On random walks and entropy in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging studies of neural tissue.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

In diffusion-weighted MRI studies of neural tissue, the classical model assumes the statistical mechanics of Brownian motion and predicts a monoexponential signal decay. However, there have been numerous reports of signal decays that are not monoexponential, particularly in the white matter.

Theory

We modeled diffusion in neural tissue from the perspective of the continuous time random walk. The characteristic diffusion decay is represented by the Mittag-Leffler function, which relaxes a priori assumptions about the governing statistics. We then used entropy as a measure of the anomalous features for the characteristic function.

Methods

Diffusion-weighted MRI experiments were performed on a fixed rat brain using an imaging spectrometer at 17.6 T with b-values

SUBMITTER: Ingo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4930657 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature