A roadmap towards standardized neuroimaging approaches for human thalamic nuclei

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroanatomy
• Brain Function

Background:

• The thalamus plays a vital role in cortical-subcortical interactions.
• Neuroimaging studies often overlook the thalamus, focusing instead on cortical changes.
• Thalamic nuclei segmentation in neuroimaging is controversial and inconsistent across atlases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging methods for thalamic nuclei segmentation in neuroimaging.
• To identify limitations of existing techniques for research and clinical use.
• To propose a roadmap for improving thalamic nuclei segmentation and harmonizing approaches.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on thalamic nuclei segmentation techniques.
• Analysis of variations and limitations in current neuroimaging atlases.
• Development of a proposed roadmap for future research and standardization.

Main Results:

• Existing neuroimaging atlases for thalamic nuclei vary significantly.
• Current segmentation methods have limitations impacting research and clinical applications.
• A need for a collective effort to standardize thalamic nuclei segmentation is identified.

Conclusions:

• Improved thalamic nuclei segmentation is essential for advancing neuroscience.
• Standardized methods will enhance research reproducibility and clinical utility.
• Recognizing thalamic nuclei as key brain regions, not just gateways, is a critical goal.