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BMC Neurology

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01-12-2020 | Motor Evoked Potential | Research article

Diffusion tensor imaging and electrophysiology as robust assays to evaluate the severity of acute spinal cord injury in rats

Authors: Beike Chen, Qiang Tan, Weikang Zhao, Qiming Yang, Hongyan Zhang, Fabao Gao, Xin Liu, Hua Feng, Dianming Jiang

Published in: BMC Neurology | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

Background

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an effective method to identify subtle changes to normal-appearing white matter (WM). Here we analyzed the DTI data with other examinations, including motor evoked potentials (MEPs), histopathological images, and behavioral results, to reflect the lesion development in different degrees of spinal cord injury (SCI) in acute and subacute stages.

Method

Except for 2 Sprague -Dawley rats which died from the anesthesia accident, the rest 42 female rats were randomized into 3 groups: control group (n = 6), moderate group (n = 18), and severe group (n = 18). Moderate (a 50-g aneurysm clip with 0.4-mm thickness spacer) or severe (a 50-g aneurysm clip with no spacer) contusion SCI at T8 vertebrae was induced. Then the electrophysiological assessments via MEPs, behavioral deterioration via the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnaha (BBB) scores, DTI data, and histopathology examination were analyzed.

Results

In this study, we found that the damage of WM myelin, MEPs amplitude, BBB scores and the decreases in the values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial diffusivity (AD) were more obvious in the severe injury group than those of the moderate group. Additionally, the FA and AD values could identify the extent of SCI in subacute and early acute SCI respectively, which was reflected in a robust correlations with MEPs and BBB scores. While the values of radial diffusivity (RD) showed no significant changes.

Conclusions

Our data confirmed that DTI was a valuable in ex vivo imaging tool to identify damaged white matter tracts after graded SCI in rat, which may provide useful information for the early identification of the severity of SCI.

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Title: Diffusion tensor imaging and electrophysiology as robust assays to evaluate the severity of acute spinal cord injury in rats
Authors: Beike Chen
Qiang Tan
Weikang Zhao
Qiming Yang
Hongyan Zhang
Fabao Gao
Xin Liu
Hua Feng
Dianming Jiang
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Motor Evoked Potential
Motor Evoked Potential
Published in: BMC Neurology / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2377
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-020-01778-1

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Springer Medicine

Diffusion tensor imaging and electrophysiology as robust assays to evaluate the severity of acute spinal cord injury in rats

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

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