MR tractography with diffusion tensor imaging in clinical routine

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 334 - 343
• Main Authors: NGUYEN, T. H, YOSHIDA, M, STIEVENART, J. L, IBA-ZIZEN, M. T, BELLINGER, L, ABANOU, A, KITAHARA, K, CABANIS, E. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.05.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anisotropy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Brain Diseases - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Case-Control Studies; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Nervous system; Neurology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Perception; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pyramidal Tracts - pathology; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiology; Stroke - diagnosis; Vision; Visual Cortex - pathology; Visual Pathways - pathology; Visual cortex; Nervous system diseases; Radiodiagnosis; MRI; Tractography; Central nervous system; Diffusion imaging; Optic tracts; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; White matter; Encephalon; Optic tract; Diffusion tensor; Visual pathway
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-005-1338-z

Using MRI, we demonstrated that the depiction of the cerebral white matter fiber tracts has become a routine procedure. Diffusion tensor (DT) sequences may be analyzed with combined volume analysis and tractography extraction software, giving indirect visualization of white matter connections. We obtained DT data from 20 subjects with normal MR imaging and five patients presenting cerebral diseases such as brain tumors, multiple sclerosis and stroke, with five patients explored on two different MR scanners. Data were transferred to dedicated workstations for anatomical realignment, determination of voxel eigenvectors and calculation of fiber tract orientations in a region of interest. In all subjects, axonal directions underlying the main neuronal pathways could be delineated. Comparisons between diseased regions and contralateral areas demonstrated changes in voxel anisotropy in injured regions, revealing possible preferential fiber orientations within diffuse T2 hyperintensities. Rapid data processing allows imaging of the normal and diseased fiber pathways as part of the routine MRI examination. Therefore, it appears that whenever white matter disease is suspected a tractography can be performed with this fast and simple method that we proved to be reliable and reproducible.