title: The CONNECT project: Combining macro- and micro-structure.
abstract: In recent years, diffusion MRI has become an extremely important tool for studying the morphology of living brain tissue, as it provides unique insights into both its macrostructure and microstructure. Recent applications of diffusion MRI aimed to characterize the structural connectome using tractography to infer connectivity between brain regions. In parallel to the development of tractography, additional diffusion MRI based frameworks (CHARMED, AxCaliber, ActiveAx) were developed enabling the extraction of a multitude of micro-structural parameters (axon diameter distribution, mean axonal diameter and axonal density). This unique insight into both tissue microstructure and connectivity has enormous potential value in understanding the structure and organization of the brain as well as providing unique insights to abnormalities that underpin disease states. The CONNECT (Consortium Of Neuroimagers for the Non-invasive Exploration of brain Connectivity and Tracts) project aimed to combine tractography and micro-structural measures of the living human brain in order to obtain a better estimate of the connectome, while also striving to extend validation of these measurements. This paper summarizes the project and describes the perspective of using micro-structural measures to study the connectome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. asafyan@zahav.net.il
authors.forename: Yaniv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Assaf
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Derek K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Albero
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bizzi
authors.forename: Tim E J
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: Chris A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Tim B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Dyrby
authors.forename: Petra S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Huppi
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Knoesche
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lebihan
authors.forename: Geoff J M
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poupon
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anaby
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anwander
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bar
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barazany
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blumenfeld-Katzir
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De-Santis
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duclap
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Figini
authors.forename: Elda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fischi
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guevara
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Shir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Saad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jbabdi
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lazeyras
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebois
authors.forename: Matthew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Liptrot
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lundell
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.forename: David Moreno
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: Darya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morozov
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seunarine
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nava
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poupon
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riffert
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sasson
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Noam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.forename: Stam N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulos
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tavor
authors.forename: Hui Gary
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng-Lei
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D063132:Connectome / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*