Abstract #4085

Diffusion Tractography Reveals Pervasive Asymmetry of Cerebral White Matter Tracts in the Bottlenose Dolphin

Alexandra Wright¹, Rebecca Theilmann², Sam Ridgway³, and Miriam Scadeng²

¹Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States, ²Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States, ³National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego

Summary

Brain enlargement is associated with concomitant growth of interneuronal distance, increased conduction time, and reduced neuronal interconnectivity. Recognition of these functional constraints led to the hypothesis that large-brained mammals should exhibit greater structural and functional brain lateralization. As a taxon with the largest brains in the animal kingdom, Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) provide a unique opportunity to examine asymmetries of brain structure and function. In the present study, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography were used to investigate cerebral white matter asymmetry in the bottlenose dolphin.

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