Investigation of water molecule metabolism in in vivo and ex vivo models using time-dependent diffusion MRI with long diffusion times

Motivation: The metabolic function of water molecules in the brain can be used for understanding the pathogenesis of many neurological diseases and for the development of new drugs; however, it is not yet elucidated. Goal(s): Our goal was to elucidate water dynamics using non-invasive time-dependent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (td-DWI). Approach: Three-dimensional diffusion-weighted imaging was performed to evaluate signal changes in in vivo and ex vivo models under the same brain temperature conditions. Results: The difference in the signal change between the two models indicates that td-DWI can be used to observe the metabolic function of water molecules. Impact: The ability to evaluate signal changes using noninvasive td-DWI with the same temperature settings for in vivo and ex vivo models suggest a new tool for elucidating the metabolic functions of water molecules.