Mapping the human connectome and exploring its characteristics is one of the largest endeavors in the neuroscience field, but a detailed tractography atlas that provides the 3D trajectories in a standard space has yet to be constructed and validated. A tractography atlas can provide neuroanatomical insight into the structural organization of the human brain and allow for modeling, simulation, and confirmation of cortical connections to facilitate the new development of treatment and intervention for brain diseases. In this study, we propose to construct a high spatial and angular resolution tractography atlas using a large sample of the Human Connectome Project (HCP) diffusion MRI data, averaging them into a template for fiber tracking, validating the tracks by post-mortem Klingler microdissection on 100 cadavers under a neurosurgery microscope digitized using high resolution 3D scanners, and building a deep learning toolbox that allows for automatic track recognition in individuals. This study will construct the most detailed and accurate tractography of human connectome and provide a novel toolbox for future HCP data analysis.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research will construct an atlas of human brain fiber pathways and a related toolbox for track- specific analysis, aiming to understand the structural characteristics of brain connections in healthy individuals and provide track-specific analysis for brain imaging data.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
High Priority, Short Term Project Award (R56)
Project #
1R56MH113634-01A1
Application #
9771640
Study Section
Neuroscience and Ophthalmic Imaging Technologies Study Section (NOIT)
Program Officer
Freund, Michelle
Project Start
2018-09-18
Project End
2019-09-17
Budget Start
2018-09-18
Budget End
2019-09-17
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Neurosurgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004514360
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213