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Pathological correlates of magnetic resonance imaging texture heterogeneity in multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Zhang Yunyan,
Moore G. R. Wayne,
Laule Cornelia,
Bjarnason Thorarin A.,
Kozlowski Piotr,
Traboulsee Anthony,
Li David K. B.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.23867
Subject(s) - pathological , magnetic resonance imaging , multiple sclerosis , nuclear magnetic resonance , functional magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , texture (cosmology) , neuroscience , pathology , psychology , radiology , physics , computer science , artificial intelligence , immunology , image (mathematics)
Objective To analyze the texture of T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of postmortem multiple sclerosis (MS) brain, and to determine whether and how MRI texture correlates with tissue pathology. Methods Ten brain samples from 3 subjects with MS were examined. Areas of complete, partial, or no loss of Luxol fast blue (myelin) and Bielschowsky (axons) staining were marked on histological images, and matched on corresponding MRI as lesions, diffusely abnormal white matter (DAWM), and normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM). The number of CD45 + cells (inflammation) was also counted. MRI texture was computed using polar Stockwell transform and compared to histology. Results Thirty‐four lesions, 17 DAWM regions, and 36 NAWM regions were identified. After mixed effects modeling, MRI texture heterogeneity was greater in lesions than in DAWM ( p < 0.001) and NAWM ( p < 0.001), and was greater in DAWM than in NAWM ( p < 0.001); the number of CD45 + cells was greater in both lesions ( p < 0.001) and DAWM ( p = 0.005) than in NAWM. In MRI, a gradient of texture heterogeneity was detected in lesions, with gradual tapering toward perilesional NAWM. Moreover, besides univariate correlation with histological markers, texture heterogeneity correlated independently with normalized myelin density ( p < 0.01) when random effects were considered. Within sample, MRI texture correlated with myelin and axonal density in 7 of 10 samples ( p < 0.01). Interpretation Texture analysis performed on routine clinical magnetic resonance images may be a potential measure of tissue integrity. Tissues with more severe myelin and axonal pathology are associated with greater texture heterogeneity. Ann Neurol 2013;74:91–99