Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging (DW-MRI) and Diffusion-Weighted MR Spectroscopy (DW-MRS)

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Background

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a unique technique that provides tissue-specific contrast non-invasively. However, even at ultra-high field, resolution remains on the millimeter scale, far above cellular microstructure. Taking the fact that diffusion of nuclear spins in magnetic field gradients results in a characteristic signal loss, MRI can be sensitized to water-diffusion (DW-MRI) to recover microstructural information indirectly. Diffusion-Weighted MR Spectroscopy (DW-MRS) goes one step further by not measuring the diffusion of tissue water but of cell-type specific metabolites. Given that, both techniques can provide complementary information: DW-MRI on water diffusion with high spatial resolution but without cellular specificity, and DW-MRS on cell-type specific metabolite diffusion but with a limited spatial resolution (single-volume) and at a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

To meet the needs of sophisticated tissue and cell modeling strategies to derive quantitative microstructural measures both techniques have to be sensitized to specific length scales and structural features. This can only be achieved by constant development in sequence design, diffusion-encoding, tissue modeling, data processing, and technical equipment.

This research topic aims to attract contributions from all these fields targeting DW-MRI and DW-MRS improvement to accomplish two fundamental goals: (1) providing unique intra-voxel distributions of a set of diffusion parameters instead of an averaged value; allowing the identification of multiple compartments and tissue microstructure, (2) enabling higher accuracy and precision in derived quantitative values. Acquisitional, computational, and pulse design technological breakthroughs have positioned DW-MRI and DW-MRS as powerful emerging modalities for studying biological media, from muscle to the central nervous system, exhibiting extraordinary sensitivity and specificity in differentiating normal from pathologic cell-level processes and microstructural alterations.

We welcome studies and manuscripts covering all aspects of DW-MRI, DW-MRS, tissue/cell modeling, study protocol design, or technical innovation: from theoretical studies focusing on the mathematical and physiological background of tissue microstructural modeling, to technical developments, to phantom studies, to novel acquisition and sampling strategies, to improved diffusion encoding techniques, to clinical studies. We are encouraging the submission of the following types of manuscripts: original research and brief research reports, methods, protocols and study protocols, review and mini review, perspective, hypothesis and theory, technology and code, clinical trial, case report, classification, and data report. Topics for submitted papers can be in one of the following general categories:

- Development of processing methods, instrumentation, or experimental design of DW-MRI and DW-MRS.

- Introduction of new theoretical or simulation models to DW-MRI or DW-MRS.

- In vivo (human and animal), in vitro, in silico, phantom, and ex vivo studies are welcome.

Keywords: Diffusion, MRI, Spectroscopy, Metabolites, Microstructure, Brain, Body

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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