Task-induced changes in brain entropy.

Entropy indicates irregularity of a dynamic system, with higher entropy indicating higher irregularity and more transit states. In the human brain, regional brain entropy (BEN) has been increasingly assessed using resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI), while changes of regional BEN during task-based fMRI have been scarcely studied. The purpose of this study is to characterize task-induced regional BEN alterations using the large Human Connectome Project (HCP) data. To control the potential modulation by the block design, BEN of task-fMRI was calculated from the fMRI images acquired during the task conditions only (task BEN) and then compared to BEN of rs-fMRI (resting BEN). Moreover, BEN was separately calculated from the control blocks of the task-fMRI runs (control BEN) and compared to task BEN. Finally, control BEN was compared to resting BEN to test for residual task effects in the control condition. With respect to resting state, task performance unanimously induced BEN reduction in the peripheral cortical area and BEN increase in the centric part of the sensorimotor and perception networks. Control compared to resting BEN showed similar entropy alterations, suggesting large residual task effects. Task compared to control BEN was characterized by reduced entropy in occipital, orbitofrontal, and parietal regions.

ISMRM Open Science Initiative for Perfusion Imaging (OSIPI): ASL pipeline inventory.

PURPOSE: To create an inventory of image processing pipelines of arterial spin labeling (ASL) and list their main features, and to evaluate the capability, flexibility, and ease of use of publicly available pipelines to guide novice ASL users in selecting their optimal pipeline. METHODS: Developers self-assessed their pipelines using a questionnaire developed by the Task Force 1.1 of the ISMRM Open Science Initiative for Perfusion Imaging. Additionally, each publicly available pipeline was evaluated by two independent testers with basic ASL experience using a scoring system created for this purpose. RESULTS: The developers of 21 pipelines filled the questionnaire. Most pipelines are free for noncommercial use (n = 18) and work with the standard NIfTI (Neuroimaging Informatics Technology Initiative) data format (n = 15). All pipelines can process standard 3D single postlabeling delay pseudo-continuous ASL images and primarily differ in their support of advanced sequences and features. The publicly available pipelines (n = 9) were included in the independent testing, all of them being free for noncommercial use. The pipelines, in general, provided a trade-off between ease of use and flexibility for configuring advanced processing options. CONCLUSION: Although most ASL pipelines can process the common ASL data types, only some (namely, ASLPrep, ASLtbx, BASIL/Quantiphyse, ExploreASL, and MRICloud) are well-documented, publicly available, support multiple ASL types, have a user-friendly interface, and can provide a useful starting point for ASL processing. The choice of an optimal pipeline should be driven by specific data to be processed and user experience, and can be guided by the information provided in this ASL inventory.

Improving Sensitivity of Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion MRI in Alzheimer's Disease Using Transfer Learning of Deep Learning-Based ASL Denoising.

BACKGROUND: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) denoising through deep learning (DL) often faces insufficient training data from patients. One solution is to train DL models using healthy subjects' data which are more widely available and transfer them to patients' data. PURPOSE: To evaluate the transferability of a DL-based ASL MRI denoising method (DLASL). STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. SUBJECTS: Four hundred and twenty-eight subjects (189 females) from three cohorts. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3 T two-dimensional (2D) echo-planar imaging (EPI)-based pseudo-continuous ASL (PCASL) and 2D EPI-based pulsed ASL (PASL) sequences. ASSESSMENT: DLASL was trained using young healthy adults' PCASL data (Dataset 1: 250/30 subjects as training/validation set) and was directly transferred (DTF) to PCASL data from Dataset 2 (45 subjects test set) of normal controls (NC) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) groups. DLASL was fine-tuned (DLASLFT) and tested on PASL data from Dataset 3 (103 subjects test set) of NC and AD. An existing non-DL method (NonDL) was used for comparison. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) images from ASL MRI were compared between NC and AD to assess characteristic hypoperfusion (lower CBF) patterns in AD. CBF image quality and CBF map sensitivity for detecting hypoperfusion using peak t-value and suprathreshold cluster size are outcome measures. STATISTICAL TESTS: Paired t-test, two-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey honestly significant difference, and linear mixed-effects models were used. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Mean contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of Dataset 2 showed that DTF outperformed NonDL (AD: 3.38 vs. 2.64, NC: 3.80 vs. 3.36). On Dataset 3, DLASLFT outperformed NonDL measured by mean CNR (AD: 2.45 vs. 1.87, NC: 2.54 vs. 2.17) and mean radiologic score (2.86 vs. 2.44). Image quality improvement was significant on both test sets. DTF and DLASLFT improved sensitivity for detecting AD-related hypoperfusion patterns compared with NonDL. DATA CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the DLASL's transferability across different ASL sequences and different populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Hypo- and hyper-perfusion in MCI and AD identified by different ASL MRI sequences.

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion MRI has been increasingly used in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) research. However, ASL MRI sequences differ greatly in terms of arterial blood signal preparations and data acquisition strategies, both leading to a large difference of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is of great translational importance to compare the several widely used ASL MRI sequences regarding sensitivity of ASL measured cerebral blood flow (CBF) for detecting the between-group difference across the AD continuum. To this end, this study compared three ASL MRI sequences in AD research, including the 2D Pulsed ASL (PASL), 3D Background Suppressed (BS) PASL, and 3D BS Pseudo-Continuous ASL (PCASL). We used data from 100 healthy and cognitively normal elderly control (NC) subjects, 75 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 57 Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects from the AD neuroimaging initiative (ADNI). Both cross-sectional perfusion difference and perfusion versus clinical assessment correlations were examined. The major findings included: 3D PCASL sequence identified stronger patient versus control CBF/rCBF differences than 2D PASL and 3D PASL; MCI showed reduced CBF and CBF redistribution; CBF in orbito-frontal cortex presents a new U-shape change pattern from normal aging to MCI and to AD; 3D PCASL identified a negative rCBF to memory correlation while 2D PASL showed a positive correlation.

Task-induced changes in brain entropy.

Entropy indicates irregularity of a dynamic system with higher entropy indicating higher irregularity and more transit states. In the human brain, regional entropy has been increasingly assessed using resting state fMRI. Response of regional entropy to task has been scarcely studied. The purpose of this study is to characterize task-induced regional brain entropy (BEN) alterations using the large Human Connectome Project (HCP) data. To control the potential modulation by the block-design, BEN of task-fMRI was calculated from the fMRI images acquired during the task conditions only and then compared to BEN of rsfMRI. Compared to resting state, task-performance unanimously induced BEN reduction in the peripheral cortical area including both the task activated regions and task non-specific regions such as the task negative area and BEN increase in the centric part of the sensorimotor and perception networks. Task control condition showed large residual task effects. After controlling the task non-specific effects using the control BEN vs task BEN comparison, regional BEN showed task specific effects in target regions.

Longitudinal Cerebral Blood Flow Changes in Normal Aging and the Alzheimer's Disease Continuum Identified by Arterial Spin Labeling MRI.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional studies have shown lower cerebral blood flow (CBF) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but longitudinal CBF changes in AD are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the longitudinal CBF changes in normal control (NC) and the AD continuum using arterial spin labeling perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI). METHODS: CBF was calculated from two longitudinal ASL scans acquired 2.22±1.43 years apart from 140 subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). At the baseline scan, the cohort contained 41 NC, 74 mild cognitive impairment patients (MCI), and 25 AD patients. 21 NC converted into MCI and 17 MCI converted into AD at the follow-up. Longitudinal CBF changes were assessed using paired-t test for non-converters and converters separately at each voxel and in the meta-ROI. Age and sex were used as covariates. RESULTS: CBF reductions were observed in all subjects. Stable NC (n = 20) showed CBF reduction in the hippocampus and precuneus. Stable MCI patients (n = 57) showed spatially more extended CBF reduction patterns in hippocampus, middle temporal lobe, ventral striatum, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. NC-MCI converters showed CBF reduction in hippocampus and cerebellum and CBF increase in caudate. MCI-AD converters showed CBF reduction in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. CBF changes were not related with longitudinal neurocognitive changes. CONCLUSION: Normal aging and AD continuum showed common longitudinal CBF reductions in hippocampus independent of disease and its conversion. Disease conversion independent longitudinal CBF reductions escalated in MCI subjects.