Application of different diffuse gradient direction in human brain to diffusion-weighted image

Yang DONG; Xiuhe WANG; Yaoxiong HUANG; Li HUANG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The application of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)value to the diffusion-weighted image in the diagnosis of cerebral ischemic diseases is confirmed in clinic. The influence of different diffuse gradient direction in different lesions of human brain on diffusion-weighted image has become one of the focus researches of neuroradiology.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the changing characters of the ADC value on diffusion weighted imaging with different diffuse gradient directions of human corpora striatum, parietal cortex and corona radiata.

DESIGN:

A sample survey.

SETTING:

Medical Imaging Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Jinan Univeristy.

PARTICIPANTS:

Sixty healthy volunteers (37 males and 23 females)aged 18-65 years were selected from the Huaqiao Hospital affiliated to Jinan University between March 2000 and March 2001.

METHODS:

The 60 volunteers received brain diffusion-weighted MR imaging in different directions (left-right, anterior-posterior, upper-down),and the ADC values of corpus striatum, parietal cortex and corona radiata were measured.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

The ADC values of corpus striatum,parietal cortex and corona radiata were measured in the 60 healthy volunteers.

RESULTS:

All the 60 healthy volunteers entered the analysis of results.There were no significant differences between the ADC value of corpus striatum and that of parietal cortex in different directions; the mean ADC values of corona radiata in left-right, anterior-posterior, upper-down axial were (5.0±0.5), (4.2±0.6), (15.2±1.4)×104 mrn2/s, and there were significant differences between the former two and the latter (P ＜ 0.01).

CONCLUSION:

Diffuse gradient directions do not affect the ADC values of corpus striatum and parietal cortex, but the ADC value of corona radiata is different. We should delineate the diffusion direction if we want to do quantitative studies on the diffusion of corona radiata.