Considerations and recommendations from the ISMRM diffusion study group for preclinical diffusion MRI : Part 1: In vivo small-animal imaging

Summary

The first paper in the ISMRM preclinical diffusion MRI series presents community recommendations for imaging living small animals. It covers model selection, preparation, acquisition, processing, and interpretation, with an emphasis on reproducibility. The authors also identify open methodological questions and resources for sharing data and software.

Scope

Preclinical diffusion MRI supports method development, biological validation, disease studies, and comparative anatomy. This review describes the experimental choices that shape in vivo small-animal studies, from species and model selection to monitoring, scanner hardware, pulse sequences, preprocessing, and tractography. It brings together recommendations from the preclinical diffusion community and points readers to publicly available datasets and software. The authors explicitly present a snapshot of best practices rather than a formal consensus on every topic. Their central aim is to improve rigor and reproducibility while showing where evidence remains insufficient for firm guidance.

Topics covered

• Covers the full workflow from animal preparation to interpretation.
• Explains how model, hardware, and acquisition choices affect the scientific question.
• Identifies open questions and public resources for reproducible research.