title: Diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI.
abstract: The advances in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) over the last 20 years have vastly contributed to improving the understanding of the brain structure and function in patients with many diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). DWI is commonly used, for instance, in the diagnostic workup of stroke, CNS neoplasia, and rapidly progressive dementia cases. The new DTI methods provide more specific information about the most destructive aspects of tumors, neurodegenerative dementia, and multiple sclerosis pathology and give a more complete picture of the complex pathologic mechanisms of these conditions. More recently, fMRI has provided insight to the mechanisms of brain adaptation and plasticity to damage related to many neurologic conditions and has further extended our ability to understand the functional significance of pathologic changes in these diseases. Although at present fMRI does not have a role in the diagnosis, routine assessment, and monitoring of neurologic diseases, significant efforts are under way in order to achieve harmonization of both acquisition and postprocessing procedures, which are likely to contribute to a significant change of the clinical scenario.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: m.filippi@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agosta
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC); diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI; functional MRI (fMRI); functional connectivity; tractography