Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography Tutorial and Introduction to Major White Matter Tract Anatomy and Function

DTI is frequently acquired in clinical practice during the preoperative evaluation and clinical work-up of patients; however, many radiology practices still do not routinely provide postprocessed 3-dimensional images of the white matter tracts to the clinical services that ordered these studies. With standardized imaging and postprocessing techniques and a basic understanding of white matter anatomy, tractography can be performed quickly and reliably in clinical practice, often using postprocessing software that is already available for use by the radiologist. This article outlined the DTI protocol used at our institution, discussed the preferred locations of ROIs, addressed the optimal tractography parameters, and detailed the anatomy and function of the major white matter tracts.

Learning Objectives: 1) To describe the general physics principles behind DTI; 2) describe the proper locations for ROI placement when performing tractography of the major white matter tracts; 3) name white matter tracts based on shape, configuration, and position in the brain; and 4) describe functions of each of the major white matter tracts.