drugs, brain, methamphetamine, white matter hyper intensities

Keywords; Neuroinflammation, data acquisition and post processing, contrast mechanisms, white matter, drugs.

MR contrast can be enhanced by exploiting the concept of tissue property filters (TPFs) by designing Multiplied, Added, Subtracted, and/or Divided Inversion Recovery (MASDIR) sequences to amplify contrast produced by small changes in white matter T1. The Divided, Subtracted IR (dSIR) sequence provides very high contrast depiction of subtle white matter changes due to disease that are not identified with standard T2-FLAIR imaging. This was demonstrated in patients with a history of methamphetamine addiction. MASDIR sequences could revolutionize the way that neuroinflammation is imaged in clinical practice.

View Presentation Video

Kai Zhao¹, Xiaoyue Ma¹, Ankang Gao¹, Eryuan Gao¹, Jinbo Qi¹, Peipei Wang¹, Guohua Zhao¹, Huiting Zhang², Guang Yang³, Jie Bai¹, Yong Zhang¹, and Jingliang Cheng^1
1Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, ²Magnetic Resonance Scientific Marketing, Siemens Healthineers Ltd., Wuhan, China, ³Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

Keywords: Tumors, Tumor, Inflammation Diffusion/Other Diffusion Imaging Techniques

Glioma Mimicking Encephalitis is difficult to be differentiated from Encephalitis by conventional MRI. In this study, 18 patients with diagnosed glioma and 15 patients with encephalitis were included. Their DWI images were processed to obtain the histogram of the parameter maps of DKI, DTI, NODDI, and MAP. We use lasso regression to fit the diagnostic models, and the diagnostic performance of different models were compared. We find no significant difference in the AUC between the single and combined diffusion lasso models. Any of the models could be individually used for differentiating glioma mimicking encephalitis from encephalitis.