Manual Segmentation of Dorsal Root Nerves in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• Grant number: 25/24311-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Junqueira Ribeiro de Rezende
• Grantee: Caio Prado de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/00186-4 - Development of Advanced Computational Tools for In Vivo Analysis of Dorsal Root Ganglia and Spinal Cord Integrity in Sensory Neuronopathy, AP.JP

Abstract

Hereditary ataxias are a group of diseases that share cerebellar ataxia as a common clinical feature; however, non-motor symptoms and cognitive deficits may also be present. Pathologically, they are characterized by severe neuronal loss in the cerebellum and brainstem, particularly in the dorsal root ganglia. Despite the importance of these structures, there are currently no magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation techniques capable of automatically segmenting them, although recent studies have described imaging sequences that allow their visualization.Thus, the main goal of this project is to use magnetic resonance imaging to enable, in the future, the development of a computational tool capable of automatically segmenting the dorsal root ganglia and their connections through machine learning algorithms known as convolutional neural networks. These algorithms have been successfully applied to medical imaging, and therefore, we will employ this method to build our tool.This tool will be of broad interest, as it could be applied to various other diseases, such as sensory neuronopathies, Parkinson's disease, and motor neuron diseases. Therapeutic implications may arise from the results obtained, since a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of these conditions may lead to the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. (AU)