Diffusion tensor imaging and tractwise fractional anisotropy statistics: quantitative analysis in white matter pathology.
BACKGROUND
Information on anatomical connectivity in the brain by measurements of the diffusion of water in white matter tracts lead to quantification of local tract directionality and integrity.


METHODS
The combination of connectivity mapping (fibre tracking, FT) with quantitative diffusion fractional anisotropy (FA) mapping resulted in the approach of results based on group-averaged data, named tractwise FA statistics (TFAS). The task of this study was to apply these methods to group-averaged data from different subjects to quantify differences between normal subjects and subjects with defined alterations of the corpus callosum (CC).


RESULTS
TFAS exhibited a significant FA reduction especially in the CC, in agreement with region of interest (ROI)-based analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, the applicability of the TFAS approach to diffusion tensor imaging studies of normal and pathologically altered brains was demonstrated.
Mueller
Hans-Peter
HP
Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. mueller.neuulm@freenet.de
Unrath
Alexander
A
Sperfeld
Anne D
AD
Ludolph
Albert C
AC
Riecker
Axel
A
Kassubek
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical