RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 MR Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging–Based Assessment of Brain Microstructural Changes in Patients with Moyamoya Disease before and after Revascularization JF American Journal of Neuroradiology JO Am. J. Neuroradiol. FD American Society of Neuroradiology DO 10.3174/ajnr.A6392 A1 P.-G. Qiao A1 X. Cheng A1 G.-J. Li A1 P. Song A1 C. Han A1 Z.-H. Yang YR 2020 UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2020/01/23/ajnr.A6392.abstract AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventional imaging examinations are insufficient to accurately assess brain damage in patients with Moyamoya disease. Our aim was to observe brain microstructural changes in patients with Moyamoya disease by diffusional kurtosis imaging and provide support data for application of this technique in individualized assessment of disease severity and surgical outcome among patients with Moyamoya disease.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 64 patients with Moyamoya disease and 15 healthy volunteers underwent diffusional kurtosis imaging, and a second scanning was offered to surgical patients 3–4 months after revascularization. The diffusional kurtosis imaging parameter maps were obtained for mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, radial kurtosis, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. The parameter values were measured in sensory pathway–related regions for all subjects. Differences in diffusional kurtosis imaging parameters of these brain regions were examined for healthy volunteers, patients without acroparesthesia, and asymptomatic and symptomatic sides of patients with acroparesthesia. Changes in diffusional kurtosis imaging parameters of patients with Moyamoya disease before and after revascularization were compared.RESULTS: Compared with healthy volunteers, patients with Moyamoya disease showed decreased mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, radial kurtosis, and fractional anisotropy in the corona radiata. Similarly, mean kurtosis, radial kurtosis, and fractional anisotropy decreased in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, whereas axial kurtosis decreased and radial kurtosis increased in the thalami of patients with Moyamoya disease compared with healthy volunteers. Compared with the asymptomatic contralateral hemisphere, the symptomatic group showed increased mean kurtosis in the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex, increased fractional anisotropy in the contralateral corona radiata and posterior limb of the internal capsule, and decreased axial kurtosis in the contralateral thalamus. Among patients with Moyamoya disease with acroparesthesia, mean kurtosis decreased in the primary somatosensory cortex on the operated side following revascularization.CONCLUSIONS: The diffusional kurtosis imaging technique is applicable to patients with Moyamoya disease for detecting brain microstructural changes in white and gray matter before and after revascularization; this feature is useful in the assessment of disease severity and surgical outcome.ADaxial diffusivityAKaxial kurtosisDKIdiffusional kurtosis imagingEDASencephaloduroarteriosynangiosisFAfractional anisotropyMDmean diffusivityMKmean kurtosisMMDMoyamoya diseaseRKradial kurtosisRDradial diffusivitySIprimary somatosensory cortexTTPtime-to-peak