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Reproducibility of Tract-based and Region-of-Interest DTI Analysis of Long Association Tracts

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Abstract

Purpose

Reproducibility of two different methods for quantifying fiber tracts by using a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequence suitable for clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols was evaluated.

Methods

DTI of 15 subjects was used to analyze intra-rater and inter-rater reproducibility. Another 10 subjects underwent MRI twice for assessment of between-scan reliability. Ten long association tracts were defined by fiber tracking using inclusion and exclusion regions of interest (ROIs). Whole-tract analysis and tractography-based core analysis were performed, and the effect of fractional anisotropy (FA 0.15/0.30) and turning angle threshold (27°/60°) on reproducibility was evaluated. Additionally, ROI measurements were performed in the core of the tracts.

Results

For the tract-based methods, intra-rater and inter-rater reliabilities of FA and mean diffusivity (MD) measurements were excellent. Between-scan reproducibility was good or excellent in 127 of 130 of the measurements. There was no systematic difference in the reproducibility of the FA, MD, and volume measurements depending on the FA or turning angle threshold. For the cross-sectional ROI measurements, reliability showed large variation from poor to excellent depending on the tract.

Conclusions

Compared with the commonly used cross-sectional core ROI method, the tract-based analyses seem to be a more robust way to identify and measure white matter tracts of interest, and provide a novel reproducible tool to perform core analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Helsinki University Hospital, PL 340, 00029, HUS, Finland

    N. Brandstack MD, PhD

  2. Department of Radiology, Terveystalo Turku Pulssi Medical Centre, Turku, Finland

    T. Kurki MD, PhD

  3. Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, PL 52, 20521, Turku, Finland

    J. Laalo MD

  4. Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    T. Kauko MSc

  5. Department of Neurology, Turku University Hospital, PL 52, 20521, Turku, Finland

    O. Tenovuo MD, PhD

Authors
  1. N. Brandstack MD, PhD
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  2. T. Kurki MD, PhD
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  3. J. Laalo MD
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  4. T. Kauko MSc
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  5. O. Tenovuo MD, PhD
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Correspondence to N. Brandstack MD, PhD.

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Brandstack, N., Kurki, T., Laalo, J. et al. Reproducibility of Tract-based and Region-of-Interest DTI Analysis of Long Association Tracts. Clin Neuroradiol 26, 199–208 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-014-0349-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-014-0349-8

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