Anatomical details of the brainstem and cranial nerves visualized by high resolution readout-segmented multi-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted images using unidirectional MPG at 3T.
We compared diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with readout-segmented multi-shot echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI) and single-shot EPI, both using unidirectional motion-probing gradient, in 10 patients for visualization of the anatomical structures in the brainstem. DWI by rs-EPI was significantly better than DWI by single-shot EPI for visualizing the medial longitudinal fasciculus, lateral lemniscus, corticospinal tract, and seventh/eighth cranial nerves and offered significantly less distortion of the brainstem.
Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. naganawa@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Shinji
S
Naganawa
Masahiro
M
Yamazaki
Hisashi
H
Kawai
Michihiko
M
Sone
Tsutomu
T
Nakashima
Haruo
H
Isoda
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014717:Vertigo / Q000473:pathology