We aimed to investigate if a stretched exponential diffusion weighted imaging model (SEM) can be applied to assess nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) disease by providing distributed-diffusion-coefficient (DDC) and α separately evaluating mean intravoxel diffusion rate and diffusion heterogeneity. The SEM model was then applied to analyze NAFLD in a rabbit model and compared with a mono-exponential (ME) model. While DDC from the SEM model showed comparable values with apparent-diffusion-coefficient (ADC) estimated in the ME model, alpha indicated more robust performance in the diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Therefore, SEM model showed a great potential in early diagnosis of NASH.
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