American Journal of Neuroradiology 26:2267-2274, October 2005
© 2005 American Society of Neuroradiology
BRAIN
Diffusion Tensor Tractography of the Limbic System
a Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
b the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Address correspondence to Christian Beaulieu, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 1098 Research Transition Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2V2, Canada
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The limbic system, relevant to memory and emotion, is an interesting subject of study in healthy and diseased individuals. It consists of a network of gray matter structures interconnected by white matter fibers. Although gray matter components of this system have been studied by using MR imaging, the connecting fibers have not been analyzed to the same degree. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) signal intensity contamination of the fornix and cingulum, the 2 major white matter tracts of the limbic system, can alter diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) measurements and affect tractography. We investigated the effect of CSF signal intensity suppression on fiber tracking of the limbic connections and characterized the diffusion properties of these structures in healthy volunteers.
METHODS: Nine healthy individuals were scanned with standard and CSF-suppressed DTI. Tractography of the fornix and cingulum was performed for both acquisition methods. We report mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy measurements of the crus, body, and columns of the fornix, and descending, superior, and anterior portions of the cingulum.
RESULTS: Diffusion measurements were improved and tractography was facilitated by using CSF-suppressed DTI. In particular, tract volume increased, whereas decreases of the mean diffusivity and increases of diffusion anisotropy more accurately represented the underlying tissue by minimizing deleterious partial volume averaging from CSF. This was particularly true for the fornix because it is in closest contact to CSF. Diffusion measurements throughout the limbic connections were consistent in healthy volunteers.
CONCLUSION: We recommend the use of CSF suppression when performing diffusion-tensor tractography of the limbic system.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  J. Y. Wang, K. Bakhadirov, M. D. Devous Sr, H. Abdi, R. McColl, C. Moore, C. D. Marquez de la Plata, K. Ding, A. Whittemore, E. Babcock, et al. Diffusion Tensor Tractography of Traumatic Diffuse Axonal Injury Arch Neurol, May 1, 2008; 65(5): 619 - 626. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. D. Greicius, K. Supekar, V. Menon, and R. F. Dougherty Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cereb Cortex, April 9, 2008; (2008) bhn059v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Okada, Y. Miki, K. Kikuta, N. Mikuni, S. Urayama, Y. Fushimi, A. Yamamoto, N. Mori, H. Fukuyama, N. Hashimoto, et al. Diffusion Tensor Fiber Tractography for Arteriovenous Malformations: Quantitative Analyses to Evaluate the Corticospinal Tract and Optic Radiation AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2007; 28(6): 1107 - 1113. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Yamamoto, Y. Miki, S. Urayama, Y. Fushimi, T. Okada, T. Hanakawa, H. Fukuyama, and K. Togashi Diffusion Tensor Fiber Tractography of the Optic Radiation: Analysis with 6-, 12-, 40-, and 81-Directional Motion-Probing Gradients, a Preliminary Study AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2007; 28(1): 92 - 96. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. J. Eluvathingal, H. T. Chugani, M. E. Behen, C. Juhasz, O. Muzik, M. Maqbool, D. C. Chugani, and M. Makki Abnormal brain connectivity in children after early severe socioemotional deprivation: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Pediatrics, June 1, 2006; 117(6): 2093 - 2100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|