A new study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping described a new imaging technique calledcorrelated diffusion imaging (CDI). Researchers revealed that the CDI technique highlighted the differencesin how water molecules moved in tissue by capturing and mixing MRI signals at different gradient pulsestrengths and timings.

Systems design engineering professor Alexander Wong developed this new technique at the University ofWaterloo. He revealed that the imaging technique was initially developed for detecting cancer.

However, a team of researchers from the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest used the CDI to study theeffect of COVID infection on the brain. The study’s findings showed that the diffusion of the watermolecules in the white matter of the frontal lobe was less restricted in COVID-19 patients. In contrast, thediffusion rate was limited in the cerebellum of patients with COVID-19.

Based on these results, Mr. Wong suggested that the two regions of the brain respond differently toCOVID infection. He noted that the cerebellum is more vulnerable to COVID infection than the frontallobe. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1090428 )