Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There has been a rapid increase in studies using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) to interrogate white matter structure in the human brain. This review considers the evidence that interindividual variation in white matter structure is behaviourally relevant. RECENT FINDINGS: Maturation or deterioration of white matter throughout the lifespan relates to development or decline in specific cognitive skills. In addition, age-independent relationships between white matter anatomy and ability are found in healthy adult populations. Such relationships may in part be determined by genetics but can also be driven by experience. SUMMARY: Individual differences in white matter anatomy, visible using DWI, have consequences for behaviour. The discovery of such relationships highlights the potential for identification of imaging biomarkers that could predict how well patients will respond to specific interventions.

Original publication

DOI

10.1097/WCO.0b013e32833b7631

Type

Journal article

Journal

Curr Opin Neurol

Publication Date

08/2010

Volume

23

Pages

351 - 358

Keywords

Animals, Behavior, Brain, Brain Mapping, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Humans, Nerve Fibers, Myelinated, Neural Pathways