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稳健超分辨率弥散加权MRI本研究的总体目标是显著提高出生前和出生后早期大脑经历其最快速形成性生长时正常和异常白色物质结构和神经连接的体内分析的技术和知识。弥散加权磁共振成像（DW-MRI或DWI）被认为是最有前途的工具之一，在体内分析的神经结构，然而，我们的能力，图像的胎儿和新生儿的大脑与这种技术是由几个限制，包括受试者的运动，有限的空间分辨率和几何失真。对胎儿和新生儿的运动鲁棒性高分辨率DWI成像有着迫切的需求。由于缺乏这种成像技术，我们对早期大脑生长和最常见的神经发育异常的理解在很大程度上限于死后（体外）研究的见解。该项目旨在通过开发一种创新的、运动鲁棒的、超分辨率的C。这涉及一种新方法的开发和评估，该方法建立在MRI物理学和先进的图像处理技术基础上，可校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结构。该项目的两个具体目标分别是：1）移动受试者（旨在改善新生儿DWI）和2）胎儿;并且旨在实现高分辨率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，尽管受试者移动。这一贡献是重要的，因为它1）尽管胎儿和母体运动间歇，仍能够实现胎儿脑中神经连接的体内高分辨率映射，2）通过补偿小的头部运动的运动稳健成像协议，显著地简化了新生儿和早产儿的研究MRI，3）减少了新生儿和不合作患者的临床MRI中对镇静和麻醉的需要，（4）同时校正运动和提高DWI的空间分辨率，从而导致在早期脑发育中的神经结构和连接的分析的显著改善。由于大脑无法自我修复和再生，因此在大脑发育的早期阶段进行干预至关重要。神经拯救干预措施的发展，如脑低温，已被证明可以减少由于出生窒息造成的脑损伤，高度依赖于准确的体内分析。同样，对神经发育中断或延迟（由于早产或先天性异常）的评估在很大程度上依赖于精确的体内分析。根据本申请提出的早期大脑发育的体内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.