This research demonstrates how diffusion MRI detects spinal cord damage in non-human primates following dorsal column lesion and sensory nerve root injury.
Motivation: Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers specific metrics for assessing post-injury structural changes in the spinal cord. Goal(s): This study aims to detect regional alterations in the spinal cord of non-human primates after unilateral dorsal column lesion (DCL) and dorsal sensory root lesion (DSRL) at the cervical level. Approach: Both NODDI and DTI measures were quantified and compared for assessing changes in different injury models. Results: Findings show secondary injury in both models, with DCL affecting more regions than DSRL. NODDI metrics confirm cyst formation and detect subtle changes in the dorsal root entry zone. Impact: Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) offers specific and sensitive metrics to assess early spinal cord structural changes post-injury. NODDI detects cysts after dorsal column lesion and subtle alterations in the dorsal root entry zone after sensory root injury.
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Wang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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