The invention provides a computer-implemented method for detecting changes in rates of water diffusion in a tissue. The invention also provides a computer program product for use in the detection of changes in rates of water diffusion in a tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) comprising a computer useable medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, wherein the computer program product is capable of storing and analyzing data input from a MRI device. The invention also provides a computer system, comprising a processor and a computer program product of the invention. The invention also provides a tissue imaging system, comprising a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device capable of outputting data to a processor; a processor; and, a computer program product of the invention embodied within the processor.