Merits and Limits of Tractography Techniques for the Uninitiated

Christopher Nimsky; Miriam Bauer; Barbara Carl

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-21359-0_2

Merits and Limits of Tractography Techniques for the Uninitiated

Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg. 2016:(43):37-60. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-21359-0_2.

Authors

Christopher Nimsky¹, Miriam Bauer², Barbara Carl²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, Marburg, 35033, Germany. [email protected].
² Department of Neurosurgery, University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, Marburg, 35033, Germany.

PMID: 26508405
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-21359-0_2

Abstract

The implementation of fiber tracking or tractography modules in commercial navigation systems resulted in a broad availability of visualization possibilities for major white matter tracts in the neurosurgical community. Unfortunately the implemented algorithms and tracking approaches do not represent the state of the art of tractography strategies and may lead to false tracking results. The application of advanced tractography techniques for neurosurgical procedures poses even additional challenges that relate to effects of the individual anatomy that might be altered by edema and tumor, to stereotactic inaccuracies due to image distortion, as well as to registration inaccuracies and brain shift.

Keywords: Diffusion modeling; Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging; Fiber tracking; Functional navigation; Major white matter tracts; Tractography.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Diffusion Tensor Imaging / methods*
Diffusion Tensor Imaging / standards*
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / standards
Multimodal Imaging / methods
Multimodal Imaging / standards
Neuronavigation / methods*
Neuronavigation / standards*
Neurosurgical Procedures / methods*
Neurosurgical Procedures / standards*
Reproducibility of Results