Table 2.
Summary of studies of brainstem atlas building.
| Reference | Sample size | DTI parameters | Tracking algorithm | Tracking approach | Brainstem distortion control | Parcel lation strategy | Brainstem tract atlas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meola et al. (71) | 488 healthy young adults from HCP | 3T, b = 1, 2, 3 k s/mm2, 270 directions, 1.25 mm isotropic | DSI Studio | Deterministic tractography | No | Formalin-fixed surgical landmarks of 5 brains | SCP, MCP, ICP, FPT, POTPT, CST, STT, ML, LL, RST, CTT, MLF, DLF |
| Tang et al. (72) | 20 selected healthy young adults from the 488 healthy young adults (HCP) | 3T, b = 1, 2, 3 k, 270 directions, 1.25 mm isotropic | FOD-based tractography in MRTrix | Probabilistic tractography | Visual exclusion | Landmarks | FPT, POTPT, ML, STT, LL, SCPCT, SCPCR, SCPSC, MCP, ICPMCT, IVPVCT |
| Mate et al. (75) | 20 healthy subjects | 1.5T, b = 1k, 60 directions 2.4 mm isotropic | FMRIB Software Library | Probabilistic tractography | No | Landmarks | Frontopontine, Motor, Sensory, Reticular segments |
| Yeh et al. (73) | 842 healthy young adults from HCP | 3T, b = 1, 2, 3 k, 270 directions, 1.25 mm isotropic | DSI Studio | Deterministic tractography | Yes | Clustering | CTT, DLF, LL, ML, MLF, RST, STT |
| Zhang et al. (76) | 62* mid-adult veterans with medical conditions | 3T, b = 1 k, 60 directions, 1 x 1 x 2.5 mm3 | TrackVis | Deterministic tractography | Yes | Landmarks | DLF, MLF, SCP, NST, MFT, CST, STT, FPT, POTPT |
| Burkett et al. (77) | 20 trigeminal patients | 3T, b = 1 k, 64 directions 2.0 mm isotropic | StealthViz | Deterministic tractography | Visual exclusion | Landmarks | SpTV |
| Adil et al. (74) | Postmortem brainstem of a 65-year-old male within 24hr of death | 7T, b = 4 k, 120 directions, isotropic resolution of 200 μm3 | DSI Studio | Deterministic tractography | Not Applicable | Landmarks | AC, CST, DRTSCP, ICP, ML, Facial Nerve, Optic Tracts, PC, TN & SpTV |
HCP, human connectome project; FOD, connectome modeling techniques including fiber orientation distribution; FACT, fiber assignment by continuous tracking; SCP, superior cerebellar peduncle; MCP, middle cerebellar peduncle; ICP, inferior cerebellar peduncle; FPT, frontopontine tract; POTPT, parieto-occipitotemporopontine tracts; CST, corticospinal tract; STT, spinothalamic tract; ML, medial lemniscus; LL, lateral lemniscus; RST, rubrospinal tract; CTT, central tegmental tract; MLF, medial longitudinal fasciculus; DLF, dorsal longitudinal fasciculus; SCPCT, cerebellothalamic tract of SCP; SCPCR, cerebellorubral tract of SCP; SCPSC, spinocerebellar tract of SCP; ICPMCT, ICP from medulla oblongata to the cerebellum; IVPVCT, ICP from the vestibulocerebellar tract; NST, nigrostriatal tract; MFT, medial forebrain tract; SpTV, spinal trigeminal tract; AC, anterior commissure; DRTSCP, dentatorubrothalamic tracts as a subset of SCP; TN & SpTV, trigeminal nerve roots and SpTV.
Our most recent atlas has been updated with an averaged tract map from 62 veterans, from the 17 samples in this publication.