Radiation induced brain injury: assessment of white matter tracts in a pre-clinical animal model using diffusion tensor MR imaging.

摘要: We aim to study radiation induced white matter injury in a pre-clinical model using Diffusion tensor MR imaging (DTI). Nineteen 12-week old Sprague–Dawley rats were irradiated the right hemisphere linear accelerator. The dose distribution map was coregistered DTI generate actual each tract. Rats underwent longitudinal scans at five time points from 4 48 weeks post-radiation with histological evaluations. Fractional anisotropy (FA) of external capsule, fornix, cerebral peduncle, anterior commissure, optic tract and nerve evaluated. Radiation highest ipsilateral capsule fornix (29.4 ± 1.3 29.8 ± 1.1 Gy, respectively). Optic received 50 % other tracts 80 % dose. Significantly lower FA firstly found 4 weeks 40 weeks compared contralateral side. despite nerves receiving higher than (p = 0.021). No differences regions until 48 weeks. Histology indicated demyelination, axonal degeneration coagulative necrosis all injured matter. can serve as promising tool for assessment regional radiosensitivity tracts.