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Neuroimaging Studies in Exploring the Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 496

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Department of Life Science, College of Science and Engineering, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
Interests: neuroscience; translation brain science
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in brain imaging have made significant progress in identifying biomarkers associated with various brain diseases. electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) are critical in identifying diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. It has attracted much attention due to its utility in biomarkers. 

Explore how neuroimaging reveals changes in brain connectivity, primarily through functional MRI and diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). This is critical for conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and autism, where abnormal network patterns could serve as diagnostic criteria or therapeutic targets. Artificial intelligence-driven analysis, particularly neuroimaging, physiological testing, and genetic analysis aims to enhance early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of neurological diseases by combining phenotypic and genotypic testing. By linking specific genetic mutations with abnormal brain network patterns revealed by fMRI imaging and DTI, researchers can identify biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for neurological disease and support precision medicine. 

Dr. Ming-Chang Chiang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • neuroimaging
  • neurological diseases
  • brain imaging
  • biomarkers
  • functional connectivity
  • AI in neuroimaging

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 2479 KiB  
Article
Sensitivity of Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Assessing Injury Severity in a Rat Model of Isolated Diffuse Axonal Injury: Comparison with Histology and Neurological Assessment
by Vladislav Zvenigorodsky, Benjamin F. Gruenbaum, Ilan Shelef, Dmitry Frank, Beatris Tsafarov, Shahar Negev, Vladimir Zeldetz, Abed N. Azab, Matthew Boyko and Alexander Zlotnik
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157333 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 180
Abstract
Diffuse axonal brain injury (DAI) is a common, debilitating consequence of traumatic brain injury, yet its detection and severity grading remain challenging in clinical and experimental settings. This study evaluated the sensitivity of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), histology, and neurological severity scoring (NSS) [...] Read more.
Diffuse axonal brain injury (DAI) is a common, debilitating consequence of traumatic brain injury, yet its detection and severity grading remain challenging in clinical and experimental settings. This study evaluated the sensitivity of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), histology, and neurological severity scoring (NSS) in assessing injury severity in a rat model of isolated DAI. A rotational injury model induced mild, moderate, or severe DAI in male and female rats. Neurological deficits were assessed 48 h after injury via NSS. Magnetic resonance imaging, including DTI metrics, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), relative anisotropy (RA), axial diffusivity (AD), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD), was performed prior to tissue collection. Histological analysis used beta amyloid precursor protein immunohistochemistry. Sensitivity and variability of each method were compared across brain regions and the whole brain. Histology was the most sensitive method, requiring very small groups to detect differences. Anisotropy-based MRI metrics, especially whole-brain FA and RA, showed strong correlations with histology and NSS and demonstrated high sensitivity with low variability. NSS identified injury but required larger group sizes. Diffusivity-based MRI metrics, particularly RD, were less sensitive and more variable. Whole-brain FA and RA were the most sensitive MRI measures of DAI severity and were comparable to histology in moderate and severe groups. These findings support combining NSS and anisotropy-based DTI for non-terminal DAI assessment in preclinical studies. Full article
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