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Pediatric brain injury: can DTI scalars predict functional outcome?

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Abstract

Diffusion imaging has made significant inroads into the clinical diagnosis of a variety of diseases by inferring changes in microstructure, namely cell membranes, myelin sheath and other structures that inhibit water diffusion. This review discusses recent progress in the use of diffusion parameters in predicting functional outcome. Studies in the literature using only scalar parameters from diffusion measurements, such as apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA), are summarized. Other more complex mathematical models and post-processing uses are also discussed briefly.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge NIH funding R01NS046432, R01EB009756, and P50NS035902, and Dr. Christopher P Hess for images.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California—San Francisco, 1 Irving St, AC112, Box 2512, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Duan Xu, Pratik Mukherjee & A. James Barkovich

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  1. Duan Xu
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  2. Pratik Mukherjee
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  3. A. James Barkovich
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Correspondence to Duan Xu.

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Xu, D., Mukherjee, P. & Barkovich, A.J. Pediatric brain injury: can DTI scalars predict functional outcome?. Pediatr Radiol 43, 55–59 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2481-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2481-4

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