[Diffusion tensor analysis: principles and applications].

Diffusion tensor analysis represents a versatile yet powerful application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Early applications of diffusion weighted imaging(DWI), especially those related to ischemic brain disease were quickly overshadowed by more advanced applications of DTA, namely, those dealing with anisotropy analysis. Considering the array of possibilities, from neuronal tract tracing to neuronal density imaging, DTA is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool not only in neuroscience but also in clinical investigations of the brain.