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Benchmarking Orientation Distribution Function Estimation Methods for Tractometry in Single-Shell Diffusion Magnetic
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|September 15, 2025
Summary
White matter bundle segmentation is reliable using lower-resolution, single-shell diffusion MRI (dMRI) data. This enables broader clinical applications and research using existing healthcare and legacy datasets.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Diffusion MRI
- White Matter Tractography
Background:
- Current in-vivo white matter (WM) bundle derivation relies on high-resolution, multi-shell diffusion MRI (dMRI) acquisitions, limiting clinical applications due to time and cost.
- Legacy dMRI datasets (single-shelled, lower angular resolution) offer vast potential for broader clinical use and population-level studies but their reliability for WM bundle extraction is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the test-retest reliability of WM bundle extraction from lower-resolution, single-shell dMRI data.
- To compare the performance of three orientation distribution function (ODF) reconstruction methods (GQI, CSD, SS3T) for WM bundle segmentation on this data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large research dataset with 32-direction, single-shell dMRI scans acquired as two independent runs per subject.
- Assessed WM bundle extraction reliability using Dice coefficients and within- vs. between-subject comparisons.
- Evaluated the predictive performance of extracted WM bundle features on cognitive reasoning tasks.
Main Results:
- The majority of WM bundles were reliably extracted from 32-direction, single-shell dMRI data across all tested ODF methods.
- Consistently higher within-subject Dice coefficients indicated preservation of person-specific anatomy.
- Single-shell three-tissue CSD (SS3T) demonstrated a favorable balance of sensitivity/specificity, high feature reliability, and strong predictive accuracy for cognitive reasoning.
Conclusions:
- WM bundle segmentation is robust even with lower angular resolution, single-shell dMRI, making legacy and healthcare data viable for research.
- ODF reconstruction methods optimized for single-shell data, like SS3T, offer significant advantages.
- This finding expands the potential of dMRI for widespread clinical applications and large-scale population studies.
