Magnetic Resonance Relaxation Anisotropy: Physical Principles and Uses in Microstructure Imaging.

ABSTRACT: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an excellent means of studying tissue microstructure noninvasively since the microscopic tissue environment is imprinted on the MRI signal even at macroscopic voxel level. Mesoscopic variations in magnetic field, created by microstructure, influence the transverse relaxation time (T₂) in an orientation-dependent fashion (T₂ is anisotropic). However, predicting the effects of microstructure upon MRI observables is challenging and requires theoretical insight. We provide a formalism for calculating the effects upon T₂ of tissue microstructure, using a model of cylindrical magnetic field perturbers. In a cohort of clinically healthy adults, we show that the angular information in spin-echo T₂ is consistent w

SUBMITTER: Knight MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5390049 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature