Exploring CSD for High-Resolution Diffusion Imaging of the Cervical Spinal Cord Ex Vivo

Motivation: CSD is a technique widely used to analyse diffusion-weighted imaging data in the brain. The utility of CSD in the spinal cord, particularly at high resolutions, remains unexplored. Goal(s): To assess the feasibility of CSD to resolve crossing fibres in cervical spinal cord ex vivo at 9.4 T. Approach: CSD methods were tested on 200 mm isotropic resolutions Stejskal-Tanner DWI acquired with multiple b-values. Results: For the first time, we showed the benefit of using CSD to accurately depict crossing fibres in the spinal cord. CSD accurately delineate axonal projections from GM motoneurons traversing into the WM, consistent with known anatomical data. Impact: This study demonstrates CSD's effectiveness in high-resolution diffusion imaging to map complex spinal cord microstructures, precisely resolving crossing fibres and axonal projections. These insights significantly enhance anatomical understanding, paving the way for improved clinical assessments of spinal cord pathways.