Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Quantitative Tractography of Skeletal Muscle for Microstructural Tissue Characterization

This thesis aims to investigate the use of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as a non-invasive tool to study the structure and organization of human skeletal muscle. By analyzing the diffusion of water molecules, DTI can uniquely probe the microstructure of skeletal muscle providing valuable information that other imaging tools cannot. The first aim is exploring the feasibility of using DTI and tractography to accurately represent muscle structure in the presence of imaging noise. Noise produces a random perturbation of the diffusion tensor, which can shift the eigenvectors and produce incorrect results. Various tractography algorithms are compared to determine which is the least susceptible to noise and the minimum signal-to- noise ratio for reliable results is established. The second aim is to use the tractography results to elucidate and quantify a 3D fabric structure to ultimately determine muscle quality objectively. Tracking of the secondary eigenvector, novel to the DTI field, is introduced and investigated.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Gharibans, Armen A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Georgiadis, John G.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging
• Tractography
• Skeletal Muscle

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Armen Alex Gharibans

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24477

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/24477