Incollection,
An Introduction to Visualization of Diffusion Tensor Imaging and its Applications
Visualization and Image Processing of Tensor Fields, Springer-Verlag, In Press.(2005)
Abstract
Water dffusion is anisotropic in organized tissues such as white matter
and muscle. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a non-invasive MR technique,
measures water self-diffusion rates and thus gives an indication
of the underlying microstructure of tissue. The diffusion rate is
often expressed by a second-order tensor. Visualizing DTI in an
insightful way is challenging because of the high dimensionality
of the diffusion tensor and the complex spatial relationships in
a diffusion tensor field. This chapter surveys the different visualization
techniques that have been developed for DTI and compares their main
characteristics and drawbacks. We also discuss some of the many
biomedical applications in which DTI helps extend our understanding
or improve clinical procedures. We conclude with an overview of
open problems and research directions.
