Fuzzy Fibers: Uncertainty in dMRI Tractography - Scientific Visualization: Uncertainty, Multifield, Biomedical, and Scalable Visualization - page 75

Chapter 8
Fuzzy Fibers: Uncertainty in dMRI
Tractography

Thomas Schultz, Anna Vilanova, Ralph Brecheisen
and Gordon Kindlmann

Abstract Fiber tracking based on diffusion weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(dMRI) allows for noninvasive reconstruction of fiber bundles in the human brain. In
this chapter, we discuss sources of error and uncertainty in this technique, and review
strategies that afford a more reliable interpretation of the results. This includes meth-
ods for computing and rendering probabilistic tractograms, which estimate precision
in the face of measurement noise and artifacts. However, we also address aspects
that have received less attention so far, such as model selection, partial voluming,
and the impact of parameters, both in preprocessing and in fiber tracking itself. We
conclude by giving impulses for future research.

8.1 Introduction

DiffusionweightedMRI (dMRI) is amodern variant ofMagnetic Resonance Imaging
that allows for noninvasive, spatially resolvedmeasurement of apparent self-diffusion

( B )
University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
e-mail: [e-mail]
T. Schultz
MPI for Intelligent Systems,University of Bonn, Tübingen, Germany
A. Vilanova
TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands
e-mail: [e-mail]
A. Vilanova

T. Schultz

R. Brecheisen
TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
e-mail: [e-mail]
G. Kindlmann
University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
e-mail: [e-mail]

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