Quantification of Diffusivities of the Human Cervical Spinal Cord Using a 2D Single-Shot Interleaved Multisection Inner Volume Diffusion-Weighted Echo-Planar Imaging Technique

DTI parameters: longitudinal (A) and transversal diffusivities (B) and FA (C) of the cervical spinal cord of healthy controls by using 2 different coils (custom-made coil, 14 controls; clinical coil, 6 controls).

A, FA and RGB maps of 3 contiguous sections and T2WI of the center section from a healthy volunteer. The FA map shows uniform values throughout the cord. The RGB map demonstrates that the principal direction of diffusivity is along the longitudinal direction, as depicted in blue. The T2WI shows a normal cervical cord without atrophy of lesions. B, FA, RGB map, and T2WI from patient 2 with severe diskogenic disease and stenosis at C3/4, C4/5, and C5/6. There is a loss of FA values at the sites of stenosis. The RGB map shows admixing of colors at similar levels.