Quantitative analysis of molecular transport in the extracellular space using physics-informed neural network.

Comput Biol Med

Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Devices and Technology, Beijing 100191, China; NMPA key Laboratory of Evaluation of Medical Imaging Equipment and Technique, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address:

Published: March 2024

The brain extracellular space (ECS), an irregular, extremely tortuous nanoscale space located between cells or between cells and blood vessels, is crucial for nerve cell survival. It plays a pivotal role in high-level brain functions such as memory, emotion, and sensation. However, the specific form of molecular transport within the ECS remain elusive. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a novel approach to quantitatively analyze the molecular transport within the ECS by solving an inverse problem derived from the advection-diffusion equation (ADE) using a physics-informed neural network (PINN). PINN provides a streamlined solution to the ADE without the need for intricate mathematical formulations or grid settings. Additionally, the optimization of PINN facilitates the automatic computation of the diffusion coefficient governing long-term molecule transport and the velocity of molecules driven by advection. Consequently, the proposed method allows for the quantitative analysis and identification of the specific pattern of molecular transport within the ECS through the calculation of the Péclet number. Experimental validation on two datasets of magnetic resonance images (MRIs) captured at different time points showcases the effectiveness of the proposed method. Notably, our simulations reveal identical molecular transport patterns between datasets representing rats with tracer injected into the same brain region. These findings highlight the potential of PINN as a promising tool for comprehensively exploring molecular transport within the ECS.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108133DOI Listing

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