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Varying diffusion time to discriminate between simulated skeletal muscle injury models using stimulated echo
David B Berry1, Erin K Englund2, Vitaly Galinsky3,4
1Department of Nanoengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
|November 23, 2020
Summary
Optimal diffusion time (Δ) for detecting muscle injury using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is around 170 ms. Longer diffusion times (90-500 ms) enhance contrast, aiding in distinguishing muscle microstructural changes from healthy tissue.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Skeletal Muscle Research
Background:
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a powerful technique for assessing tissue microstructure.
- Understanding the relationship between diffusion time (Δ) and diffusion tensor (DT) is crucial for optimizing DTI parameters in skeletal muscle.
- Detecting subtle changes in muscle fiber size due to injury or disease remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the relationship between muscle microstructure, diffusion time (Δ), and diffusion tensor (DT).
- To identify the optimal diffusion time (Δ) for detecting changes in muscle fiber size.
- To inform DTI pulse sequence parameter selection for in vivo skeletal muscle imaging.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations using DifSim with histology-informed geometry.
- Simulated DTI sequences across a range of diffusion times (Δ).
- Calculated differences in DT between healthy and injured skeletal muscle models.
- Utilized the random permeable barrier model (RPBM) to estimate muscle microstructure.
Main Results:
- Fractional anisotropy showed greater contrast between injured and control models than diffusivity measurements.
- Optimal contrast for atrophic injury models was observed between 90 ms and 250 ms.
- Contrast in acute edema models increased with diffusion time; RPBM accurately estimated surface area-to-volume ratio.
Conclusions:
- A diffusion time (Δ) of approximately 170 ms maximizes the ability to discriminate between different skeletal muscle injury models.
- Sampling multiple diffusion times (90-500 ms) is recommended to maximize diffusion contrast, especially when disease processes are unknown.
- These findings can guide the selection of optimal DTI parameters for in vivo skeletal muscle imaging.
