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Diffusion tensor quantification of the macrostructure and microstructure of human midsagittal corpus callosum across the lifespan
Author(s) -
Hasan Khader M.,
EwingCobbs Linda,
Kramer Larry A.,
Fletcher Jack M.,
Narayana Ponnada A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
nmr in biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.278
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1099-1492
pISSN - 0952-3480
DOI - 10.1002/nbm.1286
Subject(s) - corpus callosum , diffusion mri , anatomy , biology , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology
The midsagittal cross‐sectional area of the human corpus callosum (CC) has been used by many researchers as a marker of development, natural aging, and neurodegenerative and acquired pathologies. The availability of non‐invasive MRI methods for quantifying the macrostructural and microstructural organization of the CC would help to clarify the CC contribution to behavior and cognition in both health and disease. In this report, we extended and validated the ability of a recently described semi‐automated diffusion tensor imaging tissue segmentation method to utilize the high orientation contrast of the CC on diffusion tensor imaging. Using a cohort of healthy right‐handed children and adults aged 7–59 years, we show gender‐independent non‐linear (quadratic) and strongly correlated growth trends in the CC area and the corresponding diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy ( r = 0.67; P < 1 × 10 −10 ). Our results provide preliminary evidence that diffusion tensor anisotropy in the living CC may be related to the number of small myelinated fibers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.