Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography in XXXX : preliminary results.

@entity1 @entity602 @entity1745
OBJECTIVE: To assess diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in @entity1745 ( @entity1745 ) @entity1 compared to normal volunteers, to relate them with @entity602 severity, and to relate tractography patterns with postoperative neurologic improvement. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty @entity1 suffering from @entity1745 were prospectively enrolled (M:F   =   13:7, mean age, 49.6  years; range 22-67  years) from September 2009 to March 2010. Sensitivity encoding (SENSE) single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) was used for the sagittal DTI. Twenty sex- and age-matched normal volunteers underwent the same scanning procedure. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the spinal cord were compared between the @entity1 and normal volunteers and were related to @entity602 severity based on Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores. Tractography patterns were related to @entity602 severity and postoperative improvement. RESULTS: There were significant differences between @entity1 and normal volunteers in terms of FA (0.498        0.114 vs. 0.604        0.057; p   =   0.001) and ADC (1.442        0.389 vs. 1.169        0.098; p   =   0.001). DTI parameters and tractography patterns were not related to @entity602 severity. In ten @entity1 in the neurologically worse group, postoperative neurologic improvement was seen in four of five @entity1 with intact fiber tracts, but only one of five @entity1 with interrupted fiber tracts exhibited neurologic improvement. CONCLUSION: DTI parameters in @entity1745 @entity1 were significantly different from those in normal volunteers but were not significantly related to @entity602 severity. The patterns of tractography appear to correlate with postoperative neurologic improvement.
