Diffusion dictionary imaging (DDI) of microstructure and inflammation

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for inflammation imaging, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, implement:

• receiving one or more magnetic resonance (MR) signals;
• recording the one or more MR signals to at least one memory device;
• retrieving one or more DDI algorithms from the at least one memory device;
• retrieving, from a diffusion dictionary, one or more microstructural component diffusion patterns;
• reconstructing a diffusion MRI image based on the one or more MR signals using the retrieved one or more DDI algorithms and the one or more microstructural component diffusion patterns, the DDI algorithms including extraction of neuroinflammation signals;
• detecting one or more microstructural features of the reconstructed diffusion MRI image;
• and
• associating the one or more microstructural features with at least one immune response.

A system, comprising:

• at least one MRI scanner coupled to a network, wherein the at least one MRI scanner configured to:
• detect one or more MRI signals;
• and
• transmit the one or more MRI signals over a network;
• a diffusion dictionary imaging (DDI) computing device, the DDI computing device including at least one memory and a processor, wherein the DDI computing device is coupled to the network and is configured to:
• receive the one or more MR signals from the at least one MRI scanner via the network;
• record the one or more MR signals to the at least one memory device;
• retrieve one or more DDI algorithms from the at least one memory device;
• retrieving, from a diffusion dictionary, one or more microstructural component diffusion patterns;
• reconstruct a diffusion MRI image based on the one or more MR signals using the retrieved one or more DDI algorithms and the one or more microstructural component diffusion patterns, the DDI algorithms including extraction of neuroinflammation signals;
• detect one or more microstructural features of the reconstructed diffusion MRI image;
• and
• associate the one or more microstructural features with at least one immune response.