Motion-robust diffusion compartment imaging using simultaneous multi-slice acquisition.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Diffusion MRI
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Diffusion compartment imaging (DCI) provides detailed microstructural information about brain tissue.
• Motion artifacts are a significant challenge in diffusion-weighted MRI, especially in pediatric and non-cooperative patients.
• Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) acquisition accelerates MRI scans by acquiring multiple slices concurrently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a motion-robust DCI technique for brain MRI in subjects experiencing continuous motion.
• To leverage the inherent properties of SMS acquisition for improved motion correction in DCI.
• To enable robust DCI reconstruction even with significant and continuous subject motion.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a novel slice-level motion correction approach exploiting the rigid coupling between simultaneously acquired SMS slices.
• Integrated motion dynamics into an explicit model for robust DCI reconstruction.
• Developed Motion Tracking based on Simultaneous Multislice Registration (MT-SMR) for DCI.

Main Results:

• MT-SMR demonstrated robust reconstruction of DCI metrics in the presence of motion.
• Quantitative and qualitative evaluations showed improved fractional anisotropy and DCI in fiber regions.
• Successful application to multi b-value SMS diffusion-weighted brain MRI data from healthy volunteers and pediatric subjects.

Conclusions:

• The MT-SMR technique offers a viable solution for motion-robust DCI using SMS MRI.
• This approach has the potential to significantly improve DCI utility in challenging populations, including young children and newborns.
• Facilitates routine clinical application of advanced diffusion MRI techniques in diverse patient groups.