Beyond Diffusion Tensor MRI Methods for Improved Characterization of the Brain after Ischemic Stroke: A Review

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Ischemic stroke affects 15 million annually worldwide.
• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging aids in assessing stroke-induced brain changes and predicting recovery.
• Diffusion MR imaging (DTI) is established for stroke assessment, particularly in the nonacute phase (1-30 days poststroke).

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey and contextualize recent diffusion MR imaging methods beyond DTI in poststroke patients.
• To evaluate the performance of advanced diffusion MRI techniques compared to DTI for stroke assessment.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on diffusion MR imaging methods beyond DTI.
• Inclusion of techniques such as diffusional kurtosis, generalized fractional anisotropy, spherical harmonics, and neurite orientation and dispersion models.
• Focus on application in patients in the nonacute stage poststroke (1-30 days).

Main Results:

• Early studies suggest beyond-DTI methods are more sensitive to poststroke changes than DTI.
• These advanced techniques show potential for better prediction of motor outcome scores poststroke.
• Preliminary findings indicate superior performance of beyond-DTI metrics over DTI in specific aspects of stroke assessment.

Conclusions:

• Diffusion MR imaging methods beyond DTI show promise for improved stroke assessment and recovery prediction.
• Further large-scale studies are required to validate the enhanced predictive capabilities of these advanced techniques.
• Beyond-DTI methods may offer a more sensitive approach to understanding and managing ischemic stroke recovery.