Microstructural parcellation of the human brain

Neuroimage. 2018 Nov 15:182:219-231. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.036. Epub 2018 Feb 26.

Abstract

The human cerebral cortex is composed of a mosaic of areas thought to subserve different functions. The parcellation of the cortex into areas has a long history and has been carried out using different combinations of structural, connectional, receptotopic, and functional properties. Here we give a brief overview of the history of cortical parcellation, and explore different microstructural properties and analysis techniques that can be used to define the borders between different regions. We show that accounting for the 3D geometry of the highly folded human cortex is especially critical for accurate parcellation. We close with some thoughts on future directions and best practices for combining modalities.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cerebral Cortex / anatomy & histology*
  • Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Neuroimaging / methods*