Assessment of the systematic errors caused by diffusion gradient inhomogeneity in DTI-computer simulations

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful MRI modality that allows the investigation of the microstructure of tissues both in vivo and noninvasively. Its reliability is strictly dependent on the performance of diffusion-sensitizing gradients, of which spatial nonuniformity is a known issue in the case of virtually all clinical MRI scanners. The influence of diffusion gradient inhomogeneity on the accuracy of the diffusion tensor imaging was investigated by means of computer simulations supported by an MRI experiment performed at the isocenter and 15 cm away. The DTI measurements of two diffusion phantoms were simulated assuming a nonuniform diffusion-sensitizing gradient and various levels of noise. Thereafter, the tensors were calculated by two methods: (i) assuming a spatially constant b-matrix (standard DTI) and (ii) applying the b-matrix spatial distribution in the DTI (BSD-DTI) technique, a method of indicating the b-matrix for each voxel separately using an anisotropic phantom as a standard of diffusion. The average eigenvalues and fractional anisotropy across the homogeneous region of interest were calculated and compared with the expected values. Diffusion gradient inhomogeneity leads to overestimation of the largest eigenvalue, underestimation of the smallest one and thus overestimation of fractional anisotropy. The effect is similar to that caused by noise; however, it could not be corrected by increasing SNR. The MRI measurements, performed using a 3 T clinical scanner, revealed that the split of the eigenvalues measured 15 cm away from the isocenter is significant (up to 25%). The BSD-DTI calibration allowed the reduction of the measured fractional anisotropy of the isotropic medium from 0.174 to 0.031, suggesting that gradient inhomogeneity was the main cause of this error. For the phantom measured at the isocenter, however, the split was almost not observed; the average eigenvalues were shifted from the expected value by similar to 5%.