Applying magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging in hyperbaric oxygen treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury in rats / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in evaluating the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HOT) in treating spinal cord injury.Methods:The modified Allen′s method was used to induce a traumatic spinal cord injury in 30 rats who were then divided randomly into an injured group and a treatment group, each of 15. The treatment group was given HOT twice a day for 3 days, then once a day for a total of 4 weeks. The injured group did not receive HOT. DTI was performed (along with Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) evaluation) at 0h, 6h, 24h, as well as 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the operation. Two-factor repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to analyze any differences in the DTI results: the fractional anisotropy, mean apparent diffusivity, radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity, as well as the BBB scores. LSD t-tests were performed to analyze the significance of the differences at different time points.Results:At each time point after 24h the average FA value of the treatment group was significantly higher than the injured group′s average, while its average MD and RD values were significantly lower. Beyond 14 days the average AD value of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the injured group. The treatment group′s average BBB score was also significantly higher at all the time points beyond 3 days.Conclusions:DTI results can evaluate spinal cord function and provide valuable information for the dynamic assessment of hyperbaric oxygen therapy after a traumatic spinal cord injury, and the therapy promotes the recovery of motor function, at least in rats.