The Myelin Water Fraction Serves as a Marker for Age-Related Myelin Alterations in the Cerebral White Matter – A Multiparametric MRI Aging Study

Faizy, Tobias D.; Thaler, Christian J.; Broocks, Gabriel; Flottmann, Fabian; Leischner, Hannes; Kniep, Helge; Nawabi, Jawed; Schön, Gerhard; Stellmann, Jan‐Patrick; Kemmling, André; Reddy, Ravinder; Heit, Jeremy J; Fiehler, Jens; Kumar, Dushyant; Hanning, Uta

doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00136

Cited by 54 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…MWF corresponds to the fraction of water trapped by the myelin lipid bilayer ( MacKay et al, 1994 ; Whittall et al, 1997 ; Deoni et al, 2012 ; MacKay and Laule, 2016 ) and allows for quantitative assessment of changes in fiber myelination ( Deoni et al, 2011 , 2012 ; Morris et al, 2020 ). MWI uses multi-exponential T 2 relaxation data acquired with a multi-echo Gradient and Spin Echo sequence ( MacKay and Laule, 2016 ; Faizy et al, 2020 ; Morris et al, 2020 ). The transverse relaxation time (T 2 , spin-spin relaxation time) determines the decay of transverse magnetization – the rate at which the spinning protons go out of phase with each other, i.e., lose phase coherence among the nuclei spinning perpendicularly to the main magnetic field B0.…”

Section: Methods For Assessing Myelinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As evidenced by developmental studies, changes in MWF usually show quadratic association with age, as has also been indicated in postmortem studies ( Arshad et al, 2016 ). Although DTI does show sensitivity to age-related changes in the cerebral WM, it may not be specific to myelin content ( Jones et al, 2013a ; Faizy et al, 2020 ). DTI metrics are significantly influenced by fiber density and orientation, as well as spatial organization (i.e., packing and crossing) and number of axons, whereas MWF reflects more closely myelin content, a hypothesis that has been validated histologically ( Morris et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Methods For Assessing Myelinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cerebral White Matter Myelination and Relations to Age, Gender, and Cognition: A Selective Review

Buyanova

Arsalidou

2021

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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White matter makes up about fifty percent of the human brain. Maturation of white matter accompanies biological development and undergoes the most dramatic changes during childhood and adolescence. Despite the advances in neuroimaging techniques, controversy concerning spatial, and temporal patterns of myelination, as well as the degree to which the microstructural characteristics of white matter can vary in a healthy brain as a function of age, gender and cognitive abilities still exists. In a selective review we describe methods of assessing myelination and evaluate effects of age and gender in nine major fiber tracts, highlighting their role in higher-order cognitive functions. Our findings suggests that myelination indices vary by age, fiber tract, and hemisphere. Effects of gender were also identified, although some attribute differences to methodological factors or social and learning opportunities. Findings point to further directions of research that will improve our understanding of the complex myelination-behavior relation across development that may have implications for educational and clinical practice.

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Section: Methods For Assessing Myelinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methods For Assessing Myelinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cerebral White Matter Myelination and Relations to Age, Gender, and Cognition: A Selective Review

Buyanova

Arsalidou

2021

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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“…71,72 In normal healthy white matter MWF declines with age, starting approximately from the fourth decade of life. 73,74 A decline in MWF has also been reported in diseases affecting the cerebral white matter such as MS, neuromyelitis optica, schizophrenia, and stroke. 72 Furthermore, MWF correlates with radial diffusivity (DTI measure for myelin content) and not with FA or mean diffusivity (DTI measures for axonal damage).…”

Section: Myelin Water Fraction Imagingmentioning

confidence: 98%

Imaging in X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

et al. 2021

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for the detection of cerebral lesions in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). ALD is one of the most common peroxisomal disorders and is characterized by a defect in degradation of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), resulting in accumulation of VLCFA in plasma and tissues. The clinical spectrum of ALD is wide and includes adrenocortical insufficiency, a slowly progressive myelopathy in adulthood, and cerebral demyelination in a subset of male patients. Cerebral demyelination (cerebral ALD) can be treated with hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) but only in an early (pre- or early symptomatic) stage and therefore active MRI surveillance is recommended for male patients, both pediatric and adult. Although structural MRI of the brain can detect the presence and extent of cerebral lesions, it does not predict if and when cerebral demyelination will occur. There is a great need for imaging techniques that predict onset of cerebral ALD before lesions appear. Also, imaging markers for severity of myelopathy as surrogate outcome measure in clinical trials would facilitate drug development. New quantitative MRI techniques are promising in that respect. This review focuses on structural and quantitative imaging techniques—including magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, MR perfusion imaging, magnetization transfer (MT) imaging, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and myelin water fraction imaging—used in ALD and their role in clinical practice and research opportunities for the future.

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“…Recent studies specifically examining these regions are reporting similar results. Advanced T 2 imaging techniques, such as multi‐component T 2 imaging, can yield the myelin water fraction parameter, 115 which has been shown to decrease with age in recent studies 116,117 . However, some confounds remain in myelin water fraction imaging, such as the fiber orientation to the main magnetic field, 118 and strategies for their correction continue to evolve 119…”

Section: Mr Parameter Changes With Agementioning

confidence: 99%

MRI of healthy brain aging: A review

MacDonald

Pike

2021

NMR in Biomedicine

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We present a review of the characterization of healthy brain aging using MRI with an emphasis on morphology, lesions, and quantitative MR parameters. A scope review found 6612 articles encompassing the keywords “Brain Aging” and “Magnetic Resonance”; papers involving functional MRI or not involving imaging of healthy human brain aging were discarded, leaving 2246 articles. We first consider some of the biogerontological mechanisms of aging, and the consequences of aging in terms of cognition and onset of disease. Morphological changes with aging are reviewed for the whole brain, cerebral cortex, white matter, subcortical gray matter, and other individual structures. In general, volume and cortical thickness decline with age, beginning in mid‐life. Prevalent silent lesions such as white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and lacunar infarcts are also observed with increasing frequency. The literature regarding quantitative MR parameter changes includes T1, T2, T2*, magnetic susceptibility, spectroscopy, magnetization transfer, diffusion, and blood flow. We summarize the findings on how each of these parameters varies with aging. Finally, we examine how the aforementioned techniques have been used for age prediction. While relatively large in scope, we present a comprehensive review that should provide the reader with sound understanding of what MRI has been able to tell us about how the healthy brain ages.

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The Myelin Water Fraction Serves as a Marker for Age-Related Myelin Alterations in the Cerebral White Matter – A Multiparametric MRI Aging Study

Cited by 54 publications

References 49 publications

Cerebral White Matter Myelination and Relations to Age, Gender, and Cognition: A Selective Review

Cerebral White Matter Myelination and Relations to Age, Gender, and Cognition: A Selective Review

Imaging in X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

MRI of healthy brain aging: A review

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