Damien Joseph McHugh1,2, Penny L. Hubbard1,2,
Sha Zhao1,2, David M. Higgins3, Geoff J. Parker1,2,
Josephine H. Naish1,2
1Imaging Sciences &
Biomedical Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom;
2The University of Manchester Biomedical Imaging Institute,
Manchester, United Kingdom; 3Philips Healthcare, Guildford ,
United Kingdom
We present preliminary results of using trapezoidal oscillating gradients to reach short diffusion times and measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in human calf muscle as a function of effective diffusion time. Oscillating gradients of various frequencies were used to look for evidence of restricted diffusion within muscle fibres, probing length scales between 6 and 14 μm. Results show a similar trend to pre-clinical studies, with ADC increasing as shorter diffusion times are reached and the barriers to diffusion are reduced. This indicates a sensitivity to microstructure and the potential for the clinical use of oscillating gradients.
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