Motion-robust super-resolution diffusion weighted MRI of early brain development

描述（由申请人提供）：早期大脑发育的运动鲁棒超分辨率弥散加权MRI本研究的总体目标是显著提高大脑发育最快的出生前后正常和异常白质结构和神经连接的体内分析技术和知识。弥散加权磁共振成像（DW-MRI或DWI）被认为是最有前途的神经结构活体分析工具之一；然而，我们用这种技术成像胎儿和新生儿大脑的能力受到几个限制；包括主体运动、有限空间分辨率和几何畸变。对胎儿和新生儿的运动鲁棒性高分辨率DWI成像有迫切的需求。由于缺乏这样的成像技术，我们对早期大脑发育和最常见的神经发育异常的理解在很大程度上局限于死后（体外）研究的见解。该项目旨在通过开发一种创新的、运动鲁棒性的、超分辨率的c来填补这些空白。这涉及到一种新方法的开发和评估，该方法建立在MRI和先进的图像处理技术的物理基础上，该方法可以纠正运动并重建高分辨率DWI数据，以描绘小胎儿和新生儿大脑的神经微观结构。该项目的两个具体目标分别是1)移动受试者（旨在提高新生儿DWI）和2)胎儿；并旨在获得高分辨率分数各向异性图以及发育中的大脑神经纤维束的单张量和多张量模型，尽管受试者运动。这一贡献是重要的，因为它1)实现了胎儿大脑中神经连接的体内高分辨率映射，尽管胎儿和母亲间歇性运动，2)通过运动-鲁棒成像方案，补偿小的头部运动，显着简化了新生儿和早产儿的MRI研究，3)减少了新生儿和不合作患者的临床MRI对镇静和麻醉的需求。4)同时校正运动和提高DWI的空间分辨率，从而显著改善了早期大脑发育过程中神经结构和连通性的分析。因为大脑没有自我修复和再生的能力，所以在大脑发育的早期阶段进行干预是至关重要的。神经救援干预措施的发展高度依赖于准确的体内分析，例如脑低温，这种干预措施已被证明可以减少因出生窒息造成的脑损伤。同样，评估神经发育的中断或延迟（由于早产或先天性异常）在很大程度上依赖于精确的体内分析。在此应用下提出的早期大脑发育的体内分析对于实现这些研究目标至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Motion-robust super-resolution diffusion weighted MRI of early brain development The overall objective of this research is to dramatically improve technology and knowledge for in-vivo analysis of normal and abnormal white matter structure and neural connectivity before and early after birth when the brain undergoes its most rapid formative growth. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI or DWI) is considered one of the most promising tools for in-vivo analysis of neural structure; however, our ability to image the fetal and neonatal brain with this technique is constrained by several limitations; including subject motion, limited spatial resolution, and geometric distortion. There s a critical need for motion-robust high- resolution DWI imaging of fetuses and neonates. Due to the lack of such imaging technology, our understanding of early brain growth and the most commonly seen neurodevelopmental abnormalities is largely limited to insights from postmortem (in-vitro) studies. This project aims to fill these gaps through the development of an innovative, motion-robust, super-resolution, C. This involves the development and evaluation of a novel approach, built upon the physics of MRI and advanced image processing techniques, which corrects motion and reconstructs high-resolution DWI data to delineate the neural microstructure of the small fetal and neonatal brain. The two specific aims of this project target 1) moving subjects (aiming at improving neonatal DWI), and 2) fetuses, respectively; and aim at achieving high- resolution fractional anisotropy maps as well as single tensor and multi-tensor models of the neural fiber bundles in the developing brain despite subject movements. This contribution is important because it 1) enables in-vivo high-resolution mapping of the neural connectivity in fetal brain despite intermittent fetal and maternal motion, 2) significantly simpliies research MRI of neonates and preterm infants through a motion- robust imaging protocol that compensates for small head movements, 3) reduces the need for sedation and anesthesia in clinical MRI of neonates and non-cooperative patients, and 4) simultaneously corrects for motion and increases the spatial resolution of DWI, thus leads to dramatic improvements in the analysis of neural structure and connectivity in early brain development. Because the brain is incapable of self-repair and regeneration, interventions at early stages of brain growth are crucial. The development of neural rescue interventions, such as brain hypothermia, an intervention that has been shown to reduce brain damage due to birth asphyxia, is highly dependent upon accurate in-vivo analysis. Likewise, the evaluation of disruption or delay in neural development (due to premature birth or congenital anomalies) relies heavily on precise in-vivo analysis. The in-vivo analysis of early brain development proposed under this application is crucial to executing these research objectives.