Journal Article

PreJuSER-20776

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Novel multisection design of anisotropic diffusion phantoms

Farrher, E.FZJ* ; Kaffanke, J.FZJ* ; Celik, A. A.FZJ* ; Stöcker, T.FZJ* ; Grinberg, F.FZJ* ; Shah, N. J.FZJ*

2012
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.mri.2011.12.012

Abstract: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging provides access to fiber pathways and structural integrity in fibrous tissues such as white matter in the brain. In order to enable better access to the sensitivity of the diffusion indices to the underlying microstructure, it is important to develop artificial model systems that exhibit a well-known structure, on the one hand, but benefit from a reduced complexity on the other hand. In this work, we developed a novel multisection diffusion phantom made of polyethylene fibers tightly wound on an acrylic support. The phantom exhibits three regions with different geometrical configuration of fibers: a region with fibers crossing at right angles, a region with parallel fibers and homogeneous density, and, finally, a region with parallel fibers but with a gradient of fiber density along the axis of symmetry. This gives rise to a gradual change of the degree of anisotropy within the same phantom. In this way, the need to construct several phantoms with different fiber densities is avoided, and one can access different fractional anisotropies in the same experiment under the same physical conditions. The properties of the developed phantom are demonstrated by means of diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging. The measurements were performed using a diffusion-weighted spin-echo and a diffusion-weighted stimulated-echo pulse sequence programmed in-house. The influence of the fiber density packing on the diffusion parameters was analyzed. We also demonstrate how the novel phantom can be used for the validation of high angular resolution diffusion imaging data analysis.

Keyword(s): Algorithms (MeSH) ; Anisotropy (MeSH) ; Brain Mapping: methods (MeSH) ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MeSH) ; Equipment Design (MeSH) ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional (MeSH) ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated: ultrastructure (MeSH) ; Phantoms, Imaging (MeSH) ; Polyethylene (MeSH) ; Polyethylene ; J ; Diffusion tensor imaging (auto) ; Diffusion kurtosis imaging (auto) ; Fiber phantom (auto) ; Stimulated echo (auto) ; Q-ball imaging (auto) ; Spherical harmonic deconvolution (auto) ; High angular resolution diffusion imaging (auto)

Note: EF thanks Mr. J. Lindemeyer, Dr. I.I. Maximov, Dr. V. Gras and Dr. D. Pflugfelder for valuable discussions. EF thanks Ms. M. Kubach and Mr. F. Keil for providing access to the toolkit QuanTooM. FG thanks Dr. E. Fieremans and Dr. O. Poznansky for valuable discussions. We thank Dr. H. Plug (DSM, Geleen, The Netherlands) for supplying us with the Dyneema fibers for this study. EF and FG thank Mr. J.-E. Batta for a helpful contribution to the development of the phantom during his research stay in Forschungszentrum Julich funded by the ALFA II EU project NANOGASTOR. FG thanks NANOGASTOR and Professor J. Karger for a valuable support of this project.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Physik der Medizinischen Bildgebung (INM-4)

Research Program(s):

1. Funktion und Dysfunktion des Nervensystems (FUEK409) (FUEK409)
2. 89573 - Neuroimaging (POF2-89573) (POF2-89573)

Appears in the scientific report 2012

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Database coverage:
; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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