An investigation of the white matter microstructure in motion detection using diffusion MRI

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1570; pp. 35 - 42
• Main Authors: Csete, Gergő, Szabó, Nikoletta, Rokszin, Alice, Tóth, Eszter, Braunitzer, Gábor, Benedek, György, Vécsei, László, Kincses, Zsigmond Tamás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 27.06.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Anisotropy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - anatomy & histology; Brain - physiology; Differential Threshold - physiology; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; DTI; Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Motion detection; Motion Perception - physiology; MRI; Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neurology; Photic Stimulation; Psychophysics; Signal Detection, Psychological - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Vision; White Matter - anatomy & histology; White Matter - physiology; White matter microstructure; Young Adult; DTI; Motion detection; MRI; Vision; White matter microstructure; Motion; Perception; Diffusion; Medical screening; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; White matter
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.05.006

Abstract One of the most widely investigated functions of the brain is vision. Whereas special attention is often paid to motion detection and its modulation by attention, comparatively still little is known about the structural background of this function. We therefore, examined the white matter microstructural background of coherent motion detection. A random-dot kinematogram paradigm was used to measure the sensitivity of healthy individuals׳ to movement coherence. The potential correlation was investigated between the motion detection threshold and the white matter microstructure as measured by high angular resolution diffusion MRI. The Track Based Spatial Statistics method was used to address this correlation and probabilistic tractography to reveal the connection between identified regions. A significant positive correlation was found between the behavioural data and the local fractional anisotropy in the posterior part of the right superior frontal gyrus, the right juxta-cortical superior parietal lobule, the left parietal white matter, the left superior temporal gyrus and the left optic radiation. Probabilistic tractography identified pathways that are highly similar to the segregated attention networks, which have a crucial role in the paradigm. This study draws attention to the structural determinant of a behavioural function.