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Cyril Poupon

Publications and source records attributed to Cyril Poupon.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

B(0) homogeneity throughout the monkey brain is strongly improved in the sphinx position as compared to the supine position.

PURPOSE: To map B(0) distortions throughout the monkey brain in the two positions commonly used for NMR studies (the prone sphinx position and the supine position) in order to test the hypothesis that B(0) homogeneity in the sphinx position is significantly improved as compared to the supine position. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three macaque monkeys were installed in the two positions in a 3T whole-body MR system without shim correction. B(0) maps were acquired using a 3D gradient double-echo sequence, and field dispersion throughout the brain was quantified. In addition, field maps and localized (1)H spectra were acquired after first-order shimming was performed. RESULTS: The field maps collected in the three animals were highly reproducible. B(0) dispersion throughout the brain was typically two to three times greater in the supine position than in the sphinx position. Although first-order shimming proved relatively more efficient in the supine position, B(0) dispersion still remained greater in the supine than in the sphinx position. These findings can be explained by the thickness of outer brain tissues. CONCLUSION: This work demonstrates that the sphinx position is highly favorable in terms of B(0) homogeneity. It should prove useful for NMR exploration of the monkey brain, particularly at high fields where B(0) inhomogeneity associated with susceptibility artifacts is increased.

Animals↗

Artifacts and pitfalls in diffusion MRI.

Although over the last 20 years diffusion MRI has become an established technique with a great impact on health care and neurosciences, like any other MRI technique it remains subject to artifacts and pitfalls. In addition to common MRI artifacts, there are specific problems that one may encounter when using MRI scanner gradient hardware for diffusion MRI, especially in terms of eddy currents and sensitivity to motion. In this article we review those artifacts and pitfalls on a qualitative basis, and introduce possible strategies that have been developed to mitigate or overcome them.

Artifacts↗

Validation of q-ball imaging with a diffusion fibre-crossing phantom on a clinical scanner.

Magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion imaging provides a valuable tool used for inferring structural anisotropy of brain white matter connectivity from diffusion tensor imaging. Recently, several high angular resolution diffusion models were introduced in order to overcome the inadequacy of the tensor model for describing fibre crossing within a single voxel. Among them, q-ball imaging (QBI), inherited from the q-space method, relies on a spherical Radon transform providing a direct relationship between the diffusion-weighted MR signal and the orientation distribution function (ODF). Experimental validation of these methods in a model system is necessary to determine the accuracy of the methods and to optimize them. A diffusion phantom made up of two textile rayon fibre (comparable in diameter to axons) bundles, crossing at 90 degrees , was designed and dedicated to ex vivo q-ball validation on a clinical scanner. Normalized ODFs were calculated inside regions of interest corresponding to monomodal and bimodal configurations of underlying structures. Three-dimensional renderings of ODFs revealed monomodal shapes for voxels containing single-fibre population and bimodal patterns for voxels located within the crossing area. Principal orientations were estimated from ODFs and were compared with a priori structural fibre directions, validating efficiency of QBI for depicting fibre crossing. In the homogeneous regions, QBI detected the fibre angle with an accuracy of 19 degrees and in the fibre-crossing region with an accuracy of 30 degrees .

Anisotropy↗

Diffusion tensor fiber tracking shows distinct corticostriatal circuits in humans.

A landmark of corticostriatal connectivity in nonhuman primates is that cortical connections are organized into a set of discrete circuits. Each circuit is assumed to perform distinct behavioral functions. In animals, most connectivity studies are performed using invasive tracing methods, which are nonapplicable in humans. To test the proposal that corticostriatal connections are organized as multiple circuits in humans, we used diffusion tensor imaging axonal tracking, a new magnetic resonance technique that allows demonstration of fiber tracts in a noninvasive manner. Diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tracking showed that the posterior (sensorimotor), anterior (associative), and ventral (limbic) compartments of the human striatum have specific connections with the cortex, and particularly the frontal lobes. These results provide the first direct demonstration of distinct corticostriatal connections in humans.

Adult↗