Joseph A. Helpern1, Maria F. Falangola1,
Cathy Hu2, Ali Tabesh3, Jane Kwon3, James S.
Babb3, Jens H. Jensen3
1Radiology, Medical
University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; 2The
Nathan S. Kline Institute; 3Radiology, New York University School
of Medicine
Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging can simultaneously measure both Gaussian and non-Gaussian diffusion. The degree of diffusional non-Gaussianity can be regarded as a natural indicator of tissue microstructural complexity. Although the biophysical foundation for regional brain atrophy in Alzheimers Disease remains unknown, it is reasonable to suppose that changes in brain tissue microstructure may precede the onset of atrophy. This study demonstrates that diffusional kurtosis can contribute additional microstructural information beyond that provided by conventional Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), thereby helping to better characterize early brain tissue changes.
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