Three‐dimensional tracking of axonal projections in the brain by magnetic resonance imaging

The relationship between brain structure and complex behavior is governed by large‐scale neurocognitive networks. The availability of a noninvasive technique that can visualize the neuronal projections connecting the functional centers should therefore provide new keys to the understanding of brain function. By using high‐resolution three‐dimensional diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and a newly designed tracking approach, we show that neuronal pathways in the rat brain can be probed in situ. The results are validated through comparison with known anatomical locations of such fibers. Ann Neurol 1999;45:265–269

[1]  D. Harriman,et al.  Progressive familial myoclonic epilepsy in three families: its clinical features and pathological basis. , 1955, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[2]  M. Yanoff,et al.  Lafora's Disease: Distinct Clinico-Pathologic Form of Unverricht's Syndrome , 1965 .

[3]  P. Mansfield.  Multi-planar image formation using NMR spin echoes , 1977 .

[4]  K. Ishak,et al.  Lafora disease: Diagnosis by liver biopsy , 1980, Annals of neurology.

[5]  S. Carpenter,et al.  Sweat gland duct cells in Lafora disease , 1981, Neurology.

[6]  L. Heimer,et al.  Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Methods , 1981, Springer US.

[7]  G. Paxinos,et al.  The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates , 1983 .

[8]  J Hennig,et al.  RARE imaging: A fast imaging method for clinical MR , 1986, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[9]  D. Rénier,et al.  Axilla skin biopsy: A reliable test for the diagnosis of Lafora's disease , 1987, Annals of neurology.

[10]  E S Lander,et al.  Homozygosity mapping: a way to map human recessive traits with the DNA of inbred children. , 1987, Science.

[11]  J. Weber,et al.  Abundant class of human DNA polymorphisms which can be typed using the polymerase chain reaction. , 1989, American journal of human genetics.

[12]  J. Tsuruda,et al.  Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of anisotropic water diffusion in cat central nervous system. , 1990, Radiology.

[13]  T. Chenevert,et al.  Anisotropic diffusion in human white matter: demonstration with MR techniques in vivo. , 1990, Radiology.

[14]  P van Gelderen,et al.  Restricted and anisotropic displacement of water in healthy cat brain and in stroke studied by NMR diffusion imaging , 1991, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[15]  G A Johnson,et al.  Diffusion‐weighted MR microscopy with fast spin‐echo , 1993, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[16]  R. Ordidge,et al.  Correction of motional artifacts in diffusion-weighted MR images using navigator echoes. , 1994, Magnetic resonance imaging.

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

[18]  P. Basser,et al.  MR diffusion tensor spectroscopy and imaging. , 1994, Biophysical journal.

[19]  J C Gore,et al.  Analysis and correction of motion artifacts in diffusion weighted imaging , 1994, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[20]  Hitoshi Matsuzawa,et al.  Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast magnetic resonance imaging of the rat nervous system: MR axonography , 1995, Neuroscience Research.

[21]  T E Conturo,et al.  Diffusion MRI: Precision, accuracy and flow effects , 1995, NMR in biomedicine.

[22]  I. Drury,et al.  The gene for progressive myoclonus epilepsy of the Lafora type maps to chromosome 6q. , 1995, Human molecular genetics.

[23]  E. Hsu,et al.  Analytical expressions for the NMR apparent diffusion coefficients in an anisotropic system and a simplified method for determining fiber orientation , 1995, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

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

[25]  T. L. Davis,et al.  Morphometry of in vivo human white matter association pathways with diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging , 1997, Annals of neurology.

[26]  J S Thornton,et al.  Anisotropic water diffusion in white and gray matter of the neonatal piglet brain before and after transient hypoxia-ischaemia. , 1997, Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

[27]  S. Scherer,et al.  Mutations in a gene encoding a novel protein tyrosine phosphatase cause progressive myoclonus epilepsy , 1998, Nature Genetics.

[28]  P. V. van Zijl,et al.  A motion correction scheme by twin‐echo navigation for diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging with multiple RF echo acquisition , 1998, Magnetic resonance in medicine.