Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The reproducibility of measurements using a standardization phantom for the evaluation of fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

It is necessary to standardize the examination procedure and diagnostic criteria of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the reproducibility of measurements using a standardization phantom composed of different fibre materials with different fibre densities (FDs) for the evaluation of fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI.

Materials and methods

Two types of fibre materials wrapped in heat-shrinkable tubes were used as fibre phantoms. We designed fibre phantoms with three different FDs of each fibre material. The standardization phantom was examined using DTI protocol six times a day, and each examination session was repeated once a month for 7 consecutive months. Fibre tracking was performed by setting regions of interest in the FA map, and FA was measured in each fibre phantom. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were used to evaluate the inter-examination reproducibility of FA values. Furthermore, Bland–Altman plots were used to evaluate the intra-operator reproducibility of FA measurements.

Results

All CVs for each fibre phantom were within 2% throughout the 7-month study of repeated DTI sessions. The high intra-operator reproducibility of the FA measurement was confirmed.

Discussion

High reproducibility of measurements using a standardization phantom for the evaluation of FA was achieved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Basser PJ, Mattiello J, Le Bihan D (1994) MR diffusion tensor spectroscopy and imaging. Biophys J 66:259–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Basser PJ (1995) Inferring microstructural features and the physiological state of tissues from diffusion-weighted images. NMR Biomed 8:333–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pierpaoli C, Jezzard P, Basser PJ, Barnett A, Chiro GD (1996) Diffusion tensor MR imaging of the human brain. Radiology 201:637–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pierpaoli C, Basser PJ (1996) Toward a quantitative assessment of diffusion anisotropy. Magn Reson Med 36:893–906

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Basser PJ, Jones DK (2002) Diffusion-tensor MRI: theory, experimental design and data analysis—a technical review. NMR Biomed 15:456–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Werring DJ, Clark CA, Barker GJ, Thompson AJ, Miller DH (1999) Diffusion tensor imaging of lesions and normal-appearing white matter in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 52:1626–1632

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dong Q, Welsh RC, Chenevert TL et al (2004) Clinical applications of diffusion tensor imaging. J Magn Reson Imaging 19:6–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Assaf Y, Pasternak O (2008) Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based white matter mapping in brain research: a review. J Mol Neurosci 34:51–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Poonawalla AH, Zhou XJ (2004) Analytical error propagation in diffusion anisotropy calculations. J Magn Reson Imaging 19:489–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ni H, Kavcic V, Zhu T, Ekholm S, Zhong J (2006) Effects of number of diffusion gradient directions on derived diffusion tensor imaging indices in human brain. Am J Neuroradiol 27:1776–1781

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kim SJ, Choi CG, Kim JK et al (2015) Effects of MR parameter changes on the quantification of diffusion anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient in diffusion tensor imaging: evaluation using a diffusional anisotropic phantom. Korean J Radiol 16:297–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Reischauer C, Staempfli P, Jaermann T, Boesiger P (2009) Construction of a temperature-controlled diffusion phantom for quality control of diffusion measurements. J Magn Reson Imaging 29:692–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Boujraf S, Luypaert R, Eisendrath H, Osteaux M (2001) Echo planar magnetic resonance imaging of anisotropic diffusion in asparagus stems. Magn Reson Mater Phy 13:82–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Yanasak N, Allison J (2006) Use of capillaries in the construction of an MRI phantom for the assessment of diffusion tensor imaging: demonstration of performance. Magn Reson Imaging 24:1349–1361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Farrher E, Kaffanke J, Celik AA, Stocker T, Grinberg F, Shah NJ (2012) Novel multisection design of anisotropic diffusion phantoms. Magn Reson Imaging 30:518–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Pullens P, Roebroeck A, Goebel R (2010) Ground truth hardware phantoms for validation of diffusion-weighted MRI applications. J Magn Reson Imaging 32:482–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Fillard P, Descoteaux M, Goh A et al (2011) Quantitative evaluation of 10 tractography algorithms on a realistic diffusion MR phantom. NeuroImage 56:220–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Watanabe M, Aoki S, Masutani Y et al (2006) Flexible ex vivo phantoms for validation of diffusion tensor tractography on a clinical scanner. Radiat Med 24:605–609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fieremans E, De Deene Y, Delputte S et al (2008) Simulation and experimental verification of the diffusion in an anisotropic fiber phantom. J Magn Reson 190:189–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Trudeau JD, Dixon WT, Hawkins J (1995) The effect of inhomogeneous sample susceptability on measured diffusion anisotropy using NMR imaging. J Magn Reson 108:22–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bland JM, Altman DG (1986) Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet 1:307–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tofts PS, Lloyd D, Clark CA et al (2000) Test liquids for quantitative MRI measurements of self-diffusion coefficient in vivo. Magn Reson Med 43:368–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Mr. Akira Hamano and Mr. Tatsuaki Nakano (TOYOBO CO., LTD., Osaka, Japan) for providing fibre materials.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Mitsuhiro Kimura, Hidetake Yabuuchi, Kazuya Nagatomo & Ryoji Mikayama

  2. Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Ryoji Matsumoto, Koji Kobayashi & Yasuo Yamashita

  3. Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Takeshi Kamitani, Koji Sagiyama & Yuzo Yamasaki

Authors
  1. Mitsuhiro Kimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hidetake Yabuuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ryoji Matsumoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Koji Kobayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yasuo Yamashita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kazuya Nagatomo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ryoji Mikayama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Takeshi Kamitani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Koji Sagiyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Yuzo Yamasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Study conception and design: HY. Acquisition of data: MK, HY, RM, KK, and YY. Analysis and interpretation of data: MK, HY, KN, and RM. Drafting of manuscript: MK. Critical revision: HY, TK, KS, and YY.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hidetake Yabuuchi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest that may have influenced or imparted bias on the work.

Ethical standards

All procedures in this study were on a phantom only. The editorial does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kimura, M., Yabuuchi, H., Matsumoto, R. et al. The reproducibility of measurements using a standardization phantom for the evaluation of fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Magn Reson Mater Phy 33, 293–298 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-019-00776-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-019-00776-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation