RESUMO
PURPOSE: The objective of this work to construct eigenvalue maps that have information of magnitude of three primary diffusion directions using diffusion tensor images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To construct eigenvalue maps, we used a 3.0T MRI scanner. We also compared the Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse matrix method and the SVD (single value decomposition) method to calculate magnitude of three primary diffusion directions. Eigenvalue maps were constructed by calculating of magnitude of three primary diffusion directions. We did investigate the relationship between eigenvalue maps and fractional anisotropy map. RESULTS: Using Diffusion Tensor Images by diffusion tensor imaging sequence, we did construct eigenvalue maps of three primary diffusion directions. Comparison between eigenvalue maps and Fractional Anisotropy map shows what is difference of Fractional Anisotropy value in brain anatomy. Furthermore, through the simulation of variable eigenvalues, we confirmed changes of Fractional Anisotropy values by variable eigenvalues. And Fractional anisotropy was not determined by magnitude of each primary diffusion direction, but it was determined by combination of each primary diffusion direction. CONCLUSION: By construction of eigenvalue maps, we can confirm what is the reason of fractional anisotropy variation by measurement the magnitude of three primary diffusion directions on lesion of brain white matter, using eigenvalue maps and fractional anisotropy map.