April 11, 2013

Speaker: Rochelle Albert, Ontario Tech University

Title: Investigating the Effects of an Inhomogeneous Cellular Environment, when Modelling the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Diffusion Weighted Imaging

Abstract: An overview behind the physics of MR imaging will briefly be introduced, with greater emphasis placed on how this imaging modality can be refined to measure diffusion levels in the brain i.e. Diffusion Weighted Imaging. The challenge behind modelling inhomogeneous cellular media of the brain will be examined, and a coupled system of one-dimensional cellular and extracellular channels will be posed as a model for this complex problem. An analytical approach to measuring the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient of the system will be explored, by utilizing both probability theory (generating a displacement probability distribution), and finding a solution to a mixed boundary eigenvalue problem. A root finding (secant) continuation algorithm will be introduced as a method for obtaining an infinite array of eigenvalues. Finally, preliminary results for the displacement distribution and ADC of the uncoupled system will be presented, alongside highlights for future endeavors for the coupled model.