title: Comparative analysis of isotropic diffusion weighted imaging sequences.
abstract: Visualisation of living tissue structure and function is a challenging problem of modern imaging techniques. Diffusion MRI allows one to probe in vivo structures on a micrometer scale. However, conventional diffusion measurements are time-consuming procedures, because they require several measurements with different gradient directions. Considerable time savings are therefore possible by measurement schemes that generate an isotropic diffusion weighting in a single shot. Multiple approaches for generating isotropic diffusion weighting are known and have become very popular as useful tools in clinical research. Thus, there is a strong need for a comprehensive comparison of different isotropic weighting approaches. In the present work we introduce two new sequences based on simple (co)sine modulations and compare their performance to established q-space magic-angle spinning sequences and conventional DTI, using a diffusion phantom assembled from microcapillaries and in vivo experiments at 7T. The advantages and disadvantages of all compared schemes are demonstrated and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Physics III, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: vellmer@e3.physik.tu-dortmund.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vellmer
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stirnberg
authors.affiliation: Experimental Physics III, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edelhoff
authors.affiliation: Experimental Physics III, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stöcker
authors.affiliation: Experimental Physics III, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: ivan@e3.physik.tu-dortmund.de.
authors.forename: Ivan I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Maximov
keywords: Diffusion MRI; Diffusion sequences; Isotropic diffusion weightings; Microcapillary phantom