Diffusion tensor imaging of peripheral nerves in non-fixed post-mortem subjects
Diffusion tensor imaging of peripheral nerves in non-fixed post-mortem subjects
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DOI：
10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.04.001
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发表时间：
2016-06-01
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
Boel, Lene Warner Thorup
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Haakma, Wieke;Pedersen, Michael;Boel, Lene Warner Thorup
目的：虽然标准磁共振成像（MRI）序列越来越多地用于尸检（PM）检查，但更先进的技术，如弥散张量成像（DTI）在法医科学中仍未被探索。因此，我们研究了DTI和纤维束成像（FT）在非固定PM受试者中的时间稳定性和再现性。此外，我们用PMDTI研究了腰骶神经，并将其组织特征与体内结果进行了比较。方法：在1.5 T MRI扫描仪上获取7例PM患者的MRI数据，其中包括6例非创伤死亡和1例慢性创伤死亡，以及6例活着的受试者。采用Bland-Altman和Jones图对腰骶神经的扩散参数、分数各向异性（FA）和平均扩散率（MD）的扫描间（一个疗程内）和疗程间（几天之间）的再现性进行评估。采用非参数Mann-Whitney U检验比较L3-S2神经的扩散参数。结果：扫描间扩散值的重复性95%一致限范围为FA -0.058 ~ 0.062, MD -0.037 ~ 0.052 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s。扫描间扩散值分别为FA -0.0423 ~ 0.0423， FA和MD （-0.0442 ~ 0.0442） × 10(-3) mm(2)/s。虽然PM受试者的扩散系数值比活体受试者低约四倍，但FT结果是可比的。慢性创伤病例表现为神经紊乱和不对称。结论：我们证明了DTI在表征神经组织特性方面具有可重复性，FT在重建PM受试者腰骶神经结构方面具有可重复性。我们展示了PM和体内弥散值的差异，并展示了PMDTI和FT在慢性创伤病例中重建神经病变的能力。我们期望PMDTI和FT在法医科学中鉴定和记录PM神经创伤或病理方面具有价值。2016爱思唯尔爱尔兰有限公司版权所有。
Purpose: While standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are increasingly employed in post-mortem (PM) examinations, more advanced techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) remain unexplored in forensic sciences. Therefore, we studied the temporal stability and reproducibility of DTI and fiber tractography (FT) in non-fixed PM subjects. In addition, we investigated the lumbosacral nerves with PMDTI and compared their tissue characteristics to in vivo findings.Methods: MRI data were acquired on a 1.5 T MRI scanner in seven PM subjects, consisting of six nontrauma deaths and one chronic trauma death, and in six living subjects. Inter-scan (within one session) and inter-session (between days) reproducibility of diffusion parameters, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD), were evaluated for the lumbosacral nerves using Bland-Altman and Jones plots. Diffusion parameters in nerves L3-S2 were compared to living subjects using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Reproducibility of diffusion values of inter-scan 95% limits of agreement ranged from -0.058 to 0.062 for FA, and (-0.037 to 0.052) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for MD. For the inter-session this was -0.0423 to 0.0423, and (-0.0442 to 0.0442) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for FA, and MD, respectively. Although PM subjects showed approximately four-fold lower diffusivity values compared to living subjects, FT results were comparable. The chronic trauma case showed disorganization and asymmetry of the nerves.Conclusion: We demonstrated that DTI was reproducible in characterizing nervous tissue properties and FT in reconstructing the architecture of lumbosacral nerves in PM subjects. We showed differences in diffusion values between PM and in vivo and showed the ability of PMDTI and FT to reconstruct nerve lesions in a chronic trauma case. We expect that PMDTI and FT may become valuable in identification and documentation of PM nerve trauma or pathologies in forensic sciences. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.