White Matter Matters
This project visualizes a DT-MRI data set of a human brain using hyperstreamlines.
Project Links
Technical DocumentSource Code/Executable
User Guide
The program takes in the binary tensor data and outputs the points where the fractional anisotropy is high.Run the Makefile in unix.
Details
The project analyzes diffusion tensor MRI data sets. The process involves mapping the tractography of the diffusion tensor using the eigenvectors and eigenvalues. The tensor field is reduced to a vector field, allowing the use of hyperstreamlines for the visualization.
Background
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI) is a technology that non-invasively measures the diffusion of water in tissue, such as white matter in the brain. White matter is comprised of pathways that connect nerve cells together and consists of myelin-encased fiber bundles. Water diffuses asymmetrically along axon bundles, so white matter appears especially visible. DTI has become a useful tool in the study of white matter anatomy and neurological disorders caused by white matter abnormalities.