Diffusion tensor imaging and tractwise fractional anisotropy statistics: quantitative analysis in white matter pathology

BACKGROUND Information on anatomical connectivity in the brain by measurements of the diffusion of water in white matter tracts lead to quantification of local tract directionality and integrity. METHODS The combination of connectivity mapping (fibre tracking, FT) with quantitative diffusion fractional anisotropy (FA) mapping resulted in the approach of results based on group-averaged data, named tractwise FA statistics (TFAS). The task of this study was to apply these methods to group-averaged data from different subjects to quantify differences between normal subjects and subjects with defined alterations of the corpus callosum (CC). RESULTS TFAS exhibited a significant FA reduction especially in the CC, in agreement with region of interest (ROI)-based analyses. CONCLUSION In summary, the applicability of the TFAS approach to diffusion tensor imaging studies of normal and pathologically altered brains was demonstrated.