White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Function

In recent years, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) has been increasingly used to explore the relationship between white matter structure and cognitive function. This technique uses the passive diffusion of water molecules to infer properties of the surrounding tissue. DW-MRI has been extensively employed to investigate how individual differences in behavior are related to variability in white matter microstructure on a range of different cognitive tasks and also to examine the effect experiential learning might have on brain structural connectivity. Using diffusion tensor tractography, large white matter pathways have been traced in vivo and used to explore patterns of white matter projections between different brain regions. Recent findings suggest that diffusion-weighted imaging might even be used to measure functional differences in water diffusion during task performance. This review describes some research highlights in diffusion-weighted imaging and how this technique can be employed to further our understanding of cognitive function.

[1]  René S. Kahn,et al.  Functional Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Measuring Task-Related Fractional Anisotropy Changes in the Human Brain along White Matter Tracts , 2008, PloS one.

[2]  Timothy Edward John Behrens,et al.  Training induces changes in white matter architecture , 2009, Nature Neuroscience.

[3]  P. Basser,et al.  Diffusion tensor MR imaging of the human brain. , 1996, Radiology.

[4]  I. Koerte,et al.  Diffusion Tensor Imaging , 2014 .

[5]  Derek K. Jones,et al.  Cortical Network for Gaze Control in Humans Revealed Using Multimodal MRI , 2011, Cerebral cortex.

[6]  Ethan R. Buch,et al.  Cortical and subcortical interactions during action reprogramming and their related white matter pathways , 2010, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[7]  Masud Husain,et al.  Expert Cognitive Control and Individual Differences Associated with Frontal and Parietal White Matter Microstructure , 2010, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[8]  Timothy Edward John Behrens,et al.  Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Tractography-Based Parcellation of the Human Parietal Cortex and Comparison with Human and Macaque Resting-State Functional Connectivity , 2011, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[9]  D. Le Bihan,et al.  Direct and fast detection of neuronal activation in the human brain with diffusion MRI. , 2006, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[10]  R. E. Schmidt,et al.  Toward accurate diagnosis of white matter pathology using diffusion tensor imaging , 2007, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[11]  Derek K. Jones,et al.  Symmetries in human brain language pathways correlate with verbal recall , 2007, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[12]  Lutz Jäncke,et al.  White matter plasticity in the corticospinal tract of musicians: A diffusion tensor imaging study , 2009, NeuroImage.

[13]  John Russell,et al.  Dysmyelination Revealed through MRI as Increased Radial (but Unchanged Axial) Diffusion of Water , 2002, NeuroImage.

[14]  Jacques-Donald Tournier,et al.  Diffusion tensor imaging and beyond , 2011, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[15]  Timothy Edward John Behrens,et al.  Non-invasive mapping of connections between human thalamus and cortex using diffusion imaging , 2003, Nature Neuroscience.

[16]  Stefan Skare,et al.  See Blockindiscussions, Blockinstats, Blockinand Blockinauthor Blockinprofiles Blockinfor Blockinthis Blockinpublication Extensive Blockinpiano Blockinpracticing Blockinhas Blockinregionally Specific Blockineffects Blockinon Blockinwhite Blockinmatter Blockindevelopment , 2022 .

[17]  Geraint Rees,et al.  Relating Introspective Accuracy to Individual Differences in Brain Structure , 2010, Science.

[18]  Patrick C M Wong,et al.  White Matter Anisotropy in the Ventral Language Pathway Predicts Sound-to-Word Learning Success , 2011, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[19]  Tom Eichele,et al.  Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex Activity Predicts Post-Error Adaptations in Task-Related Visual and Motor Areas , 2011, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[20]  R. Poldrack,et al.  Microstructure of Temporo-Parietal White Matter as a Basis for Reading Ability Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging , 2000, Neuron.

[21]  B. Wandell,et al.  Children's Reading Performance is Correlated with White Matter Structure Measured by Diffusion Tensor Imaging , 2005, Cortex.

[22]  C. Liston,et al.  Frontostriatal microstructure modulates efficient recruitment of cognitive control. , 2006, Cerebral cortex.

[23]  Scott D. Brown,et al.  Cortico-striatal connections predict control over speed and accuracy in perceptual decision making , 2010, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[24]  P. Basser,et al.  Estimation of the effective self-diffusion tensor from the NMR spin echo. , 1994, Journal of magnetic resonance. Series B.

[25]  D. Salat,et al.  Choice reaction time performance correlates with diffusion anisotropy in white matter pathways supporting visuospatial attention. , 2005, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[26]  C. Beaulieu,et al.  The basis of anisotropic water diffusion in the nervous system – a technical review , 2002, NMR in biomedicine.

[27]  Michael S. Gazzaniga,et al.  Functional Connectivity: Integrating Behavioral, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data Sets , 2005, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

[28]  Timothy Edward John Behrens,et al.  Integrity of white matter in the corpus callosum correlates with bimanual co-ordination skills , 2007, NeuroImage.

[29]  Derek K. Jones,et al.  Estimating the number of fiber orientations in diffusion MRI voxels : a constrained spherical deconvolution study , 2010 .

[30]  Xiujuan Geng,et al.  Short-term meditation induces white matter changes in the anterior cingulate , 2010, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[31]  Heidi Johansen-Berg,et al.  Individual Differences in White-Matter Microstructure Reflect Variation in Functional Connectivity during Choice , 2007, Current Biology.