Diffusion MRI

Diffusion MRI is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method that produces in vivo images of biological tissues weighted with the local microstructural characteristics of water diffusion, which is capable of showing connections between brain regions.Hagmann et al, "Understanding Diffusion MR Imaging Techniques: From Scalar Diffusion-weighted Imaging to Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Beyond," RadioGraphics. Oct 2006. http://radiographics.rsna.org/content/26/suppl_1/S205.full The field of diffusion MRI can be understood in terms of two distinct classes of application—diffusion weighted MRI and diffusion tensor MRI. Diffusion MRI is a key technology in the creation of the human connectome, which is the structure and organization of the connections throughout the central nervous system.

In diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), each image voxel (three dimensional pixel) has an image intensity that reflects a single best measurement of the rate of water diffusion at that location. This measurement is more sensitive to early changes after a stroke than more traditional MRI measurements such as T1 or T2 relaxation rates. DWI is most applicable when the tissue of interest is...
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