Microstructure & Connectivity Lab 
Publications (Notable Publications)

Authors: Kurt G. Schilling, Laurent Petit, Francois Rheault, Samuel Remedios, Carlo Pierpaoli, Adam W. Anderson, Bennett A. Landman, Maxime Descoteaux

Journal: Brain Structure and Function (2020)

Summary: Diffusion tractography suffers from a number of limitations, challenges, and biases. By re-analyzing several well-established datasets and benchmarks, we show that incorporating anatomical constraints into the tractography process can significantly improves the sensitivity and specificity of white matter bundle segmentation, enabling tractography to closely approximate true anatomical connectivity.

Why this is a Notable Lab publication: As the manuscript title optimistically states, we show that tractography can indeed be very highly anatomically accurate, and thus an invaluable resource to study the human brain

Authors: Kurt G. Schilling, Muwei Li, Francois Rheault, Yurui Gao, Leon Cai, Yu Zhao, Lyuan Xu, Zhaohua Ding, Adam W. Anderson, Bennett A. Landman, John C. Gore

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  (2023)

Summary: This study challenges conventional fMRI approaches by demonstrating that both gray and white matter exhibit widespread, time-locked BOLD signal changes in response to simple tasks. Using a model-free analysis, we show that nearly all brain tissue is functionally engaged, contradicting the assumption that white matter BOLD signals are artifacts. These findings suggest that traditional fMRI studies may significantly underestimate the extent of brain activation, highlighting the need to reconsider how functional signals are interpreted.

Why this is a Notable Lab publication: This study challenges the traditional view of brain activity by showing that both gray and white matter actively respond to tasks, suggesting that half of the brain’s signals have been overlooked in standard MRI research.

Authors: Kurt G. Schilling, François Rheault, Laurent Petit, Colin B. Hansen, Vishwesh Nath, Fang-Cheng Yeh, Gabriel Girard, Muhamed Barakovic, Jonathan Rafael-Patino, Thomas Yu, Elda Fischi-Gomez, Marco Pizzolato, Mario Ocampo-Pineda, Simona Schiavi, Erick J. Canales-Rodríguez, Alessandro Daducci, Cristina Granziera, Giorgio Innocenti, Jean-Philippe Thiran, Laura Mancini, Stephen Wastling, Sirio Cocozza, Maria Petracca, Giuseppe Pontillo, Matteo Mancini, Sjoerd B. Vos, Vejay N. Vakharia, John S. Duncan, Helena Melero, Lidia Manzanedo, Emilio Sanz-Morales, Ángel Peña-Melián, Fernando Calamante, Arnaud Attyéw, Ryan P. Cabeen, Laura Korobova, Arthur W. Toga, Anupa Ambili Vijayakumari, Drew Parker, Ragini Verma, Ahmed Radwan, Stefan Sunaert, Louise Emsell, Alberto De Luca, Alexander Leemans, Claude J. Bajada, Hamied Haroon, Hojjatollah Azadbakht, Maxime Chamberland, Sila Genc, Chantal M.W. Tax, Ping-Hong Yeh, Rujirutana Srikanchana, Colin D. Mcknight, Joseph Yuan-Mou Yang, Jian Chen, Claire E. Kelly, Chun-Hung Yeh, Jerome Cochereau, Jerome J. Maller, Thomas Welton, Fabien Almairac, Kiran K Seunarine, Chris A. Clark, Fan Zhang, Nikos Makris, Alexandra Golby, Yogesh Rathi, Lauren J. O’Donnell, Yihao Xia, Dogu Baran Aydogan, Yonggang Shi, Francisco Guerreiro Fernandes, Mathijs Raemaekers, Shaun Warrington, Stijn Michielse, Alonso Ramírez-Manzanares, Luis Concha, Ramón Aranda, Mariano Rivera Meraz, Garikoitz Lerma-Usabiaga, Lucas Roitman, Lucius S. Fekonja, Navona Calarco, Michael Joseph, Hajer Nakua, Aristotle N. Voineskos, Philippe Karan, Gabrielle Grenier, Jon Haitz Legarreta, Nagesh Adluru, Veena A. Nair, Vivek Prabhakaran, Andrew L. Alexander, Koji Kamagata, Yuya Saito, Wataru Uchida, Christina Andica, Masahiro Abe, Roza G. Bayrak, Claudia A.M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Egidio D’Angelo, Fulvia Palesi, Giovanni Savini, Nicolò Rolandi, Pamela Guevara, Josselin Houenou, Narciso López-López, Jean-François Mangin, Cyril Poupon, Claudio Román, Andrea Vázquez, Chiara Maffei, Mavilde Arantes, José Paulo Andrade, Susana Maria Silva, Vince D. Calhoun, Eduardo Caverzasi, Simone Sacco, Michael Lauricella, Franco Pestilli, Daniel Bullock, Yang Zhan, Edith Brignoni-Perez, Catherine Lebel, Jess E. Reynolds, Igor Nestrasil, René Labounek, Christophe Lenglet, Amy Paulson, Stefania Aulicka, Sarah R. Heilbronner, Katja Heuer, Bramsh Qamar Chandio, Javier Guaje, Wei Tang, Eleftherios Garyfallidis, Rajikha Raja, Adam W. Anderson, Bennett A. Landman, Maxime Descoteaux

Journal: NeuroImage  (2021)

Summary: This study examines the variability in white matter tractography by analyzing how 42 research groups segmented 14 major white matter bundles from the same dataset. Despite using identical data, significant differences emerged in how pathways were identified, highlighting the impact of methodological choices on tractography outcomes. The findings underscore the need for standardized protocols to ensure reproducibility and reliability in neuroimaging research.

Why this is a Notable Lab publication: This paper reveals that different research groups can produce widely varying results when identifying the same white matter pathways, emphasizing the urgent need for standardized methods in brain imaging to improve scientific consistency and clinical applications.

Authors: urt G. Schilling, Justin Blaber, Yuankai Huo, Allen Newton, Colin Hansen, Vishwesh Nath, Andrea T. Shafer, Owen Williams, Susan M. Resnick, Baxter Rogers, Adam W. Anderson, Bennett A. Landman

Journal: Magnetic Resonance Imaging  (2019)

Summary: Diffusion MRI is commonly distorted by magnetic field inhomogeneities, leading to misalignment with anatomical images. This study introduces Synb0-DisCo, a deep-learning-based method that synthesizes undistorted diffusion images from structural scans, enabling distortion correction without specialized acquisitions. The method significantly improves image alignment and diffusion model accuracy, making advanced correction techniques accessible to a broader range of clinical and research applications.

Why this is a Notable Lab publication: This paper introduces an AI-powered solution to correct distortions in brain scans, allowing researchers and clinicians to improve MRI accuracy even when specialized correction scans are unavailable.

Authors: Kurt G. Schilling, Jordan A. Chad, Maxime Chamberland, Victor Nozais, Francois Rheault, Derek Archer, Muwei Li, Yurui Gao, Leon Cai, Flavio Del’Acqua, Allen Newton, Daniel Moyer, John C. Gore, Catherine Lebel, Bennett A. Landman

Journal: Imaging Neuroscience (2023)

Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of white matter pathways across the human lifespan, using data from 2,789 imaging sessions spanning ages 0 to 100 years. By examining white matter microstructure, macrostructure, and associated cortical features, we identify unique developmental and aging trajectories that vary across different brain pathways. These findings establish normative benchmarks for studying brain maturation and degeneration, with implications for understanding neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Why this is a Notable Lab publication: This study maps how white matter in the brain changes from infancy to old age, providing crucial insights into brain development and aging that can help detect early signs of neurological diseases.