Why DTI Imaging Is Like The Day In 1967 That Sweden Changed Which Side Of The Road They Drove On

In September 1967 Sweden did the unthinkable and switched driving from the left side of the road to the right. Despite public outcry, the thinking was that it would make it easier for visitors from neighboring countries to avoid accidents, as they all drove on the right. Officials also believed that is would make the roads safer as Swedish cars' steering wheels were all on the right.

In true Scandinavian fashion, they called the initiative Dagen H or "Högertrafikomläggningen", (literally 'the right-hand traffic reorganization') and a huge PR push kicked off. The campaign included displaying the Dagen H logo on various commemorative items, including milk cartons and underwear. Swedish television held a contest for songs about the change, and the winning entry was "Håll dig till höger, Svensson" ('Keep to the right, Svensson') written by journalist Peter Himmelstrand and performed by The Telstars.

As you can see in the image above, the concerns voiced by the Swedish people were well founded as traffic jams piled up with confused drivers adjusting to the change.

These same "traffic jams" can be seen in the brain on a type of MRI called Diffusion Tensor Imaging, or DTI. DTI measures the movement of fluid throughout the brain, and since water is produced as a byproduct of normal neuronal metabolism we essentially see a "road map" of the brain.

The image below shows the intricate pathways of the brain on a DTI study. The colors are populated by a computer program and represent the direction of fluid flow.

Diffusion tensor imaging does an excellent job of confirming the clinical diagnosis of TBI, and at Ethos it is often paired with susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) and Neuroquant. It is important to remember that there is not any single test that stands alone to diagnosis TBI, but rather all the tests must be evaluated together. Diagnostics confirm the diagnosis already made by a clinician of brain injury, and help guide therapy and treatment for each patient.

This is why we caution both patients and attorneys to avoid placing too much weight in any single test result and whether it was positive or negative but rather to look at all the pieces of the puzzle together in totality.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our TBI testing, TBI rehab, or neurology evaluation, please reach out to Dr. Walker directly at 904-616-1284 or email drwalker@flspineandinjury.com.

Our goal at Ethos is the raise the standard of care across the country for patients suffering with concussions and increase the treatment options made available to them.