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Peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging (DTI): normal values and demographic determinants in a cohort of 60 healthy individuals

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Abstract

Objective

To identify demographic determinants of peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to establish normal values for fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and mean diffusivity (MD).

Methods

Sixty subjects were examined at 3 Tesla by single-shot DTI. FA, AD, RD, and MD were collected for the sciatic, tibial, median, ulnar, and radial nerve and were correlated with demographic variables.

Results

Mean FA of all nerves declined with increasing age (r = −0.77), which could be explained by RD increasing (r = 0.56) and AD declining (r = −0.40) with age. Moreover, FA was inversely associated with height (r = −0.28), weight (r = −0.38) and BMI (r = −0.35). Although FA tended to be lower in men than women (p = 0.052), this difference became completely negligible after adjustment to body weight. A multiple linear regression model for FA was calculated with age and weight as predictors (defined by backward variable selection), yielding an R 2 = 0.71 and providing a correction formula to adjust FA for age and weight.

Conclusion

Peripheral nerve DTI parameters depend on demographic variables. The most important determinants age and weight should be considered in all studies employing peripheral nerve DTI.

Key points

• Peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters depend on demographic variables.

• Fractional anisotropy (FA) declines with increasing age and weight.

• Gender does not systematically affect peripheral nerve DTI.

• The formula presented here allows adjustment of FA for demographic variables.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Thorsten Feiweier from Siemens Healthcare for providing the work-in-progress package which included the DTI sequence that we used for imaging. This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 1118).

Funding

S.H. and M.B. were supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (SFB 1118).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Moritz Kronlage, Véronique Schwehr, Daniel Schwarz, Tim Godel, Sabine Heiland, Martin Bendszus & Philipp Bäumer

  2. Institute for medical biometry and informatics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

    Lorenz Uhlmann

  3. Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

    Philipp Bäumer

Authors
  1. Moritz Kronlage
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  2. Véronique Schwehr
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  3. Daniel Schwarz
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  4. Tim Godel
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  5. Lorenz Uhlmann
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  6. Sabine Heiland
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  7. Martin Bendszus
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  8. Philipp Bäumer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Moritz Kronlage.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Dr. Moritz Kronlage.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

One of the authors (Dr. Lorenz Uhlmann) has significant statistical expertise.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study.

Ethical approval

Institutional review board approval was obtained.

Study subjects or cohorts overlap

Normal values of nerve calibre and T2 relaxometry in the same cohort were published separately in               Kronlage M, Schwehr V, Schwarz D et al (2017) Normal Values and Demographic Determinants of Nerve Caliber and T2 Relaxometry in 60 healthy individuals. Clin Neuroradiol. [Epub ahead of print]                         Eighteen of 60 subjects were used in a control group for

1. Kronlage M, Pitarokoili K, Schwarz D et al (2017) Diffusion tensor imaging in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: diagnostic accuracy and correlation with electrophysiology. Invest Radiol 52:701–7

2. Kronlage M, Baumer P, Pitarokoili K et al (2017) Large coverage MR neurography in CIDP: diagnostic accuracy and electrophysiological correlation. J Neurol 264:1434–43

Methodology

• prospective

• cross-sectional study/observational

• performed at one institution

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Kronlage, M., Schwehr, V., Schwarz, D. et al. Peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging (DTI): normal values and demographic determinants in a cohort of 60 healthy individuals. Eur Radiol 28, 1801–1808 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5134-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5134-z

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