Diffusion MRI tractography of the human heart In Vivo at end-diastole and end-systole

Summary Diffusion Tensor MRI (DTI) of the human heart in vivo has to date been performed in 2D and at a single phase of the cardiac cycle. Here we perform 3D tractography of the human heart in vivo at both end diastole and end systole. We show that fiber orientation in the subepicardium becomes more oblique during systole, and that scalar indices of diffusion (mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy) decrease during systole. Our data suggest that myocardial fiber architecture is dynamic and is a function of both chamber geometry and myocardial contraction.


Diffusion MRI tractography of the human heart
In Vivo at end-diastole and end-systole Choukri Mekkaoui 1,2* , Sonia Nielles-Vallespin 3 , Peter D Gatehouse 3 , Marcel P Jackowski 4 , David N Firmin 3 , David E Sosnovik 1,5 From 15th Annual SCMR Scientific Sessions Orlando, FL, USA. 2-5 February 2012 Summary Diffusion Tensor MRI (DTI) of the human heart in vivo has to date been performed in 2D and at a single phase of the cardiac cycle. Here we perform 3D tractography of the human heart in vivo at both end diastole and end systole. We show that fiber orientation in the subepicardium becomes more oblique during systole, and that scalar indices of diffusion (mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy) decrease during systole. Our data suggest that myocardial fiber architecture is dynamic and is a function of both chamber geometry and myocardial contraction.

Background
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the human heart in vivo has been described [1,2] but has only been performed in 2D and at a single phase of the cardiac cycle. The impact of myocardial contraction on 3D fiber architecture in vivo thus remains poorly defined. Here we use a recently developed diffusion-weighted stimulated echo single shot EPI sequence [3], to address this question with a 3D tractographic approach [4]. The purpose of this study was thus to perform in vivo DTI of normal human hearts at end-diastole and end-systole and quantify changes in myofiber organization as the myocardium contracts and relaxes.

Results
Tractography showed that myofibers in the subepicardium of the LV assumed a more oblique orientation at end-systole versus end-diastole (Figure 1). MD and FA were significantly (p<0.05, Mann-Whitney) higher at   D) and are color-coded by their median helix angle. Fiber tracts in the subepicardium at end-systole become more oblique (red) as the myocardium contracts. However, at end-diastole, as the LV outer circumference expands, the subepicardial fibers assume a more right-handed (less oblique) orientation. end-diastole than end-systole ( Figure 2). Likewise, all three eigenvalues were higher at end-diastole than endsystole (p<0.05), although the change in the principal eigenvalues (λ1) was greatest.

Conclusions
Here, for the first time, we perform DTI tractography of the human heart in vivo at two phases of the cardiac cycle. The decrease in MD and FA at end-systole is likely due to myocyte thickening and compression of the extracellular space during systole. The increase in fiber obliquity in the subepicardium in systole could play an important role in base-apex shortening. Further study will be needed to determine the relationship between myocardial strain and the diffusion tensor. However, our data suggest that myofiber architecture in the human heart is dynamic and is a function of both chamber geometry and LV contraction.
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