Ongoing studies: Four Major Themes of Investigation
Investigating Brain Connectivity and Gyral Formation via Diffusion MRI Tractography
Recent studies focusing on normal fetal and healthy newborn/infant subject pools have suggested that diffusion MRI tractography can be used to detect migratory pathways and emerging axonal connectivity in the preterm brain beginning as early as 15 gestational weeks. Furthermore, MRI tractography can be used to detect regional variations of developmental speed for different types of axonal pathways and their relationships to gyral formation in a 3-D manner.
At our lab, we emphasize a use of MRI tractography for the purpose of investigating typical and atypical development of brain connectivity and gyral formation for subject pools ranging from fetal to young adult groups.
Optimization of Diffusion MRI Tractography
A major challenge that remains with diffusion MRI tractography is its optimization across various parameters such as brain region, axonal tract, and pathologic state of tissues. On top of those parameters, an additional overarching challenge is the differing degree of myelination dependent on stage of development.
We focus on optimization of fiber reconstruction settings in each brain region as well as their combinations across brain regions as it is an essential area to improve upon in order to significantly increase imaging accuracy of whole brain fiber pathways.
Development of Brain Connectivity in Rodent and Human Models
We are studying brain connectivity in mouse and human whole brains of both normal and disordered brain development using optimized parameters. We have been studying rodent models for developmental brain disorders that are highly associated with mild to severe brain malformations and disturbances to axonal pathway development. This line of technique can be broadly applied among transgenic disease models and patient populations regarding axonal degeneration, myelination/neuronal migration problems, and other neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Cross-species comparison of brain development
Through applying the assumption that the neural architecture underlying human brain functions stem from the unique developmental processes that humans undergo, multiple types of brain pathways have been linked to specific brain functions. With this understanding, we can compare developmental time-courses and connectional patterns across species to build a better understanding overall of human brain development.
