Brain DTI MRI — Diffusion Tensor Imaging in the Inland Empire
Brain DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) is an advanced MRI technique that maps the brain’s white-matter tracts — the bundles of nerve fibers that carry signals between brain regions. By measuring how water molecules move along these pathways, DTI can reveal microstructural brain injury that conventional MRI and CT scans often miss, making it one of the most valuable imaging studies available for documenting traumatic brain injury.
What Is Diffusion Tensor Imaging?
In healthy white matter, water molecules move predominantly along the direction of nerve fibers. When those fibers are stretched, sheared, or torn — as commonly happens in auto accidents, falls, and other head trauma — that organized movement breaks down. DTI detects and quantifies this disruption:
- White-matter tract mapping – visualizes the brain’s fiber pathways in detail, including tractography reconstructions
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements – objective, quantifiable metrics that identify areas where white-matter integrity is reduced
- Detection of diffuse axonal injury – the shearing-type injury characteristic of acceleration/deceleration trauma, frequently invisible on standard imaging
- Complement to conventional brain MRI – performed alongside a standard brain MRI protocol for a complete neurological picture
DTI for Traumatic Brain Injury Documentation
Many patients with mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) have persistent, life-altering symptoms — headaches, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, mood changes — yet their conventional CT and MRI scans are read as normal. Brain DTI addresses this gap:
- Objective evidence of injury – quantitative FA values and tract analysis provide measurable data, not just subjective symptom reports
- Supports post-concussion evaluation – helps document the physical basis for persistent post-concussive symptoms
- Detailed radiologist interpretation – every DTI study is interpreted by a board-certified radiologist with a comprehensive written report
- Timely scheduling – priority appointments for personal injury patients referred by their treating physician
Where Is Brain DTI Available?
Brain DTI MRI is performed exclusively at our San Bernardino Open MRI Medical Corp location on the FUJI Oasis Velocity 1.2T high-field open MRI. Call (909) 999-8844 to schedule or learn more.