Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Diffusion tractography uses non-invasive brain imaging data to trace fibre bundles in the human brain in vivo. This raises immediate possibilities for clinical application but responsible use of this approach requires careful consideration of the scope and limitations of the technique. RECENT FINDINGS: To illustrate the potential for tractography to provide new information in clinical neuroscience we review recent studies in three broad areas: use of tractography for quantitative comparisons of specific white matter pathways in disease; evidence from tractography for the presence of qualitatively different pathways in congenital disorders or following recovery; use of tractography to gain insights into normal brain anatomy that can aid our understanding of the consequences of localised pathology, or guide interventions. SUMMARY: Diffusion tractography opens exciting new possibilities for exploring features of brain anatomy that previously were not visible to us in vivo.

Original publication

DOI

10.1097/01.wco.0000236618.82086.01

Type

Journal article

Journal

Curr Opin Neurol

Publication Date

08/2006

Volume

19

Pages

379 - 385

Keywords

Brain, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Humans, Nerve Net, Nervous System Diseases, Neurosciences, Neurosurgical Procedures