Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
NMR Biomed. 2019 Apr;32(4):e3762. doi: 10.1002/nbm.3762. Epub 2017 Jul 11.
Diffusion-weighted imaging has pushed the boundaries of neuroscience by allowing us to examine the white matter microstructure of the living human brain. By doing so, it has provided answers to fundamental neuroscientific questions, launching a new field of research that had been largely inaccessible. We briefly summarize key questions that have historically been raised in neuroscience concerning the brain's white matter. We then expand on the benefits of diffusion-weighted imaging and its contribution to the fields of brain anatomy, functional models and plasticity. In doing so, this review highlights the invaluable contribution of diffusion-weighted imaging in neuroscience, presents its limitations and proposes new challenges for future generations who may wish to exploit this powerful technology to gain novel insights.
扩散加权成像通过允许我们检查活体人脑的白质微观结构，推动了神经科学的发展。通过这样做，它为长期以来难以触及的神经科学基本问题提供了答案，开辟了一个新的研究领域。我们简要总结了历史上神经科学中提出的关于大脑白质的关键问题。然后，我们扩展了扩散加权成像的优点及其对大脑解剖、功能模型和可塑性领域的贡献。通过这样做，本综述突出了扩散加权成像在神经科学中的宝贵贡献，提出了它的局限性，并为希望利用这项强大技术获得新见解的下一代人提出了新的挑战。
