Correlation Time Vs. Pulsed Field Gradient Diffusion MRI of the Brain: On the Effects of Magnetization Transfer and Myelination as a Function of Age

Hazem Eltawell¹, Stephan Anderson¹, Osamu Sakai¹, Hernan Jara¹

The aim of our work was to discern the effects of the brain growth and development on global diffusion coefficients measured by correlation time technique DCT, in comparison to the standard DPFG technique. 27 subjects (0.5 to 24 years old) brains were scanned using 1.5 T scanner, DW-SE-sshEPI, and mixed-TSE pulse sequence, images were processed by qMRI algorithm to produce parametric maps used to calculate global DPFG and DCT histograms. Statistical analysis of the Peak DPFG and DCT histograms gives a power fit with different degrees of correlation, R2=0.92; R2=0.47 respectively, and maximum 17% age (myelination) related difference.