A taxonomic guide to diffusion MRI tractography visualization tools

Abstract

Visualizing neuroimaging data is a key step in evaluating data quality, interpreting results, and communicating findings. This survey focuses on diffusion MRI tractography, which has been widely used in both research and clinical domains within the neuroimaging community. With an increasing number of tractography tools and software, navigating this landscape poses a challenge, especially for newcomers. A systematic exploration of a diverse range of features is proposed across 27 research tools, delving into their main purpose and examining the presence or absence of prevalent visualization and interactive techniques. The findings are structured within a proposed taxonomy, providing a comprehensive overview. Insights derived from this analysis will help (novice) researchers, clinicians, and developers in identifying knowledge gaps and navigating the landscape of tractography visualization tools.