Introduction
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is an MRI modality that is sensitive to the random movement of water molecules. When this movement is hindered by membranes and macromolecules, water diffusion becomes anisotropic. In highly structured tissues such as muscle and nerve fibers, this anisotropy can be used to characterize local tissue structure. The purpose of the Diffusion Tools is to offer a means to analyze DT images and allow investigators to correlate changes in water diffusion to tissue integrity and function.The diffusion tool package is divided into three modules: Tensor Utility, Tensor Analysis and Fiber Tracking. The tensor utility tool reads in diffusion-weighted images and computes the diffusion tensor image. The tensor analysis tool in turn reads in the tensor image and computes diffusion-derived maps and region statistics. The fiber tracking program takes in the tensor image and generates fiber bundles and associated statistics. In order to use these tools, first invoke the diffusion tool from the main BioImage Suite menu and select from the "Diffusion" menu options.