Developing an SNR-efficient tensor-valued diffusion encoding protocol for studying brain microstructural changes in neurodegeneration

The article describes the development of an improved tensor-valued diffusion encoding (TDE) protocol, an advanced MRI technique for studying brain microstructural changes. The researchers created an SNR-efficient version with 1.8 mm isotropic resolution that can be completed in approximately 12 minutes, making it clinically feasible. The study included 11 older adults (aged 62-71 years) and 7 younger adults (aged 22-31 years) scanned on a 3T MRI scanner. Researchers measured various diffusion metrics including mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, and kurtosis. Most metrics demonstrated good reproducibility, with age-related differences observed in certain parameters, particularly in the fornix region. The findings confirm the feasibility of using this new protocol for high-resolution brain microstructural imaging.