Diffusion tensor imaging lines up unique view of muscles

May 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Diffusion tensor imaging lines up unique view of muscles Early studies correlate structure and function, with potential to guide injury management and disease therapy planning Karen Sandrick -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diffusion tensor imaging at 1.5T MRI just was not practical. While MRI at 1.5T could generate diffusion tensor maps, it required lengthy scan times to get resolution decent enough to eliminate noise and reveal fiber bundle tracking. The increased signal-to-noise ratio at 3T makes it possible to produce fiber tracking maps in two to three minutes. As a result, DTI at 3T is becoming a standard part of imaging patients with neurological disease. The technique capitalizes on the anisotropic movement of water in brain white matter. While water diffuses randomly in gray matter, it moves in only one direction in white matter: parallel to the orientation of the fibers. By determining the degree of anisotropy and by tracking the path of white matter fibers, DTI and tractography help radiologists examine the overall architecture of white matter and assess the integrity of the fibers in a variety of brain pathologies, including multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in psychiatric disorders and trauma.

See full article and related articles at DiagnosticImaging.com
This article was republished with permission from CMPMedica, LLC