A New Method for Assessing Tissue Alignment using Clinical MRI in Multiple Sclerosis
Abstract
Changes in the alignment of white matter tracts are common in many neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently advanced MRI methods including diffusion-weighted imaging is the mainstay in assessing tissue coherency and anisotropy. In this thesis, I have implemented and verified a novel image-processing method for this purpose using conventional MRI. This is done based on Fourier transform power spectrum. Outcomes were evaluated in 3 steps: 1) testing feasibility using brain areas with highly aligned nerve fiber tracks in T2- weighted MRI; 2) confirming pathological relevance using postmortem brain sample; and 3) assessing utility by comparing with diffusion tensor imaging. To improve the accuracy of comparison with pathology, I have also conducted quantitative histology besides traditional analysis of the staining density of myelin and axons. The results suggest that advanced analysis of clinical MRI may provide valuable information as powerful as advanced MRI to enhance the measurement of tissue property.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Biomedical
Citation
Sharma, S. (2017). A New Method for Assessing Tissue Alignment using Clinical MRI in Multiple Sclerosis (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24869