High-resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the brain stem at 3 T.

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging with 1.8-mm isotropic resolution was performed to delineate structures of the brain stem. High-resolution single-shot imaging was achieved by the combination of a high-field magnet (3T) and the SENSitivity Encoding (or SENSE) parallel imaging technique. Various structures in the brain stem, such as the inferior olivary nuclei, deep cerebellar nuclei, some cranial nerves, and white matter tracts were identified, which have been difficult to appreciate by conventional MR techniques.