Microscopic Interpretation and Generalization of the Bloch-Torrey Equation for Diffusion Magnetic Resonance

Seroussi I, Grebenkov DS, Pasternak O, Sochen N. Microscopic Interpretation and Generalization of the Bloch-Torrey Equation for Diffusion Magnetic Resonance. J Magn Reson. 2017;277:95–103.

Abstract

In order to bridge microscopic molecular motion with macroscopic diffusion MR signal in complex structures, we propose a general stochastic model for molecular motion in a magnetic field. The Fokker-Planck equation of this model governs the probability density function describing the diffusion-magnetization propagator. From the propagator we derive a generalized version of the Bloch-Torrey equation and the relation to the random phase approach. This derivation does not require assumptions such as a spatially constant diffusion coefficient, or ad hoc selection of a propagator. In particular, the boundary conditions that implicitly incorporate the microstructure into the diffusion MR signal can now be included explicitly through a spatially varying diffusion coefficient. While our generalization is reduced to the conventional Bloch-Torrey equation for piecewise constant diffusion coefficients, it also predicts scenarios in which an additional term to the equation is required to fully describe the MR signal.
Last updated on 02/24/2023