Flow-compensated intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion imaging

Wetscherek A, Stieltjes B, Laun FB (2015)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Wiley

Book Volume: 74

Pages Range: 410-419

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25410

Abstract

Purpose The pseudo-diffusion coefficient D^∗ in intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging was found difficult to seize. Flow-compensated diffusion gradients were used to test the validity of the commonly assumed biexponential limit and to determine not only D^∗, but also characteristic timescale τ and velocity v of the incoherent motion. Theory and Methods Bipolar and flow-compensated diffusion gradients were inserted into a flow-compensated single-shot EPI sequence. Images were obtained from a pipe-shaped flow phantom and from healthy volunteers. To calculate the IVIM signal outside the biexponential limit, a formalism based on normalized phase distributions was developed. Results The flow-compensated diffusion gradients caused less signal attenuation than the bipolar ones. A signal dependence on the duration of the flow-compensated gradients was found at low b-values in the volunteer datasets. The characteristic IVIM parameters were estimated to be v = 4.60 ± 0.34 mm/s and τ = 144 ± 10 ms for liver and v = 3.91 ± 0.54 mm/s and τ = 224 ± 47 ms for pancreas. Conclusion Our results strongly indicate that the biexponential limit does not adequately model the diffusion signal in liver and pancreas. By using both bipolar and flow-compensated diffusion gradients of different duration, the characteristic timescale and velocity of the incoherent motion can be determined. Magn Reson Med 74:410-419, 2015.

Authors with CRIS profile

Frederik Bernd Laun

Involved external institutions

Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)

Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Wetscherek, A., Stieltjes, B., & Laun, F.B. (2015). Flow-compensated intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion imaging. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 74(2), 410-419. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.25410

MLA:

Wetscherek, Andreas, Bram Stieltjes, and Frederik Bernd Laun. "Flow-compensated intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion imaging." Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 74.2 (2015): 410-419.

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