Multi-tensor diffusion abnormalities of gray matter in an animal model of cortical dysplasia.

Focal cortical dysplasias are characterized by abnormal cyto- and myelo- architecture and represent a frequent cause of epilepsy. In some cases these lesions are macroscopically subtle, often going undetected by several conventional imaging techniques, thus warranting the development of alternative imaging methods for their diagnosis. Novel methods for the analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging permit the investigation of the complex architecture of the cortex. Through spatial analysis of diffusion metrics using a multi-tensor approach we demonstrate abnormalities in an animal model of cortical dysplasia that reflect myeloarchitecture disarrangement as seen by histology.