An introduction to visualization of diffusion tensor imaging and its applications

Water diffusion is anisotropic in organized tissues such as white matterand muscle. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a non-invasive MR technique, measureswater self-diffusion rates and thus gives an indication of the underlying tissuemicrostructure. The diffusion rate is often expressed by a second-order tensor. InsightfulDTI visualization is challenging because of the multivariate nature and thecomplex spatial relationships in a diffusion tensor field. This chapter surveys thedifferent visualization techniques that have been developed for DTI and comparestheir main characteristics and drawbacks. We also discuss some of the many biomedicalapplications in which DTI helps extend our understanding or improve clinicalprocedures. We conclude with an overview of open problems and research directions.