Ex vivo diffusion-weighted MRI tractography of the G öttingen minipig limbic system

This study aims to provide a high-quality ex vivo diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) tractographic overview of the G öttingen minipig limbic system pathways, which are currently not well described. This may facilitate future translational large animal studies. The study used previously obtained post-mortem DWI scans in 3 female Göttingen minipigs aging 11–15 months. The tractography performed on the DWI data set was made using a probabilistic algorithm, and regions of interest (ROIs) were defined in accordance with a histological atlas. The investigated pathways included the fornix, mammillothalamic tract, stria terminalis, stria medullaris, habenulo-interpeduncular tract, and cingulum. All the investig ated limbic connections could be visualized with a high detail yielding a comprehensive three-dimensional overview, which was emphasized by the inclusion of video material. The minipig limbic system pathways displayed using tractography closely resembled what was previously described in both human s tudies and neuronal tracing studies from other mammalian species. We encountered well-known inherent methodological challenges of tractography, e.g., partial volume effects and complex white matter regions, which may have contributed to derouted false-positive streamlines and the failure to visualiz e some of the minor limbic pathway ramifications. This underlines the importance of preexisting anatomical knowledge. Conclusively, we have, for the first time, provided an overview and ...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - Category: Anatomy Source Type: research