Quantitative fiber bundle-based analysis of diffusion-weighted MRI data

Abstract

We presented a new method for the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data sets that uses fiber bundles to enhance the quantitative analysis. By utilizing bundles the occurrence of adverse interpolation effects at the boundaries of white matter structures as a result of the non-linear spatial normalization is prevented. The method was used to assess hemi-spheric differences in selected fiber bundles using Fractional Anisotropy (FA) maps of 46 healthy volunteers. A statisti-cal analysis was performed and adequate correction methods were employed to deal with statistical errors. In various bundles, statically significant differences were observed that are in line with the literature. © 2012 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston.