In vivo submillimeter diffusion MRI dataset of 9 macaque brains curated for tractography

In vivo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is critical to access detailed information about the brain microstructure and connectivity. In non-human primates (NHPs), especially macaque monkeys, such acquisitions should be carried out at a submillimeter resolution to enable accurate tractography, i.e. the 3D reconstruction of white matter fiber tracts. However, the lack of standardized methods and openly available datasets suitable for tractography applications has hindered the full deployment of this technique for in vivo applications in macaques. Here, we present a new diffusion MRI dataset acquired in 9 macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) with clinical technology (3T MRI scanner and commercially available MRI coils) at an isotropic resolution of 0.7 mm, together with T1- and T2-weighted anatomical images at an isotropic resolution of 0.5 mm. This new dataset, called MADI@700 (Macaque Anatomical and Diffusion Imaging at 700 μm), was curated for tractography applications and includes a diffusion MRI template of the macaque brain. We illustrate the quality of this dataset by the extraction of several representative white matter fiber tracts.