Molecular diffusion, tissue microdynamics and microstructure
Abstract
Diffusion NMR is the only method available today that noninvasively provides information on molecular displacements over distances comparable to cell dimensions. This information can be used to infer tissue microstructure and microdynamics. However, data may be fairly difficult to interpret in biological tissues which differ markedly from the theoretical "infinite isotrope medium", as many factors may affect the NMR signal. The object of this paper is to analyze the expected effects of temperature, restriction, hindrance, membrane permeability, anisotropy and tissue inhomogeneity on the diffusion measurements. Powerful methods, such as q-space imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion spectroscopy of metabolites further enhance the specificity of the information obtained from diffusion NMR experiments.
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Brain diffusion MRI must be interpreted simultaneously through physics, biology, image contrast, and inverse problem theory.
“Brain diffusion MRI must, therefore, be interpreted simultaneously through physics, biology, image contrast, and inverse problem theory, making it a rich and powerful imaging modality (Jelescu & Budde, 2017; Le Bihan, 1995; Novikov et al., 2019).”
From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Le Bihan, 1995
As diffusion time increases, water molecules probe larger portions of the tissue environment and encounter more barriers or opportunities for exchange.
“As diffusion time increases, water molecules probe larger portions of the tissue environment and encounter more barriers or opportunities for exchange (Le Bihan, 1995; Novikov et al., 2019).”
From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Le Bihan, 1995
The simple scaling argument that water displacement is comparable with cellular dimensions is the conceptual bridge that makes diffusion MRI a sub-voxel probe of microstructure.
“This simple scaling argument is the conceptual bridge that makes diffusion MRI a sub-voxel probe of microstructure (Le Bihan, 1995).”
From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Le Bihan, 1995
Because the root-mean-square displacement during typical diffusion times is measured in micrometers rather than millimeters, diffusion weighting couples an image voxel to sub-voxel tissue organization and opens MRI to microstructural inference.
“Because the root-mean-square displacement during typical diffusion times is measured in micrometers rather than millimeters, diffusion weighting couples an image voxel to sub-voxel tissue organization and thereby opens MRI to microstructural inference (Le Bihan, 1995).”
From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Le Bihan, 1995
Cites
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Human brain: Proton diffusion MR spectroscopy
Posse, S., Cuenod, C. A., & Le Bihan, D. (1993) · Radiology · doi:10.1148/radiology.188.3.8351339 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
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Diffusion tensor imaging: Concepts and applications
Le Bihan, D., Mangin, J., Poupon, C., Clark, C. A., Pappata, S., Molko, N., & Chabriat, H. (2001) · Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging · doi:10.1002/jmri.1076 · Cited by 3,547 · see citing works
Diffusion tensor imaging of the brain
Alexander, A. L., Lee, J. E., Lazar, M., & Field, A. S. (2007) · Neurotherapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.nurt.2007.05.011 · Cited by 2,747 · see citing works
Looking into the functional architecture of the brain with diffusion MRI.
Le Bihan, D. (2003) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn1119 · Cited by 1,571 · see citing works
Analysis of partial volume effects in diffusion‐tensor MRI
Alexander, A. L., Hasan, K. M., Lazar, M., Tsuruda, J. S., & Parker, D. L. (2001) · Magnetic Resonance in Medicine · doi:10.1002/mrm.1105 · Cited by 695 · see citing works
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Hattingen, E., Jurcoane, A., Melber, J., Blasel, S., Zanella, F. E., Neumann-Haefelin, T., & Singer, O. C. (2010) · Neurosurgery · doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000367801.35654.ec · Cited by 111 · see citing works
MR connectomics: a conceptual framework for studying the developing brain
Hagmann, P., Grant, P. E., & Fair, D. A. (2012) · Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnsys.2012.00043 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers
Le Bihan, D. (2026) · Imaging Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/imag.a.1365
- Authors
- Bihan, D. L.
- Affiliations
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Bihan, Denis Le
- ORCID
- Bihan, Denis Le
- Venue
- NMR in Biomedicine
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1995-11
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 375-386
- ISSN
- 0952-3480 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1492
- OpenAlex
- W2098735497
- Cited by
- 497
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 1.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- NMR in Biomedicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › NMR spectroscopy and applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- molecular diffusion, diffusion NMR, tissue microstructure, restricted diffusion, hindered diffusion, membrane permeability, anisotropy, tissue heterogeneity, temperature effects, q-space imaging, diffusion tensor imaging
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Cell Membrane Permeability, Diffusion, Humans, Mathematics, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Temperature, Anisotropy
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