Abstract #0397

Mapping Short Association Fibers in Relation to Long-Range White Matter Tracts Using Quantitative Diffusion Tractography

Chloe Cho¹, Maxime Chamberland², Nancy R. Newlin³, Elyssa M. McMaster⁴, Jongyeon Yoon³, Daniel Moyer³, Bennett A. Landman⁴, and Kurt G. Schilling⁵

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ²Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands, ³Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁴Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁵Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Tractography, Tractography

Motivation: Short association fibers (SAFs) play an important role in cortical connections, however, their relationship to long-range (LR) white matter pathways remain unclear.

Goal(s): We aim to map SAFs in relation to 63 LR tracts and conduct volumetric analyses to better characterize structural connectivity at this interface.

Approach: We applied advanced quantitative diffusion tractography, leveraging a large-scale dataset with 1054 healthy participants (22-37 years old).

Results: Volumetric distributions characterized bundle-specific SAF and LR tract patterns. Notably, projection pathways demonstrated higher LR:SAF volumetric ratios whereas association and commissural pathways had the lowest LR:SAF ratios.

Impact: This study provides novel insights into the structural connectivity of SAFs in relation to LR tracts. Furthermore, the quantitative volumetric analyses of bundle-specific SAFs establish normative distributions, which will serve as necessary baselines for future studies in disease states.

How to access this content:

For one year after publication, abstracts and videos are only open to registrants of this annual meeting. Registrants should use their existing login information. Non-registrant access can be purchased via the ISMRM E-Library.

After one year, current ISMRM & ISMRT members get free access to both the abstracts and videos. Non-members and non-registrants must purchase access via the ISMRM E-Library.

After two years, the meeting proceedings (abstracts) are opened to the public and require no login information. Videos remain behind password for access by members, registrants and E-Library customers.

Click here for more information on becoming a member.