Miloš Keřkovský1,2, Josef Bednařík3,4, Barbora Jurová1, Ladislav Dušek5, Zdeněk Kadaňka3, Zdeněk Kadaňka3, Martin Němec3, Ivana Kovaľová3,4, Andrea Šprláková-Puková1,2, Marek Mechl1. 1. Department of Radiology, University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic. 2. Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 3. Department of Neurology, University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic. 4. Applied Neurosciences Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 5. Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has previously been used as a biomarker of myelopathy in patients with degenerative cervical cord compression (DCCC). However, many factors may affect the diffusion properties of the spinal cord. This prospective study seeks to identify sources of variability in spinal cord DTI parameters in both DCCC patients and healthy subjects. METHODS: The study group included 130 patients with DCCC confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and 71 control subjects without signs of DCCC. DTI data of the cervical spine were acquired in all subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured at different levels of the spinal cord (SCLs). Statistical data analysis was then used to determine diffusion parameters in terms of age, sex, SCL, and spinal cord compression. RESULTS: Significant variations in FA and ADC values emerged when several spinal cord levels were mutually compared in the control group. FA values correlated significantly with age in the DCCC group and sex had a significant influence on ADC values in both groups. The two diffusion parameters in the DCCC group differed significantly between patients with clinical signs of mild-to-moderate myelopathy compared with asymptomatic patients, and correlated with measurements of spinal canal morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion parameters of the cervical spinal cord were thus shown to respond significantly to spinal cord compression, but were subject to interaction with several other factors including sex, age, and SCL. These findings may be important to the interpretation of DTI measurements in individual patients.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has previously been used as a biomarker of myelopathy in patients with degenerative cervical cord compression (DCCC). However, many factors may affect the diffusion properties of the spinal cord. This prospective study seeks to identify sources of variability in spinal cord DTI parameters in both DCCCpatients and healthy subjects. METHODS: The study group included 130 patients with DCCC confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and 71 control subjects without signs of DCCC. DTI data of the cervical spine were acquired in all subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured at different levels of the spinal cord (SCLs). Statistical data analysis was then used to determine diffusion parameters in terms of age, sex, SCL, and spinal cord compression. RESULTS: Significant variations in FA and ADC values emerged when several spinal cord levels were mutually compared in the control group. FA values correlated significantly with age in the DCCC group and sex had a significant influence on ADC values in both groups. The two diffusion parameters in the DCCC group differed significantly between patients with clinical signs of mild-to-moderate myelopathy compared with asymptomatic patients, and correlated with measurements of spinal canal morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion parameters of the cervical spinal cord were thus shown to respond significantly to spinal cord compression, but were subject to interaction with several other factors including sex, age, and SCL. These findings may be important to the interpretation of DTI measurements in individual patients.
Authors: Jan Valošek; Petr Bednařík; Miloš Keřkovský; Petr Hluštík; Josef Bednařík; Alena Svatkova Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-04-20 Impact factor: 4.964
Authors: Allan R Martin; Benjamin De Leener; Julien Cohen-Adad; David W Cadotte; Aria Nouri; Jefferson R Wilson; Lindsay Tetreault; Adrian P Crawley; David J Mikulis; Howard Ginsberg; Michael G Fehlings Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2018-04-13 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: René Labounek; Jan Valošek; Tomáš Horák; Alena Svátková; Petr Bednařík; Lubomír Vojtíšek; Magda Horáková; Igor Nestrašil; Christophe Lenglet; Julien Cohen-Adad; Josef Bednařík; Petr Hluštík Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2020-10-16 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Allan R Martin; Lindsay Tetreault; Aria Nouri; Armin Curt; Patrick Freund; Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar; Jefferson R Wilson; Michael G Fehlings; Brian K Kwon; James S Harrop; Benjamin M Davies; Mark R N Kotter; James D Guest; Bizhan Aarabi; Shekar N Kurpad Journal: Global Spine J Date: 2021-11-19
Authors: Jan Valošek; René Labounek; Tomáš Horák; Magda Horáková; Petr Bednařík; Miloš Keřkovský; Jan Kočica; Tomáš Rohan; Christophe Lenglet; Julien Cohen-Adad; Petr Hluštík; Eva Vlčková; Zdeněk Kadaňka; Josef Bednařík; Alena Svatkova Journal: Eur J Neurol Date: 2021-08-04 Impact factor: 6.288