Spinal cord DTI is technically challenging, primarily due to the small size of the cord and physiological motion. We compare three different sequences to address these challenges: 1) single-shot EPI (ss-EPI), 2) multi-shot EPI with 2D navigation (IRIS), and 3) multi-shot EPI with reduced FOV (IRIS+iZOOM). Results indicate that IRIS alleviates geometric distortion present in ss-EPI. The combination of IRIS and iZOOM, however, provides the most consistent and least distorted diffusion-weighted images. These effects are clearly seen in the fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity maps, where exceptional contrast between gray and white matter are observed with IRIS+iZOOM.
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