What can magnetic resonance tractography teach us about human brain anatomy?

Diffusion tractography allows scientists to visualize and determine the location of white matter in the brain. If current technological challenges associated with MRT are recognized and overcome, such as limitations in its accuracy and quantification, this imaging technique could make a significant contribution to the field of brain connectivity and to an understanding of how information and signals are transmitted across the brain, according to Saad Jbabdi and Heidi Johansen-Berg, University of Oxford, U.K., in the review article entitled, "Tractography: Where Do We Go from Here?"

"This emerging technology offers a new window into human brain anatomy. The technique has enormous potential for revealing the architecture of the human brain and its breakdown in disease. Recent developments mean that some of the limitations and challenges associated with this technique could be effectively tackled in the near future" says Heidi Johansen-Berg, PhD, co-author and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain.

More information: "Tractography: Where Do We Go from Here?" is available free online for a short period of time at http://www.liebert … ub.com/brain

Provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.