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Diffusion tensor tractography of the human brain cortico‐ponto‐cerebellar pathways: A quantitative preliminary study
Author(s) -
Kamali Arash,
Kramer Larry A.,
Frye Richard E.,
Butler Ian J,
Hasan Khader M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.22330
Subject(s) - tractography , diffusion mri , cerebellum , human brain , neuroscience , medicine , human connectome project , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , psychology , functional connectivity
Purpose To investigate the utility of diffusion tensor tractography at 1mm slice thickness to map and quantify the whole trajectory of different cortico‐ponto‐cerebellar pathways of the healthy adult human brain. Materials and Methods This work was approved by the local Institutional Review Board, and was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. Five healthy right‐handed men (age range, 24–37 years) were studied and written informed consent was obtained. Diffusion tensor imaging data acquired with 1‐mm slice thickness at a 3.0 Tesla (T) clinical MRI scanner were prepared and analyzed using tractography methods to reconstruct the cortico‐ponto‐cerebellar pathways which included the fronto‐ponto‐cerebellar, parieto‐ponto‐cerebellar, occipito‐ponto‐cerebellar, and temporo‐ponto‐cerebellar tracts. Results We demonstrate the feasibility of tractographic mapping and quantification of the four cortico‐ponto‐cerebellar system components based on their cortical connections in the healthy human brain using DTI data with thin 1‐mm sections. Conclusion In vivo quantification of different cortico‐ponto‐cerebellar pathways based on cortical connection is feasible, using 1‐mm slices at 3.0T. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:809–817. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.