Presence of time-dependent diffusion in the brachial plexus

Mahbub, Zaid B.; Peters, Andrew M.; Gowland, Penny A.

Abstract

Purpose

This work describes the development of a method to measure the variation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with diffusion time (Δ) in the brachial plexus, as a potential method of probing microstructure.
Methods

Diffusion-weighted MRI with body signal suppression was used to highlight the nerves from surrounding tissues, and sequence parameters were optimized for sensitivity to change with diffusion time. A porous media-restricted diffusion model based on the Latour-Mitra equation was fitted to the diffusion time-dependent ADC data from the brachial plexus nerves and cord.
Results

The ADC was observed to reduce at long diffusion times, confirming that diffusion was restricted in the nerves and cord in healthy subjects. T2 of the nerves was measured to be 80 ± 5 ms, the diffusion coefficient was found to vary from (1.5 ± 0.1) × 10−3 mm2/s at a diffusion time of 18.3 ms to (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10−3 mm2/s at a diffusion time of 81.3 ms.
Conclusion

A novel method of probing restricted diffusion in the brachial plexus was developed. Resulting parameters were comparable with values obtained previously on biological systems.

Citation

Mahbub, Z. B., Peters, A. M., & Gowland, P. A. (2018). Presence of time-dependent diffusion in the brachial plexus. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 79(2), 789-795. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.26733

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 2, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 19, 2017
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Deposit Date: Jul 12, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 12, 2017
• Journal: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
• Print ISSN: 0740-3194
• Electronic ISSN: 1522-2594
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 79
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 789-795
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.26733
• Keywords: brachial plexus; ADC; diffusion time; restricted diffusion
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/902898
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mrm.26733/full