Diffusion kurtosis imaging. Optimization of parameters for clinical use. President award proceedings

Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a new technique based on non-Gaussian water diffusion analysis. Because water diffusion in the brain is restricted (non-Gaussian), DKI provides more precise diffusional information derived from the tissue microstructure than does conventional diffusion analysis, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, assuming Gaussian). However, our original protocol for DKI required 10 additional minutes for scanning, which seemed excessive for daily clinical use, so we examined b-value, number of motion-probing gradient (MPG) directions, and diffusion time to find more suitable parameters for DKI in the clinical setting. (author)