Three-dimensional phase-based diffusion imaging using RF phase-modulated gradient echo imaging with Stack-of-Stars

Motivation: There is increased interest in high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI); however, conventional DWI methods have limitations such as image distortion and motion sensitivity. Goal(s): To demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution DWI using phase-based diffusion with radial Stack-of-Stars acquisition (PBD-SoS). Approach: To evaluate PBD-SoS, quantitative ADC measurements were performed with a phantom and compared with conventional methods. In vivo imaging was performed to demonstrate the clinical feasibility of PBD-SoS. Results: The results showed ADC values of the phantom measured using PBD-SoS were consistent (R2=0.99) with conventional DWI, and there were fewer motion artifacts compared to conventional methods in vivo. Impact: PBD-SoS enables high-resolution DWI that is robust to motion, which can be particularly beneficial for body imaging where motion artifacts are common. While current PBD-SoS scans may take longer, future implementation of acceleration techniques could overcome this limitation.