title: Estimating Fiber Orientation Distribution Functions in 3D-Polarized Light Imaging.
abstract: Research of the human brain connectome requires multiscale approaches derived from independent imaging methods ideally applied to the same object. Hence, comprehensible strategies for data integration across modalities and across scales are essential. We have successfully established a concept to bridge the spatial scales from microscopic fiber orientation measurements based on 3D-Polarized Light Imaging (3D-PLI) to meso- or macroscopic dimensions. By creating orientation distribution functions (pliODFs) from high-resolution vector data via series expansion with spherical harmonics utilizing high performance computing and supercomputing technologies, data fusion with Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging has become feasible, even for a large-scale dataset such as the human brain. Validation of our approach was done effectively by means of two types of datasets that were transferred from fiber orientation maps into pliODFs: simulated 3D-PLI data showing artificial, but clearly defined fiber patterns and real 3D-PLI data derived from sections through the human brain and the brain of a hooded seal.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Axer
authors.affiliation: Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Research Centre JülichJülich, Germany; Research Centre Jülich, Simulation Lab Neuroscience, Bernstein Facility for Simulation and Database Technology, Institute for Advanced SimulationJülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strohmer
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gräßel
authors.affiliation: Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Research Centre Jülich Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bücker
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dohmen
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reckfort
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and MedicineJülich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany; JARA Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain MedicineAachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zilles
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and MedicineJülich, Germany; C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-University DüsseldorfDüsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amunts
keywords: 3D-PLI; ODF; connectome; fiber architecture; human brain; polarized light imaging