Quantitative evaluation of microscopic injury with diffusion tensor imaging in a rat model of diffuse axonal injury

摘要: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is the predominant effect of severe traumatic brain and contributes significantly to neurological deficits. However, it difficult diagnose or characterize non-invasively with conventional imaging. Our study provides significant validation a visual statistical diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique as compared pathological electron microscopic in rat DAI model at multiple predilection sites time points following trauma. Two DTI parameters, fractional anisotropy (FA) axial diffusivity (AD), were reduced from 12 h 5 days post-trauma, corresponding injury. At 7 FA remained decreased, whereas AD pseudo-normalized radial increased. The temporal alterations parameters observed sites, extent changes these correlated severity histologically visualized injury, assessed by integrated optical density immunochemically stained injured axons quantitative stereology. Although anatomical T2-weighted magnetic resonance images showed no abnormal signals lesions, we detected characterized directly each point. These results demonstrate that has potential non-invasive tool which quantitatively evaluate microstructural experimental clinical assessment DAI. This method can assist accurate evaluation detection foci, determination approximate monitoring pathogenic condition early post-injury stage.