Multi-platform reproducibility of advanced diffusion weighted MRI parameters in phantoms and healthy volunteers

Quantitative diffusion imaging has an evolving role in tumour characterisation and disease monitoring. Most clinical DWI sequences use ADC derived from two b-values. Multiple b-value acquisition allows further biologically-relevant diffusion components to be interrogated using bi-, multi-and stretched exponential models; these require validation for application in multicentre trials. This study compared the reproducibility of ADC, IVIM and stretched exponential parameters across MRI platforms in two phantoms and healthy volunteers. Our initial results suggest highly reproducibility of all measured parameters in phantoms, and of ADC and IVIM in healthy brains. Stretched exponential data appear less reproducible in vivo.