Imaging cortical association tracts in the human brain using diffusion-tensor-based axonal tracking.
Diffusion-tensor fiber tracking was used to identify the cores of several long-association fibers, including the anterior (ATR) and posterior (PTR) thalamic radiations, and the uncinate (UNC), superior longitudinal (SLF), inferior longitudinal (ILF), and inferior fronto-occipital (IFO) fasciculi. Tracking results were compared to existing anatomical knowledge, and showed good qualitative agreement. Guidelines were developed to reproducibly track these fibers in vivo. The interindividual variability of these reconstructions was assessed in a common spatial reference frame (Talairach space) using probabilistic mapping. As a first illustration of this technical capability, a reduction in brain connectivity in a patient with a childhood neurodegenerative disease (X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy) was demonstrated.
Mori
Susumu
S
Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. susumu@mri.jhu.edu
Kaufmann
Walter E
WE
Davatzikos
Christos
C
Stieltjes
Bram
B
Amodei
Laura
L
Fredericksen
Kim
K
Pearlson
Godfrey D
GD
Melhem
Elias R
ER
Solaiyappan
Meiyappan
M
Raymond
Gerald V
GV
Moser
Hugo W
HW
van Zijl
Peter C M
PC
D000326:Adrenoleukodystrophy / Q000473:pathology; D020643:Anterior Thalamic Nuclei / Q000473:pathology; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology; D004058:Diffusion; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology*; D020656:Posterior Thalamic Nuclei / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values