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CONCLUSION: DT fiber tractography can frequently depict almost the entire optic radiation. MPG
number does not exert any significant effect on visualization of the optic radiation, and 6-directional
MPG is thus sufficient for this purpose.
BRAIN
weighted images were visually inspected by 2 authors for apparent be a challenge for diffusion tensor fiber tractography.10 Anteroposte-
artifacts due to subject motion and instrument malfunction, and no rior distance between the anterior tip of the Meyer loop and the pos-
significant image deterioration was found. In our DT imaging dataset, terior end of the lateral geniculate body on an axial section was de-
there was low eddy-current–related geometric distortion between im- fined as a loop index (Fig 1). The loop index was considered to
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
ages obtained in each MPG direction; thus, postprocessing distortion represent the course and location of the Meyer loop. Difference in the
correction was not applied for this dataset. Fractional anisotropy (FA) loop index among different MPG numbers was evaluated statistically
and color map images14 were calculated from diffusion-weighted im- by using analysis of variance.
ages. DT fiber tractography was made by using the “fiber assignment In addition to analyzing its shape, we counted the number of fibers
by continuous tracking” method.5,15 in the optic radiation for both cerebral hemispheres by a function of
DtiStudio software, and any difference due to MPG number was eval-
Fiber Tract Reconstruction uated statistically by using a generalized linear mixed model, which is
Fiber tract reconstruction used a start and stop FA threshold of 0.25,16 an extension of analysis of variance and regression analysis and has
according to the FA threshold of 0.25– 0.35 for fiber tract reconstruc- also been widely used in life science.21 For the all statistical evalua-
tion recommended by Mori et al16 and Stieltjes et al.17 We also used an tions, values of P ⬍ .05 were considered significant.
inner product stop threshold of 0.34, prohibiting angles of ⬎70° dur-
ing tracking.18 A relatively large angle threshold was used so that the Results
optic radiation coursing in an acute angle at the Meyer loop could be FA value in the first ROI in the occipital lobe showed 0.29 ⫾
reconstructed. To reconstruct tracts of the optic radiation, we used a 0.028 in 6 MPG, 0.26 ⫾ 0.025 in 12 MPG, 0.26 ⫾ 0.029 in 40
multiple region-of-interest (ROI) approach to exploit existing ana- MPG, and 0.26 ⫾ 0.039 in 81 MPG (values are mean values of
tomic knowledge of tract trajectories.19 This method has low sensitiv- 24 hemispheres ⫾ SD). The FA value in the first ROI placed at
ity to the ROI size and location and is highly beneficial for reproduc- the 6-MPG setting was significantly higher than that at other 3
ible reconstruction of prominent white matter tracts with known MPG settings (P ⫽ .0007).
trajectories.19 When multiple ROIs were used for a tract reconstruc- The FA value in the second ROI placed in the lateral genic-
tion, we used 3 types of operations: AND, OR, and NOT. Choice of ulate body showed 0.39 ⫾ 0.03 at 6 MPG, 0.35 ⫾ 0.037 at 12
operations depended on the characteristic trajectory of the tract.6 MPG, 0.35 ⫾ 0.052 at 40 MPG, and 0.38 ⫾ 0.071 at 81 MPG.
The first ROI was placed in the occipital lobe on a reconstructed The FA value in the second ROI at the 6-MPG setting was
coronal image with an OR operation, and after we placed the first significantly higher than that at 12- and 40-MPG settings, and
ROI, the fibers penetrating this region were shown on axial, coronal, the FA value in the second ROI at the 81-MPG setting was
and sagittal images. The second ROI was manually placed in the lat- significantly higher than that at the 40-MPG setting (P ⫽
eral geniculate body on a reconstructed sagittal image with an AND .002).
SNR for each MPG setting showed 30.8 ⫾ 2.28 at 6 MPG, did not exert any significant effect on visualization of the
30.6 ⫾ 1.80 at 12 MPG, 30.1 ⫾ 1.90 at 40 MPG, and 30.0 ⫾ optic radiation. This study is the first to analyze the rela-
1.29 at 81 MPG. There was no significant difference in SNR tionship between DT fiber tractography of the optic radia-
value among different MPG settings (P ⫽ .708). tion and MPG number.
The loop index (anteroposterior distance between the an- The largest eigenvector (1), indicating the direction of
terior tip of the Meyer loop and the posterior end of the lateral greatest diffusivity, is generally assumed to align with the di-
geniculate body) was 16.2 ⫾ 5.38 at 6 MPG, 20.5 ⫾ 7.69 at 12 rection of fiber bundles and thus represents an indispensable
MPG, 17.7 ⫾ 7.03 at 40 MPG, and 16.5 ⫾ 6.91 at 81 MPG. parameter for DT ellipsoid-based fiber tractography.5,8 In an
There was no significant difference in loop index among dif- estimation of DT parameters, 30 independent directional
ferent MPG settings (P ⫽ .13). MPGs have been reported as desirable for analysis of diffusiv-
The optic radiation was well visualized along the full length ity, and 20 independent directional MPGs have been reported
by DT fiber tractography in 20 of 24 hemispheres (83%). No as desirable for analysis of anisotropy.9 For calculation of DT
significant differences in number of fibers were noted among parameters, particularly eigenvector, a smaller MPG number
6-, 12-, 40-, and 81-MPG settings (Fig 2) (P ⫽ .53; 6 MPG, may introduce directional biases and reduced directional pre-
25.7 ⫾ 23.0; 12 MPG, 32.8 ⫾ 29.3; 40 MPG, 27.7 ⫾ 24.0; 81 cision, whereas a larger MPG number can introduce more
MPG, 24.3 ⫾ 20.6). robust tensor ellipsoid estimation.9,22-24 The minimal math-
ematic requirement for DT calculation is 6 independent direc-
Discussion tional MPG settings, and this may allow relatively short imag-
In this study, the optic radiation was well visualized along ing time. Conversely, settings like 40 or 81 independent MPGs
the full length by DT fiber tractography in 20 of 24 hemi- may involve relatively longer imaging times. However, the
spheres (83%). Contrary to our hypothesis, MPG number amount of imaging time is limited in most clinical situations.