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A comparative study of the sensitivity of diffusion-related parameters obtained from diffusion tensor imaging, diffusional kurtosis imaging, q-space analysis and bi-exponential modelling in the early disease course (24 h) of hyperacute (6 h) ischemic stroke patients

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Abstract

Objectives

To compare the sensitivity and early temporal changes of diffusion parameters obtained from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), q-space analysis (QSA) and bi-exponential modelling in hyperacute stroke patients.

Materials and methods

A single investigational acquisition allowing the four diffusion analyses was performed on seven hyperacute stroke patients with a 3T system. The percentage change between ipsi- and contralateral regions were compared at admission and 24 h later. Two out of the seven patients were imaged every 6 h during this period.

Results

Kurtoses from both DKI and QSA were the most sensitive of the tested diffusion parameters in the few hours following ischemia. An early increase–maximum–decrease pattern of evolution was highlighted during the 24-h period for all parameters proportional to diffusion coefficients. A similar pattern was observed for both kurtoses in only one of two patients.

Conclusion

Our comparison was performed using identical diffusion encoding timings and on patients in the same stage of their condition. Although preliminary, our findings confirm those of previous studies that showed enhanced sensitivity of kurtosis. A fine time mapping of diffusion metrics in hyperacute stroke patients was presented which advocates for further investigations on larger animal or human cohorts.

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Acknowledgements

Grant Support

This work was funded by the Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique of Belgium (FNRS-FWO). Grants number: FNRS 3.4.625.06.F

Authors’ contribution

Gaëtan Duchêne: data analysis, Frank Peeters: protocol development and data analysis, André Peeters: data collection, Thierry Duprez: data collection and project development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, Université Catholique de Louvain, 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Gaëtan Duchêne & Frank Peeters

  2. Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    André Peeters & Thierry Duprez

Authors
  1. Gaëtan Duchêne
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  2. Frank Peeters
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  3. André Peeters
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Correspondence to Gaëtan Duchêne.

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All the authors involved in the present study declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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All procedures performed in the present study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of our institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants—or their legal decision-maker substitutes—included in the present study.

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Duchêne, G., Peeters, F., Peeters, A. et al. A comparative study of the sensitivity of diffusion-related parameters obtained from diffusion tensor imaging, diffusional kurtosis imaging, q-space analysis and bi-exponential modelling in the early disease course (24 h) of hyperacute (6 h) ischemic stroke patients. Magn Reson Mater Phy 30, 375–385 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-017-0612-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-017-0612-5

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