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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Published on: November 8, 2012

Can increased spatial resolution solve the crossing fiber problem for diffusion MRI?

Kurt Schilling^1,2, Yurui Gao^1,2, Vaibhav Janve^1,2

¹Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

NMR in Biomedicine

|September 16, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The prevalence of crossing fibers in diffusion MRI (dMRI) unexpectedly increases with higher spatial resolution. This fundamental challenge in brain tissue complexity cannot be solved by improving MRI technology alone.

Keywords:

crossing fibers diffusion MRI histology macaque validation white matter

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Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Biophysics
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Diffusion MRI (dMRI) faces challenges in reconstructing complex white matter tracts.
The "crossing fiber" problem, where voxels contain multiple fiber populations, is prevalent in white matter.
It is hypothesized that increasing spatial resolution may reduce the incidence of crossing fibers.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between spatial resolution and the prevalence of crossing fibers in brain tissue.
To determine if higher spatial resolution can mitigate the "crossing fiber" problem in dMRI.
To validate dMRI findings with histological analysis at various resolutions.

Main Methods:

Acquisition of ex vivo MRI data from macaque brains at progressively higher spatial resolutions.
Histological analysis of the same macaque brain specimens to validate dMRI measurements.
Quantitative assessment of crossing fiber prevalence in both dMRI and histological data.

Main Results:

Contrary to expectations, the prevalence of crossing fibers increased with higher spatial resolution in both dMRI and histological data.
The "crossing fiber" problem was observed even at resolutions finer than currently achievable with MRI.
Histological validation confirmed the dMRI findings regarding crossing fiber prevalence.

Conclusions:

The "crossing fiber" problem is a fundamental limitation inherent to the complexity of brain white matter.
Advancements in MRI technology, such as higher fields and stronger gradients, are unlikely to resolve this issue.
Understanding and addressing crossing fibers remains a critical challenge for accurate dMRI-based neuroimaging and modeling.