Diffusion tensor tracking of callosal fibers several years after callosotomy

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can provide more detailed in vivo information on the structural preservation of transected white matter tracts than conventional imaging methods. Here we show for the first time tracks of severed callosal fibers up to 17 years from resection. Five patients subjected to complete or partial callosotomy several years before the study were examined with DTI and compared to a normal control. Transected fibers were traced in all patients and were more clearly visible in the anterior and posterior parts than in the middle of the commissure. These findings suggest that microstructural changes persist for many years in the severed fibers, as also reflected by fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient values, enabling a reconstruction of the longitudinal organization of severed central tracts that could not be achieved with previous techniques.