Ken E. Sakaie1,
Mark J. Lowe1, Katherine Koenig1, Robert A. Bermel2,
Lael Stone2, Michael Phillips1
1Imaging
Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States; 2Mellen
Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, The Cleveland Clinic,
Cleveland, OH, United States
As the primary efferent of hippocampus, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of fornix has potential as a biomarker for memory-related cognitive decline. As commonly-used spatial resolution for DTI risks partial volume averaging with surrounding CSF spaces, increases in diffusivity associated with disease that simply result from atrophy may be misinterpreted as change in tissue integrity. Here, we examine the use of high spatial resolution DTI of fornix to avoid partial volume averaging. The results suggest that 1mm isotropic voxels are sufficient for characterizing fornix in healthy controls but may be inadequate in multiple sclerosis patients experiencing atrophy.