Detection of brain maturation: DTI with different b-values versus diffusion kurtosis imaging

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of different b-values in detecting microstructural changes during well-controlled rodent brain maturation. The results are also compared to the diffusion kurtosis indices obtained by diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) that characterizes the restricted diffusion by fitting multiple b-value DW measurements to a quadratic-exponential model. The results indicate that the b-value for optimal DTI detection of microstructural changes depends on the specific physiological or pathological processes targeted. High-order diffusion imaging, such as DKI, is therefore essential for more robust MR diffusion characterization of neural tissues.