Newswise — An MRI innovation by a University of Waterloo engineer unveils superiorly compared to numerous present imaging technologies the impact of COVID-19 on the human brain.
The innovative imaging method called correlated diffusion imaging (CDI) was created by Alexander Wong, a professor of systems design engineering. Recently, researchers from Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute and Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto employed this pioneering technique in a groundbreaking study.
"COVID-19's impact is often believed to be limited to the lungs," remarked Dr. Wong. "However, our newly devised MRI method excels at detecting alterations in the brain caused by COVID-19. The white matter within the brain undergoes significant changes due to the virus."
Wong, an esteemed holder of the Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Medical Imaging, had formerly devised CDI during a fruitful quest for an enhanced imaging metric to identify cancer. CDI represents a novel variation of MRI that adeptly accentuates discrepancies in the movement of water molecules within tissues by capturing and merging MRI signals utilizing diverse gradient pulse strengths and timings.
Upon witnessing Wong's groundbreaking imaging breakthrough, researchers at Rotman, an esteemed institution renowned for its expertise in studying brain functionality, conjectured that it might have the potential to detect alterations in the brain caused by COVID-19. Subsequent examinations validated this hypothesis. CDI imaging of the white matter in the frontal lobe uncovered a discernible increase in the free movement of water molecules among COVID-19 patients. Simultaneously, it revealed a notable decrease in the movement of water molecules in the cerebellum of individuals affected by COVID-19.
Wong emphasizes the differential response of two brain regions to COVID-19 and emphasizes two crucial discoveries stemming from the study. Firstly, the human cerebellum exhibits a heightened susceptibility to COVID-19 infections. Secondly, the research further solidifies the notion that COVID-19 infections can instigate alterations within the brain.
The Rotman study stands out not only as one of the rare investigations that demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 on the brain but also as the pioneering report to unveil diffusion irregularities in the white matter of the cerebellum. While the study's primary objective was to demonstrate alterations in the brain resulting from COVID-19, its conclusive findings do address potential origins of such changes, with many associations pointing towards disease and damage.
In light of these observations, Wong proposes that forthcoming examinations should concentrate on investigating whether COVID-19 genuinely inflicts damage on brain tissue. Furthermore, additional studies could be conducted to ascertain whether COVID-19 can induce modifications in the brain's grey matter.
Wong expressed optimism, stating, "Ideally, this research can pave the way for improved diagnoses and treatments for individuals affected by COVID-19." He further suggests that this could be merely the initial stage for the potential applications of CDI. It may hold promise in comprehending degenerative processes associated with other conditions like Alzheimer's disease, or serve as a tool for detecting breast or prostate cancers.
The study titled "Feasibility of diffusion-tensor and correlated diffusion imaging for studying white-matter microstructural abnormalities: Application in COVID-19," co-authored by Wong and his student Hayden Gunraj, has been published in the esteemed journal Human Brain Mapping.
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