<p>Neurite orientation and dispersion density imaging: clinical utility, efficacy, and role in therapy</p>

Abstract

In the field of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for neuroimaging, white matter tracts have traditionally been analyzed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, such as fractional anisotropy. However, recent advances in diffusion MRI have provided further information on brain microstructures using multi-shell protocols of diffusion MRI. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) is one such emerging advanced diffusion MRI method that enables investigation of the neurite density and neurite orientation dispersion of brain microstructures. NODDI was developed as a practical and clinically feasible diffusion MRI technique to evaluate the microstructural complexity of dendrites and axons. This review shed light on recent studies on the use of NODDI in human brain. Indeed, a growing number of studies are using NODDI to examine neurological and psychiatric disorders, with most reporting its clinical utility. The time has thus come, for us to seriously consider the clinical use of NODDI.

Longitudinal Reproducibility of Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) Derived Metrics in the White Matter

“…The key parameters to emerge from this model are the neurite density index (NDI), a measure of axonal or neurite packing density, and the orientation dispersion index (ODI), a measure representing geometric complexity (angular variation) of neurite orientation and therefore reflecting tract disorganisation (Zhang et al, 2012). Importantly, these novel indices of brain microstructure were found to be associated with changes typically observed in neurodegeneration (reviewed by Lakhani et al, 2020;Sone, 2019) and were also validated against histological counterparts (Grussu et al, 2017;Jespersen et al, 2010;Mollink et al, 2017;Schilling et al, 2018;Sepehrband et al, 2015;Wang et al, 2019). Therefore, NODDI has potential to characterize the biological mechanisms underlying group differences, brain-behavior-correlations, or brain changes over time in unprecedented biological plausibility.…”

Association between neurite metrics and tau/inflammatory pathology in Alzheimer's disease

“…Recently, to address some limitations of conventional DTI, advanced diffusion MRI techniques have been demonstrated to contribute to evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases 12 . Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) enables us to investigate the microstructural complexity of neurites in considerable detail, 13 and is being applied increasingly to neurological and psychiatric diseases 14 . In AD, reduced neurite density and orientation dispersion have been found in both gray and white matter 15,16 .…”

Making the Invisible Visible: Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques in Focal Epilepsy

“…The progress in diffusion MRI has been an emerging topic in the field of neurology and psychiatry. Particularly, multi-shell protocols of diffusion MRI, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), q-space imaging (QSI), restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have provided further information on brain microstructures ( Cohen and Assaf, 2002 ; Jensen et al, 2005 ; White et al, 2013 ; Sone, 2019 ). In the field of epilepsy, NODDI and RSI have been repeatedly reported for their usefulness ( Winston et al, 2014 ; Loi et al, 2016 ; Reyes et al, 2018 ; Rostampour et al, 2018 ; Sone et al, 2018 ; Lorio et al, 2020 ; Winston et al, 2020 ; Shao et al, 2021 ).…”