Imaging of brain tumors: functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging

Abstract

The eloquent brain can be identified using functional MR (fMR) imaging for the gray matter and diffusion tensor (DT) imaging for the white matter. fMR imaging and DT imaging are especially important for patients with tumors near the important motor and language centers of the brain, where the normal anatomic references may be distorted by the tumor and associated edema. This article explains fMR imaging and DT imaging techniques and illustrates their clinical applications and limitations.