1,415 research outputs found
Fuzzy Fibers: Uncertainty in dMRI Tractography
Fiber tracking based on diffusion weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI)
allows for noninvasive reconstruction of fiber bundles in the human brain. In
this chapter, we discuss sources of error and uncertainty in this technique,
and review strategies that afford a more reliable interpretation of the
results. This includes methods for computing and rendering probabilistic
tractograms, which estimate precision in the face of measurement noise and
artifacts. However, we also address aspects that have received less attention
so far, such as model selection, partial voluming, and the impact of
parameters, both in preprocessing and in fiber tracking itself. We conclude by
giving impulses for future research
A proposal for a coordinated effort for the determination of brainwide neuroanatomical connectivity in model organisms at a mesoscopic scale
In this era of complete genomes, our knowledge of neuroanatomical circuitry
remains surprisingly sparse. Such knowledge is however critical both for basic
and clinical research into brain function. Here we advocate for a concerted
effort to fill this gap, through systematic, experimental mapping of neural
circuits at a mesoscopic scale of resolution suitable for comprehensive,
brain-wide coverage, using injections of tracers or viral vectors. We detail
the scientific and medical rationale and briefly review existing knowledge and
experimental techniques. We define a set of desiderata, including brain-wide
coverage; validated and extensible experimental techniques suitable for
standardization and automation; centralized, open access data repository;
compatibility with existing resources, and tractability with current
informatics technology. We discuss a hypothetical but tractable plan for mouse,
additional efforts for the macaque, and technique development for human. We
estimate that the mouse connectivity project could be completed within five
years with a comparatively modest budget.Comment: 41 page
Tracking dynamic interactions between structural and functional connectivity : a TMS/EEG-dMRI study
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in combination with neuroimaging techniques allows to measure the effects of a direct perturbation of the brain. When coupled with high-density electroencephalography (TMS/hd-EEG), TMS pulses revealed electrophysiological signatures of different cortical modules in health and disease. However, the neural underpinnings of these signatures remain unclear. Here, by applying multimodal analyses of cortical response to TMS recordings and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) tractography, we investigated the relationship between functional and structural features of different cortical modules in a cohort of awake healthy volunteers. For each subject, we computed directed functional connectivity interactions between cortical areas from the source-reconstructed TMS/hd-EEG recordings and correlated them with the correspondent structural connectivity matrix extracted from dMRI tractography, in three different frequency bands (alpha, beta, gamma) and two sites of stimulation (left precuneus and left premotor). Each stimulated area appeared to mainly respond to TMS by being functionally elicited in specific frequency bands, that is, beta for precuneus and gamma for premotor. We also observed a temporary decrease in the whole-brain correlation between directed functional connectivity and structural connectivity after TMS in all frequency bands. Notably, when focusing on the stimulated areas only, we found that the structure-function correlation significantly increases over time in the premotor area controlateral to TMS. Our study points out the importance of taking into account the major role played by different cortical oscillations when investigating the mechanisms for integration and segregation of information in the human brain
Flavor Structure in F-theory Compactifications
F-theory is one of frameworks in string theory where supersymmetric grand
unification is accommodated, and all the Yukawa couplings and Majorana masses
of right-handed neutrinos are generated. Yukawa couplings of charged fermions
are generated at codimension-3 singularities, and a contribution from a given
singularity point is known to be approximately rank 1. Thus, the approximate
rank of Yukawa matrices in low-energy effective theory of generic F-theory
compactifications are minimum of either the number of generations N_gen = 3 or
the number of singularity points of certain types. If there is a geometry with
only one E_6 type point and one D_6 type point over the entire 7-brane for
SU(5) gauge fields, F-theory compactified on such a geometry would reproduce
approximately rank-1 Yukawa matrices in the real world. We found, however, that
there is no such geometry. Thus, it is a problem how to generate hierarchical
Yukawa eigenvalues in F-theory compactifications. A solution in the literature
so far is to take an appropriate factorization limit. In this article, we
propose an alternative solution to the hierarchical structure problem (which
requires to tune some parameters) by studying how zero mode wavefunctions
depend on complex structure moduli. In this solution, the N_gen x N_gen CKM
matrix is predicted to have only N_gen entries of order unity without an extra
tuning of parameters, and the lepton flavor anarchy is predicted for the lepton
mixing matrix. We also obtained a precise description of zero mode
wavefunctions near the E_6 type singularity points, where the up-type Yukawa
couplings are generated.Comment: 148 page
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