Current distribution image of the rat brain using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

In this article, we report that the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of rat brain tissue increased by applied external electrical currents. A subtraction magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) map of ADCs with and without applied currents was obtained to quantitatively evaluate the effect of the electrical currents on ADC. The ADC in tissue was directly estimated by the mean diffusivity (MD), or the sum of the diagonal elements of the diffusion tensor Trace(D)/2. Anisotropic diffusion was estimated by fractional anisotropy FA(D). The experimental results show that the MD with applied currents of 4, 6, 8, and 10 mA increased by 6%, 8%, 16%, and 40%, respectively. The mechanism is partially explained by the movement of ions through extracellular space in tissue.