The role of diffusion MRI in neuroscience

Diffusion‐weighted imaging has pushed the boundaries of neuroscience by allowing us to examine the white matter microstructure of the living human brain. By doing so, it has provided answers to fundamental neuroscientific questions, launching a new field of research that had been largely inaccessibl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:NMR in biomedicine 2019-04, Vol.32 (4), p.e3762-n/a
Main Authors: Assaf, Yaniv, Johansen‐Berg, Heidi, Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anatomy
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Biological products
Brain
Brain - anatomy & histology
Cognitive science
connections
Diffusion
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Functional plasticity
Historical account
Humans
Magnetic resonance imaging
Medical imaging
Models, Neurological
Nerve Net - physiology
Nervous system
Neuroimaging
Neuronal Plasticity
Neuroscience
Neurosciences
plasticity
Substantia alba
tractography
white matter
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Summary:Diffusion‐weighted imaging has pushed the boundaries of neuroscience by allowing us to examine the white matter microstructure of the living human brain. By doing so, it has provided answers to fundamental neuroscientific questions, launching a new field of research that had been largely inaccessible. We briefly summarize key questions that have historically been raised in neuroscience concerning the brain's white matter. We then expand on the benefits of diffusion‐weighted imaging and its contribution to the fields of brain anatomy, functional models and plasticity. In doing so, this review highlights the invaluable contribution of diffusion‐weighted imaging in neuroscience, presents its limitations and proposes new challenges for future generations who may wish to exploit this powerful technology to gain novel insights. Diffusion weighted imaging informs about brain regions' structural connectivity and structural connectivity defines brain regions' functional specificity. The application of diffusion weighted imaging in living specimen is also an unique opportunity to study the functional plasticity of the brain.
ISSN:0952-3480
1099-1492
DOI:10.1002/nbm.3762