Heterogeneity of Fractional Anisotropy and Mean Diffusivity Measurements by In Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Normal Human Hearts

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heterogeneity of Fractional Anisotropy and Mean Diffusivity Measurements by In Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Normal Human Hearts

AU - McGill, Laura-Ann

AU - Scott, Andrew D.

AU - Ferreira, Pedro F.

AU - Nielles-Vallespin, Sonia

AU - Ismail, Tevfik

AU - Kilner, Philip J.

AU - Gatehouse, Peter D.

AU - de Silva, Ranil

AU - Prasad, Sanjay K.

AU - Giannakidis, Archontis

AU - Firmin, David N.

AU - Pennell, Dudley J.

PY - 2015/7/15

Y1 - 2015/7/15

N2 - Background Cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance has the potential to assess microstructural changes through measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). However, normal variation in regional and transmural FA and MD is not well described. Methods Twenty normal subjects were scanned using an optimised cDTI sequence at 3T in systole. FA and MD were quantified in 3 transmural layers and 4 regional myocardial walls. Results FA was higher in the mesocardium (0.46 ±0.04) than the endocardium (0.40 ±0.04, p≤0.001) and epicardium (0.39 ±0.04, p≤0.001). On regional analysis, the FA in the septum was greater than the lateral wall (0.44 ±0.03 vs 0.40 ±0.05 p = 0.04). There was a transmural gradient in MD increasing towards the endocardium (epicardium 0.87 ±0.07 vs endocardium 0.91 ±0.08×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.04). With the lateral wall (0.87 ± 0.08×10-3 mm2/s) as the reference, the MD was higher in the anterior wall (0.92 ±0.08×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.016) and septum (0.92 ±0.07×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.028). Transmurally the signal to noise ratio (SNR) was greatest in the mesocardium (14.5 ±2.5 vs endocardium 13.1 ±2.2, p

AB - Background Cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance has the potential to assess microstructural changes through measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). However, normal variation in regional and transmural FA and MD is not well described. Methods Twenty normal subjects were scanned using an optimised cDTI sequence at 3T in systole. FA and MD were quantified in 3 transmural layers and 4 regional myocardial walls. Results FA was higher in the mesocardium (0.46 ±0.04) than the endocardium (0.40 ±0.04, p≤0.001) and epicardium (0.39 ±0.04, p≤0.001). On regional analysis, the FA in the septum was greater than the lateral wall (0.44 ±0.03 vs 0.40 ±0.05 p = 0.04). There was a transmural gradient in MD increasing towards the endocardium (epicardium 0.87 ±0.07 vs endocardium 0.91 ±0.08×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.04). With the lateral wall (0.87 ± 0.08×10-3 mm2/s) as the reference, the MD was higher in the anterior wall (0.92 ±0.08×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.016) and septum (0.92 ±0.07×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.028). Transmurally the signal to noise ratio (SNR) was greatest in the mesocardium (14.5 ±2.5 vs endocardium 13.1 ±2.2, p

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0132360

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0132360

M3 - Article

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 10

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 7

M1 - e0132360

ER -