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

描述(申请人提供)：运动健壮的超分辨率弥散加权磁共振早期大脑发育这项研究的总体目标是大幅提高技术和知识，以便在出生前和出生后大脑经历最快速形成性生长的早期对正常和异常的脑白质结构和神经连接进行体内分析。弥散加权磁共振成像(DW-MRI或DWI)被认为是在体内分析神经结构的最有前途的工具之一；然而，我们使用该技术成像胎儿和新生儿大脑的能力受到一些限制，包括受试者运动、有限的空间分辨率和几何失真。在那里，S迫切需要对胎儿和新生儿进行运动稳健的高分辨率弥散加权成像。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了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、运动健壮的超分辨率C来填补这些空白。这涉及到开发和评估一种新的方法，该方法建立在MRI物理学和先进图像处理技术的基础上，可以校正运动并重建高分辨率的DWI数据，以描绘小胎儿和新生儿大脑的神经微结构。该项目的两个具体目标分别针对1)移动的受试者(旨在改善新生儿的DWI)和2)胎儿；以及目标是在受试者移动的情况下实现高分辨率的分数各向异性图以及发育中大脑中神经纤维束的单张量和多张量模型。这一贡献之所以重要，是因为它1)能够在体内高分辨率地映射胎儿和母亲的间歇性运动，2)通过补偿小头运动的运动稳健成像协议显著简化新生儿和早产儿的MRI研究，3)减少新生儿和不合作患者的临床MRI对镇静和麻醉的需求，4)同时校正运动并提高DWI的空间分辨率，从而在早期脑发育的神经结构和连通性的分析中显著改进。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，如脑低温，一种已被证明可减少因出生窒息而造成的脑损伤的干预措施的发展，高度依赖于准确的体内分析。同样，对神经发育中断或延迟(由于早产或先天畸形)的评估在很大程度上依赖于精确的体内分析。在这一应用下提出的对早期大脑发育的活体分析对于执行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.