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Open Access 01-12-2017 | Original Article

In vivo visualization of the locus coeruleus in humans: quantifying the test–retest reliability

Authors: Klodiana-Daphne Tona, Max C. Keuken, Mischa de Rover, Egbert Lakke, Birte U. Forstmann, Sander Nieuwenhuis, Matthias J. P. van Osch

Published in: Brain Structure and Function | Issue 9/2017

Abstract

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a brainstem nucleus involved in important cognitive functions. Recent developments in neuroimaging methods and scanning protocols have made it possible to visualize the human LC in vivo by utilizing a T₁-weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) scan. Despite its frequent use and its application as a biomarker for tracking the progress of monoaminergic-related neurodegenerative diseases, no study to date has investigated the reproducibility and inter-observer variability of LC identification using this TSE scan sequence. In this paper, we aim to quantify the test–retest reliability of LC imaging by assessing stability of the TSE contrast of the LC across two independent scan sessions and by quantifying the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the TSE scan. Additionally, we created a probabilistic LC atlas which can facilitate the spatial localization of the LC in standardized (MNI) space. Seventeen healthy volunteers participated in two scanning sessions with a mean intersession interval of 2.8 months. We found that for intra-rater reliability the mean Dice coefficient ranged between 0.65 and 0.74, and inter-rater reliability ranged between 0.54 and 0.64, showing moderate reproducibility. The mean LC contrast was 13.9% (SD 3.8) and showed scan–rescan stability (ROI approach: ICC = 0.63; maximum intensity approach: ICC = 0.53). We conclude that localization and segmentation of the LC in vivo are a challenging but reliable enterprise although clinical or longitudinal studies should be carried out carefully.

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Title: In vivo visualization of the locus coeruleus in humans: quantifying the test–retest reliability
Authors: Klodiana-Daphne Tona
Max C. Keuken
Mischa de Rover
Egbert Lakke
Birte U. Forstmann
Sander Nieuwenhuis
Matthias J. P. van Osch
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Brain Structure and Function / Issue 9/2017
Print ISSN: 1863-2653
Electronic ISSN: 1863-2661
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-017-1464-5

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