Improved fibre dispersion estimation using b-tensor encoding

摘要: Measuring fibre dispersion in white matter with diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is limited by an inherent degeneracy between and microscopic anisotropy (i.e., the expected for a single orientation). This means that estimates of rely on strong assumptions, such as constant throughout or specific biophysical models. Here we present simple approach resolving this using measurements combine linear (conventional) spherical tensor encoding. To test accuracy when our microstructural model only approximation true tissue structure, simulate multi-compartment data fit single-compartment model. For overly simplistic show bias greatly reduced (~5x) single-shell encoding compared multi-shell conventional data. In in-vivo find consistent estimate reduce b-value from 3 to 1.5 ms/μm2, increase repetition time, echo time. We conclude addition encoded reduces sensitivity estimated assumptions microstructure.