Chong Shin Tai, Yang Joseph Yuan-Mou, Lin Ching-Po
Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Advanced Clinical Imaging Service (NACIS), Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Brain Struct Funct. 2025 May 9;230(5):64. doi: 10.1007/s00429-025-02925-5.
Fiber tractography is a powerful method for visualizing the complex network of neural connections in the brain, essential for understanding white matter architecture and guiding neurosurgical procedures. However, brain edema presents significant challenges for accurate tractography due to altered diffusion patterns that can obscure critical pathways. The increased isotropic diffusion in edematous regions disrupts traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), limiting its ability to delineate fiber tracts reliably. This article explores the impact of edema on tractography and reviews recent advancements in diffusion models, including Free Water Imaging (FWI), Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI), Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging (DBSI), and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) tractography. These advanced techniques mitigate the limitations of conventional DTI by separating diffusion signals into multiple compartments, utilizing higher b-value encodings, and improving tract in heterogeneous environments. By enhancing the accuracy and reliability of fiber tracking, these approaches have significant implications for clinical applications, particularly in neurosurgical planning and connectivity analysis.
纤维束成像术是一种用于可视化大脑中复杂神经连接网络的强大方法，对于理解白质结构和指导神经外科手术至关重要。然而，由于扩散模式的改变会模糊关键路径，脑水肿给准确的纤维束成像带来了重大挑战。水肿区域各向同性扩散的增加扰乱了传统的扩散张量成像（DTI），限制了其可靠描绘纤维束的能力。本文探讨了水肿对纤维束成像的影响，并综述了扩散模型的最新进展，包括自由水成像（FWI）、神经突方向离散度与密度成像（NODDI）、受限谱成像（RSI）、扩散基谱成像（DBSI）和无迹卡尔曼滤波（UKF）纤维束成像。这些先进技术通过将扩散信号分离到多个隔室、利用更高的b值编码以及在异质环境中改善纤维束追踪，减轻了传统DTI的局限性。通过提高纤维追踪的准确性和可靠性，这些方法对临床应用具有重要意义，特别是在神经外科手术规划和连通性分析方面。
