Reducing Invalid Connections with Microstructure-Driven Tractography

International audienceDiffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) tractography has become the tool of choice to probe thehuman brain's white matter (WM) in vivo. However, tractography algorithms produce a large numbererroneous/invalid streamlines [1] largely due to complex ambiguous local fiber configurations (e.g. crossing,kissing or fanning). Moreover, the relationship between the resulting streamlines and the underlying WMmicrostructure characteristics, such as axon diameter, remains poorly understood [2]. The distinctive aspect of ourtractography algorithm from previous methods is the active use of microstructure information about fascicles duringthe tracking. This enables us to solve areas of complex tissue configuration and separate parallel fascicles withdifferent microstructure characteristics, hence improving the overall tractography process