Comparing Connections in the Brains of Humans and Other Primates Using Diffusion-Weighted Imaging
Rushworth MFS., Sallet J., Boorman ED., Mars RB.
The anatomical connections of a brain area constrain the information it receives and the influence it exerts over other regions. A brain area's anatomical connections, therefore, determine its function. The recent advance in neuroimaging methods has led to a concerted effort to understand human brain function and the interactions that occur between human brain regions. Until recently, however, little has been known of the connections of human brain areas. Diffusion-weighted imaging and tractography now provide a non-invasive method to estimate the probability that brain areas are interconnected and to compare such estimates with what is known of the connections of similar brain regions in other species. While there are clear limits to the type of evidence that can be provided by diffusion-weighted imaging it has, nevertheless, begun to provide new insights into basic aspects of human connectional neuroanatomy. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.