Feasibility and utility of multishell diffusion weighted imaging acquisition is comparable to standard DTI sequences used in clinical settings.

Motivation: Multi-shell diffusion sequences can support data models that help provide greater specificity to tissue microstructure when standard-of-care clinical diffusion acquisition schemes (using b=0, 1000) fail. Goal(s): To show that multi-shell acquisitions can produce results comparable to those of standard-of-care clinical acquisitions in addition to supporting the implementation of higher order diffusion models. Approach: Standard DTI metrics like FA and MD were compared in specific regions of interest in participant data collected using both a, (1) standard diffusion acquisition and (2) multishell diffusion sequence. NODDI metrics were also calculated for our multishell data. Results: FA and MD metrics obtained from both acquisitions were comparable. Impact: Our study shows that a multishell diffusion sequence is suitable to meet standard clinical outcomes but is also capable of greater data acquisition (within regular scan time) which enables complex diffusion model implementations and hence, quantify tissue microstructure more precisely.