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Abstract #1399

An Open Source Monte Carlo Framework for Simulating Diffusion in Biologically Relevant Geometries Including Broken, Crimped and Bulging Axons

Bennett Allan Landman1, Jonathan A. Farrell2,3, Peter C. van Zijl2,3

1Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA


Diffusion-weighted MRI techniques provide contrasts sensitive to tissue micro-architecture, but current derived-contrasts are non-specific for white matter pathologies. Significant efforts are underway to enhance inference of micro-architecture, and computational models are essential. Previous simulations were largely limited to cylinders and spheres. We present an efficient and flexible framework for simulating diffusion in arbitrary, 3-D compartments and demonstrate our approach by comparing diffusion in healthy, broken, crimped, and bulging axons. This open-source framework enables quantitative comparison of diffusion in biologically relevant restriction geometries which are not analytically accessible and provides a basis for developing and testing higher order diffusion model methods.