Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function

Magn Reson Imaging. 2006 May;24(4):463-74. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2006.01.007. Epub 2006 Mar 6.

Abstract

Studying the intersection of brain structure and function is an important aspect of modern neuroscience. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the last 25 years has provided new and powerful tools for the study of brain structure and function. Two tools in particular, diffusion imaging and functional MRI (fMRI), are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating the complementary aspects of brain structure and function. In this work, we review basic technical features of diffusion imaging and fMRI for studying the integrity of white matter structural components and for determining the location and extent of cortical activation in gray matter, respectively. We then review a growing body of literature in which the complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI, applied as separate examinations but analyzed in tandem, have been exploited to enhance our knowledge of brain structure and function.

MeSH terms

  • Brain Diseases / metabolism*
  • Diffusion
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / statistics & numerical data
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology
  • Motor Cortex / physiology
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Visual Cortex / physiology

Substances

  • Oxygen