As the 40th anniversary of diffusion MRI approaches, now is the perfect time to celebrate the progress made, according to Prof. Denis Le Bihan, PhD, the radiologist and physicist credited with inventing the technique.
Le Bihan, the founder of NeuroSpin, part of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), recently published an open-access article in English on the topic in the Japanese Journal of Radiology, "From Brownian motion to virtual biopsy: A historical perspective from 40 years of diffusion MRI." In 2022, he received the prestigious Antoine Béclère Medal at the French national radiology congress (JFR) in recognition of his contributions to diffusion MRI, which enabled the development of a treatment for acute stroke.
In a video interview, he reflects on how the field has developed from the early days of basic diffusion measurement techniques to the current state-of-the-art microstructure imaging and tractography methods, becoming an indispensable tool for both preclinical and clinical research. He also speaks about the 11.7-tesla prototype MRI scanner he helped install near Paris, and he discusses his latest research on the imaging particularities of musical brains.
Looking ahead, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is holding a workshop in Kyoto, Japan, "40 Years of Diffusion: Past, Present & Future Perspectives," from 16 to 20 February 2025. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of diffusion MRI, including the development of new pulse sequences, modeling, advancements in data analysis and image processing including AI, and applications in various areas of biomedical research (from neurology to psychiatry and oncology). Recent advances in diffusion MRI, both in terms of methodological developments and applications, will also be addressed.
"As I have said to the organizers, most of the attendees were still in elementary school or not even born when diffusion MRI started!" Le Bihan told AuntMinnieEurope.com.
Video produced by Christof.G.Pelz | GRAFIFANT Creation | www.grafifant.at | 2024
