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Abstract #3089

Characterization of Diffusion Signal Decay in the Spinal Cord Based on Angular Dispersion of Axons

Novena Rangwala1, David Hackney1, David C. Alsop1

1Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

A model of diffusion signal decay in the transverse plane is proposed and applied to high b-value diffusion-weighted (DW) images of the cervical spinal cord (SC) in vivo. This model assumes that axons within SC are not perfectly aligned and the transverse signal decay is a function of the angle made by the axons with the cord axis. The results show that the average axonal dispersion in the cord is ~10, and decreases to ~6.5 within the posterior funiculus of white matter, indicating that the model is sensitive to regional differences in axon structure.

Keywords

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