Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Reveals Organization of Axons in Brain

Technology Review: Emerging Technologies and their Impact

"Conventional imaging techniques, such as structural MRI, reveal major anatomical features of the brain -- gray matter, which is made up of nerve cell bodies. But neuroscientists believe that some diseases may be rooted in subtle 'wiring' problems involving axons, the long, thin tails of neurons that carry electrical signals and constitute the brain's white matter. With DTI, researchers can, for the first time, look at the complex network of nerve fibers connecting the different brain areas."