Effects of b-Value and Number of Gradient Directions on Diffusion MRI Measures Obtained with Q-ball Imaging
Kurt G. Schilling, Vishwesh Nath, Justin Blaber, Robert L. Harrigan, Zhaohua Ding, Adam W. Anderson, Bennett A Landman. “Effects of b-Value and Number of Gradient Directions on Diffusion MRI Measures Obtained with Q-ball Imaging” In Proceedings of the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference. Orlando, Florida, February 2017. Oral presentation.
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Abstract
High-angular-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (HARDI) MRI acquisitions have become common for use with higher order models of diffusion. Despite successes in resolving complex fiber configurations and probing tissue microstructure, there is no common consensus on the optimal b-value and number of diffusion directions to use for these methods. Using a HARDI dataset acquired at multiple b-values, and repeated 11 times on a single subject, we study how the b-value and number of diffusion directions impacts the reproducibility and precision of metrics derived from Q-ball imaging, a popular HARDI technique. These results can advise researchers on optimal acquisition schemes for Q-ball imaging.
