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Abstract #0328

Combining Structural and Funcional Connectivity Techniques to Characterize the Thalamo-Cortical Networks in vivo

Chiara Mastropasqua1, 2, Marco Bozzali3, Giacomo Koch4, 5, Carlo Caltagirone6, Mara Cercignani, 17

1Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; 2Dep of Neuroscience, Trieste University, Trieste, Italy; 3Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 4Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; 5Stroke Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 6Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 7Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom

Our aim is to validate precedent approach for thalamic parcellation based on probabilistic tractography and to compare structural and functional connectivity between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. We used DTI tractography to define distinct thalamic nuclei connected to different cortical areas. Seed-based RS-fMRI was then performed to identify the cortical areas more strongly connected with thalamic nuclei previously obtained. The results were visually compared to cross-validate these 2 commonly used approaches to assess anatomical and functional connectivity. Our results confirm the reproducibility of thalamic parcellation based on probabilistic tractography and show that these two methods yield partially consistent results.

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Keywords

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