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Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
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Probabilistic functional tractography of the human cortex revisited
Lena Trebaul1, Pierre Deman1, Viateur Tuyisenge1
1Inserm, U1216, Grenoble, F-38000, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, GIN, Grenoble, F-38000, France.
Neuroimage
|July 21, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to map human brain connectivity using cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) from epilepsy patients. This F-TRACT database provides probabilistic functional tractography and insights into large-scale brain networks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain Connectivity
- Epilepsy Research
Background:
- Pharmaco-resistant focal epilepsies are often investigated using intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG).
- Direct electrical stimulation during iEEG reveals cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs), offering insights into large-scale brain connectivity.
- Previous work proposed probabilistic functional tractography for studying human brain connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revisit and enhance a probabilistic functional tractography methodology for human brain connectivity analysis.
- To develop a large, multicenter CCEP database (F-TRACT project) with associated processing tools.
- To create a probabilistic atlas of human cortico-cortical connections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a pool of 213 epilepsy patients studied with stereo-encephalography and intracerebral depth electrodes.
- Developed an automated pipeline for CCEP processing: artifact detection, bad channel identification (machine learning), artifact correction, and robust averaging.
- Inferred effective connectivity from CCEP properties (onset/peak latency, amplitude, duration) and performed group statistics on CCEP features.
- Localized electrode contacts using imaging data (MRI/CT) and repositioned them in standard brain parcellations (MNI space).
Main Results:
- The F-TRACT database achieved high coverage for intrahemispheric connectivity probabilities (95%) and CCEP features (78%).
- Provided connectivity probability values for 56% of interhemispheric connections and CCEP features for 14%.
- Demonstrated relationships between CCEP features (latency) and spatial distances, enabling estimation of neuronal signal velocity.
- Analyzed the impact of stimulation charge and electrode contact localization (white/gray matter) on connectivity estimation.
Conclusions:
- The F-TRACT project has created a substantial database and processing tools for probabilistic functional tractography.
- This work provides an unprecedented resource for understanding the dynamical properties of large fiber tracts in the human brain.
- The generated connectivity maps and data are publicly available for the scientific community and will be regularly updated.
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