DTI brain imaging for injury patients.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced MRI technique that tracks how water moves along the brain’s nerve fibers. Healthy fibers guide water in one direction. Damaged fibers change that pattern, and DTI can map where.
What it can show.
- Changes in the white matter that connects different areas of the brain
- Patterns associated with diffuse axonal injury, the stretching and shearing of nerve fibers in a sudden stop or impact
- Areas worth correlating with symptoms such as headaches, memory problems, slowed thinking and fog
Why it matters to the case
A concussion often leaves a standard brain MRI and CT looking normal even when the patient clearly is not.
DTI adds a structural view of the white matter, and pairs with BrainView testing, which measures how the brain is functioning.
What the visit is like
DTI is taken during a brain MRI, so the visit and preparation are the same.
It usually adds several minutes to the scan and needs no injection.
Read the full preparation guide
