Chiou S Y, Hellyer P J, Sharp D J, Newbould R D, Patel M C, Strutton P H
The Nick Davey Laboratory, Division of Surgery, Human Performance Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Neuroradiology. 2017 Sep;59(9):893-903. doi: 10.1007/s00234-017-1869-0. Epub 2017 Jul 25.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has shown promise in the measurement of peripheral nerve integrity, although the optimal way to apply the technique for the study of lumbar spinal nerves is unclear. The aims of this study are to use an improved DTI acquisition to investigate lumbar nerve root integrity and correlate this with functional measures using neurophysiology.
Twenty healthy volunteers underwent 3 T DTI of the L5/S1 area. Regions of interest were applied to L5 and S1 nerve roots, and DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy, mean, axial and radial diffusivity) were derived. Neurophysiological measures were obtained from muscles innervated by L5/S1 nerves; these included the slope of motor-evoked potential input-output curves, F-wave latency, maximal motor response, and central and peripheral motor conduction times.
DTI metrics were similar between the left and right sides and between vertebral levels. Conversely, significant differences in DTI measures were seen along the course of the nerves. Regression analyses revealed that DTI metrics of the L5 nerve correlated with neurophysiological measures from the muscle innervated by it.
The current findings suggest that DTI has the potential to be used for assessing lumbar spinal nerve integrity and that parameters derived from DTI provide quantitative information which reflects their function.
扩散张量成像（DTI）在测量周围神经完整性方面已显示出前景，尽管将该技术应用于腰段脊神经研究的最佳方法尚不清楚。本研究的目的是使用改进的DTI采集方法来研究腰神经根的完整性，并将其与使用神经生理学的功能测量结果相关联。
20名健康志愿者接受了L5/S1区域的3T DTI检查。将感兴趣区域应用于L5和S1神经根，并得出DTI指标（分数各向异性、平均值、轴向和径向扩散率）。从L5/S1神经支配的肌肉中获得神经生理学测量结果；这些包括运动诱发电位输入-输出曲线的斜率、F波潜伏期、最大运动反应以及中枢和外周运动传导时间。
DTI指标在左右两侧以及不同椎体水平之间相似。相反，在神经走行过程中DTI测量结果存在显著差异。回归分析显示，L5神经的DTI指标与其支配肌肉的神经生理学测量结果相关。
目前的研究结果表明，DTI有潜力用于评估腰段脊神经的完整性，并且从DTI得出的参数提供了反映其功能的定量信息。
