Application of diffusion tensor imaging in spinal cord injury

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique can detect the dispersion of water molecules in the white matter of the spinal cord, the integrity of the spinal fiber bundle, and the pathological changes after injury. Clinically, DTI is sensitive to acute and chronic spinal cord injuries, and is most commonly used for the diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, multiple sclerosis, secondary brain damage after spinal cord injury, and spinal nerve root damage. In animal studies involving rats, monkeys, cattle, cats, pigs, dogs, etc., DTI could quantitatively analyze the microstructural and pathological changes of the injured spinal cord and provide a powerful auxiliary diagnosis for behavioral evaluation.

Keywords

spinal cord injury / diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) / clinic / animal model / review