Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation
The standard diffusion MRI model with intra- and extra-axonal water pools offers a set of microstructural parameters describing brain white matter architecture. However, non-linearities in the standard model and diffusion data contamination by noise and imaging artefacts make estimation of diffusion...
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939388923000855 |
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| author | Ivan I. Maximov Lars T. Westlye |
| author_facet | Ivan I. Maximov Lars T. Westlye |
| author_sort | Ivan I. Maximov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The standard diffusion MRI model with intra- and extra-axonal water pools offers a set of microstructural parameters describing brain white matter architecture. However, non-linearities in the standard model and diffusion data contamination by noise and imaging artefacts make estimation of diffusion metrics challenging. In order to develop reliable diffusion approaches and to avoid computational model degeneracy, additional theoretical assumptions allowing stable numerical implementations are required. Advanced diffusion approaches allow for estimation of intra-axonal water fraction (AWF), describing a key structural characteristic of brain tissue. AWF can be interpreted as an indirect measure or proxy of neurite density and has a potential as useful clinical biomarker. Established diffusion approaches such as white matter tract integrity, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and spherical mean technique provide estimates of AWF within their respective theoretical frameworks. In the present study, we estimated AWF metrics using different diffusion approaches and compared measures of brain asymmetry between the different metrics in a sub-sample of 182 subjects from the UK Biobank. Multivariate decomposition by mean of linked independent component analysis revealed that the various AWF proxies derived from the different diffusion approaches reflect partly non-overlapping variance of independent components, with distinct anatomical distributions and sensitivity to age. Further, voxel-wise analysis revealed age-related differences in AWF-based brain asymmetry, indicating less apparent left-right hemisphere difference with higher age. Finally, we demonstrated that NODDI metrics suffer from a quite strong dependence on used numerical algorithms and post-processing pipeline. The analysis based on AWF metrics strongly depends on the used diffusion approach and leads to poorly reproducible results. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a2d0f25402d4e8fa7093b5552ff8682 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0939-3889 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a2d0f25402d4e8fa7093b5552ff86822025-08-20T03:08:24ZengElsevierZeitschrift für Medizinische Physik0939-38892025-05-0135217719210.1016/j.zemedi.2023.07.003Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluationIvan I. Maximov0Lars T. Westlye1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway; Corresponding author: Ivan I. Maximov, Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway.Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; KG Jensen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayThe standard diffusion MRI model with intra- and extra-axonal water pools offers a set of microstructural parameters describing brain white matter architecture. However, non-linearities in the standard model and diffusion data contamination by noise and imaging artefacts make estimation of diffusion metrics challenging. In order to develop reliable diffusion approaches and to avoid computational model degeneracy, additional theoretical assumptions allowing stable numerical implementations are required. Advanced diffusion approaches allow for estimation of intra-axonal water fraction (AWF), describing a key structural characteristic of brain tissue. AWF can be interpreted as an indirect measure or proxy of neurite density and has a potential as useful clinical biomarker. Established diffusion approaches such as white matter tract integrity, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and spherical mean technique provide estimates of AWF within their respective theoretical frameworks. In the present study, we estimated AWF metrics using different diffusion approaches and compared measures of brain asymmetry between the different metrics in a sub-sample of 182 subjects from the UK Biobank. Multivariate decomposition by mean of linked independent component analysis revealed that the various AWF proxies derived from the different diffusion approaches reflect partly non-overlapping variance of independent components, with distinct anatomical distributions and sensitivity to age. Further, voxel-wise analysis revealed age-related differences in AWF-based brain asymmetry, indicating less apparent left-right hemisphere difference with higher age. Finally, we demonstrated that NODDI metrics suffer from a quite strong dependence on used numerical algorithms and post-processing pipeline. The analysis based on AWF metrics strongly depends on the used diffusion approach and leads to poorly reproducible results.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939388923000855Diffusion MRIUK BiobankAxonal water fractionBrain asymmetry |
| spellingShingle | Ivan I. Maximov Lars T. Westlye Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik Diffusion MRI UK Biobank Axonal water fraction Brain asymmetry |
| title | Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| title_full | Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| title_short | Comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| title_sort | comparison of different neurite density metrics with brain asymmetry evaluation |
| topic | Diffusion MRI UK Biobank Axonal water fraction Brain asymmetry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939388923000855 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ivanimaximov comparisonofdifferentneuritedensitymetricswithbrainasymmetryevaluation AT larstwestlye comparisonofdifferentneuritedensitymetricswithbrainasymmetryevaluation |