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Atlas of white matter anatomy with fiber tractography by diffusion tensor MRI

e-Poster: P50
Congress: ESNR 2006
Type: ESNR - Scientific Poster
Topic: Other
Authors: J. Castedo, A. Duque, E. Roa, P. Rodrigo; Madrid/ES

MeSH: Neuroanatomy [G01.100.700]

Keywords: MRI, Anatomy, Tractography, Diffusion Tensor

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1. Purpose

Fiber tractography (FT) of the white matter using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a recent magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) technique that allows visualizing the anatomy and the integrity of the white matter tracts. The purpose of this study is to
represent bi-dimensionally and three-dimensionally the pathway of the main white fibers based on high-spatial-resolution DTI
data and to expose our methodology.

2. Methods and Materials

A 1.5-T MR unit (Intera; Philips Medical Systems, Best, The Netherlands) was used. DTI data were acquired by using a
single-shot-planar imaging sequence with the sensitivity-encoding, or SENSE, parallel-imaging scheme (reduction factor,
2.0). The imaging matrix was 112 x 112, with a field of view of 224 x 224 mm. Transverse sections of 2.0 mm thickness were
acquired parallel to the anterior commisure-posterior commisure line. A total of 60 sections covered the entire hemisphere and
brainstem without gaps. Diffusion weighting was encoded along 30 independent orientations, and the b value was 800 mm 2
/sec. The DTI datasets were transferred to a workstation and processing using PRIDE V4 (Philips, Best, The Netherlands) for
anatomical realignment, determination of voxel eigenvectors and calculation of fiber tracts orientation in a region of interest.
On the DT imaging colour maps, red, green, and blue colours were assigned to right-left, anterior-posterior, and
superior-inferior orientations, respectively (Figs. 1-6). We study the main white matter tracts in five patients: four healthy
volunteers, two men and two women, aged from 26 to 42 years, without history of neurologic abnormality, and in one male
patient with a metastatic lesion in the brainstem, aged 50 years. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

3. Results

In all subjects, axonal directions underlying the main neuronal pathways could be delineated. We show bi-dimensionally and
three-dimensionally the following tracts of white matter: corpus callosum and tapetum (Fig. 7); corpus callosum (Figs. 8-9);
limbic system (Figs. 10-11) that includes cingulum, fornix and stria terminalis; cortico-spinal tract (Figs. 12-13), anterior
commissure (Fig. 14), association fibers (Figs. 15-18), that includes inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal
fasciculus, superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus; pedunculus
cerebellaris inferior (Fig. 19); pedunculus cerebellaris superior (Fig. 20); pedunculus cerebellaris medius (Figs. 21-22) and
optic pathway (Figs. 23-24). Tracts were superimposed on coregistered anatomic MR images.

4. Conclusions

Fiber tracking by diffusion tensor imaging obtained additional or unique findings in the study of anatomy of white matter
tracts using DTI-FT in comparison with those obtained by using conventional MR imaging. Nevertheless, the diffusion tensor
calculation to deliniate the underlying axonal structures is often an oversimplification; in many cases, DTI results are biased by
the dominant axonal component. These images may prove useful for educational, teaching and clinical purposes. The depiction
of the cerebral white matter architecture has become a routine procedure.

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5. References

- Nguyen TH, Yoshida M, Stievanart JL, et al. MR tractography with diffusion tensor imaging in clinical routine.
Neuroradiology 2005; 47:334-343.
- Wakana S, Jiang H, Nagae-Poetscher LM, et al. Fiber tract-based atlas of human white matter anatomy. Radiology
2004; 230:77-87
- Concha L, Gross DW, Beaulieu C. Diffusion tensor tractography of the limbic system. AJNR 2005; 29(9):2267-74
- Masutani Y, Aoki S, Abe O, et al. MR diffusion tensor imaging: recent advance and new techniques for diffusion tensor
visualization. Eur J Radiol 2003; 46(1):53-66
- Bammer R, Auer M, Keeling SL, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging using single-shot SENSE-EPI. Magn Reson Med 2002;
48:128-136
- Catani M, Howard RJ, Pajevic S, et al. Virtual in vivo interactive dissection of white matter fasciculi in the human brain.
Neuroimage 2002; 17:77-94

6. Personal Information

Dr. Julio Castedo Valls ( j.castedo@telefonica.net )

Dra. Alicia Duque Taurá

Dra. Elena Roa Martínez

Dr. Pablo Rodrigo Ewart

Technical support : José Manuel Escobar

Department of Neuroradiology

Hospital Madrid-Montepríncipe

Av. Montepríncipe, 25

28660 Boadilla del Monte

Madrid, SPAIN

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7. Mediafiles:

Fig. 1. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of pedunculus cerebellaris medium. cpt/cst: corticopontine tract and corticospinal tract; icp: inferior
cerebellar peduncle; mcp: middle cerebellar peduncle; ml: medial lemniscus; pct: pontine crossing tract.

Fig. 2. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of pedunculus cerebellaris superior. dscp: decussation of superior cerebellar peduncles; ilf: inferior
longitudinal fasciculus; scp: superior cerebellar peduncle; unc: uncinate fasciculus.

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Fig. 3. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of cerebral peduncles. cp: cerebral peduncles; cpt/cst: corticopontine tract and corticospinal tract; ifo:
inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus; ilf: inferior longitudinal fasciculus.

Fig. 4. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of anterior commissure. ac: anterior commissure; ifo/ilf: inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and inferior
longitudinal fasciculus; pc: posterior commissure.

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Fig. 5. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of genu and splenium of corpus callosum. acr: anterior corona radiata; alic: anterior limb of internal
capsule; ec: external capsule; ecc: splenium of corpus callosum; fmaj: forceps major; fmin: forceps minor; gcc: genu of corpus callosum; pcr: posterior corona
radiata; plic: posterior limb of internal capsule.

Fig. 6. Axial fractional anisotropy colour map.

Axial fractional anisotropy colour map at the level of body of corpus callosum. cc: corpus callosum; scr: superior corona radiata; sfo: superior
fronto-occipital fasciculus; slf: superior longitudinal fasciculus.

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Fig. 7: Corpus callosum and tapetum

3-D depiction of the callosal fibers; lateral-oblique view. Corticortical connections through corpus callosum and the thin tracts that project to temporal lobes
(tapetum). The tapetum sweeps inferiorly along the lateral marging of the posterior horn of the lateral ventricle.

Fig. 8. Corpus callosum

3-D depiction of callosal fibers. Superior view. Corticocortical connections through corpus callosum. The projections from the genu of the corpus callosum
form the forceps minor; those from the splenium form the forceps major.

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Fig. 9. Corpus callosum

3-D depiction of callosal fibers. Lateral view superimposed on coregistered MR imaging B=0 for slices.

Fig. 10. Limbic system: Cingulum

3-D depiction of limbic system fibers; lateral view of the cingulum superimposed on coregistered anatomic MR image B=0 for slices. The cingulum is a
bundle of fibers placed in the white matter of the gyrus cinguli. It spreads from the subcallosal area with form of arch round the corpus callosum.

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Fig. 11. Limbic system: Fornix and stria terminalis

3-D depiction of limbic system fibers, lateral view of the fornix and stria terminalis superimposed on coregistered anatomic MR image B=0 for slices. The
fornix is easily reconstructed at its body, which projected into the hipothalamus, but its differentiation from stria terminalis is not clear with this resolution (2
mm).

Fig. 12. Cortico-spinal tract

3-D depiction of cortico-spinal tract, the major projection fibers, anterior view, superimposed on coregistered anatomic MR image B=0 for slices. ROI's were
placed on pedunculus cerebri and pre- and postcentral gyri.

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Fig. 13. Cortico-spinal tract

3-D depiction, anterior view, of mass effect over cortico-spinal tract by a metastatic lesion in the brainstem.

Fig. 14. Anterior Commissure

3-D depiction of the anterior commissure, anterior view, superimposed on coregistered anatomic MR image B=0 for slices. It is a transversal communication
between both hemispheres, placed behind the lamina terminalis and is visible in the anterior segment of the third ventricle.

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Fig. 15. Association fibers: Inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus.

3-D depiction of right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, a long range association fibers, superimposed on fractional anisotropy slice. Superior view.

Fig. 16. Association fibers: Superior longitudinal fasciculus.

3-D depiction of right superior longitudinal fasciculus, a long range association fibers that connects frontal, temporal and occipital lobes, superimposed on
fractional anisotropy slice. Superior view.

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Fig. 17. Association fibers: Superior fronto-occipital fasciculus.

3-D depiction of right superior fronto-occipital fasciculus (anterior and superior segment), a long range association fibers, superimposed on B=0 slice.
Superior view.

Fig. 18. Association fibers: Inferior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus

3-D depiction of inferior longitudinal fasciculus, a long-range association fibers that connects temporal and occipital lobes, and uncinate fasciculus, that
connects the low region of the frontal lobe and the anterior region of the temporal lobe, superimposed on B=0 slice. Lateral view.

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Fig. 19. Pedunculus cerebellaris inferior

3-D depiction of pedunculus cerebellaris inferior, that connects the cerebellum with spinocerebellaris posterior tract (Flechsig's fasciculus) and oliva.
Superimposed on coregistered MR image B=0 for slices, lateral view.

Fig. 20. Pedunculus cerebellaris superior.

3-D depiction of pedunculus cerebellaris superior, that connects the cerebellum with brainstem, includes anterior spinocerebellaris tract (Gowers's tract).
Superimposed on coregistered MR image B=0 for slices, superior view.

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Fig. 21. Pedunculus cerebellaris medius

3-D depiction of the pedunculus cerebellaris medius, superimposed on fractional anisotropy slice. Superior view.

Fig. 22. Pedunculus cerebellaris medius.

3-D depiction of the pedunculus cerebellaris medius and pontine crossing tract, superior view.

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Fig. 23. Optic pathway.

3-D depiction of the optic tracts, between the optic chiasm and the lateral geniculate body, superimposed on coregistered inversion-recovery T1-weighted
image. Superior view.

Fig. 24. Optic pathway.

3-D depiction of the optic pathway, including optic nerves, chiasm (where it is possible to estimate partially the decussation of the fibers), optic tracts and
medial optic radiations. Lateral-oblique view.

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