Visualization of vector fields derived from 3D polarized light imaging

Abstract

Polarized Light Imaging provides 3D fiber orientation models of brain connectivity at an ultra-high resolution. A vector is hereby assigned to each voxel as an estimate of fiber orientation in 3D space. In order to understand the spatial orientation of fibers and to analyze their course in the brain, visualization techniques are needed that keep the high resolution and make the large-volume data readable. We here present a new method for visualizing the entire vector field and prioritizing specific orientations or anatomical information, enabling for the first time the analysis of the complex architecture of nerve fibers at ultra-high resolution in 3D.