Conductivity tensor mapping of the human brain using diffusion tensor MRI

Knowledge of the electrical conductivity properties of excitable tissues is essential for relating the electromagnetic fields generated by the tissue to the underlying electrophysiological currents. Efforts to characterize these endogenous currents from measurements of the associated electromagnetic fields would significantly benefit from the ability to measure the electrical conductivity properties of the tissue noninvasively. Here, using an effective medium approach, we show how the electrical conductivity tensor of tissue can be quantitatively inferred from the water selfdiffusion tensor as measured by diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging. The effective medium model indicates a strong linear relationship between the conductivity and diffusion tensor eigenvalues (respectively, sigma and d) in agreement with theoretical bounds and experimental measurements presented here (sigma /d approximate to 0.844 +/- 0.0545 S.s/mm(3), r(2) = 0.945). The extension to other biological transport phenomena is also discussed.