A stochastic tractography system and applications

Abstract

Neuroscientists hypothesize that the pathologies of some neurological diseases are associated with neuroanatomical abnormalities. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and stochastic tractography allow us to investigate white matter architecture non-invasively through measurements of water self diffusion throughout the brain. Many comparative studies of white matter architecture utilize spatially localized comparisons of diffusion characteristics. White matter tractography enables studies of fiber bundle characteristics. Stochastic tractography facilitates these investigations by providing a measure of confidence regarding the inferred fiber bundles. This thesis presents an implementation of an easy to use, open-source stochastic tractography system that will enable novel studies of fiber tract abnormalities. We demonstrate an application of the system on real DTI images and discuss possible studies of frontal lobe fiber differences in Schizophrenia.