Effects of image distortions originating from susceptibility variations and concomitant fields on diffusion MRI tractography results

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 61; no. 1; pp. 275 - 288
• Main Authors: Irfanoglu, M. Okan, Walker, Lindsay, Sarlls, Joelle, Marenco, Stefano, Pierpaoli, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.05.2012; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Accuracy; Acquisitions & mergers; Adult; Algorithms; Brain research; Brain Stem - anatomy & histology; Brain Stem - physiology; Cerebellum - cytology; Cerebellum - physiology; Computation; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Dietary fiber; Diffusion; Diffusion effects; Diffusion tensor imaging; Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods; Distortion; Echo planar imaging; Echo-Planar Imaging - methods; Female; Fiber tractography; Fibers; Gyrus Cinguli - cytology; Gyrus Cinguli - physiology; Humans; Image distortions; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Imaging; Male; Methods; Middle Aged; Nerve Fibers - physiology; Neural Pathways - cytology; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neurosciences; Pilot Projects; Reproducibility of Results; Studies; Susceptibility; Symmetry; Trajectories; Fiber tractography; Echo planar imaging; Image distortions; Susceptibility; Diffusion tensor imaging
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.054

In this work we investigate the effects of echo planar imaging (EPI) distortions on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fiber tractography results. We propose a simple experimental framework that would enable assessing the effects of EPI distortions on the accuracy and reproducibility of fiber tractography from a pilot study on a few subjects. We compare trajectories computed from two diffusion datasets collected on each subject that are identical except for the orientation of phase encode direction, either right–left (RL) or anterior–posterior (AP). We define metrics to assess potential discrepancies between RL and AP trajectories in association, commissural, and projection pathways. Results from measurements on a 3Tesla clinical scanner indicated that the effects of EPI distortions on computed fiber trajectories are statistically significant and large in magnitude, potentially leading to erroneous inferences about brain connectivity. The correction of EPI distortion using an image-based registration approach showed a significant improvement in tract consistency and accuracy. Although obtained in the context of a DTI experiment, our findings are generally applicable to all EPI-based diffusion MRI tractography investigations, including high angular resolution (HARDI) methods. On the basis of our findings, we recommend adding an EPI distortion correction step to the diffusion MRI processing pipeline if the output is to be used for fiber tractography. ► We propose a framework to assess the effects of EPI distortions on tractography. ► We show that distortions in typical clinical 3T scans greatly affect path trajectory. ► Path trajectory artifacts lead to incorrect conclusions about brain connectivity. ► We show that simple corrections can be successfully implemented.