The tractographer's dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography

Flavio Dell'Acqua; Alexander Leemans; Fan Zhang; Francois Rheault; Shawna Farquharson; Alberto De Luca

doi:10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y

The tractographer's dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography

Flavio Dell'Acqua, Alexander Leemans, Fan Zhang, Francois Rheault, Shawna Farquharson, Alberto De Luca^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.

Original language	English
Article number	99
Journal	Brain structure & function
Volume	230
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y
Publication status	Published - 16 Jun 2025

Keywords

Algorithms
Brain/diagnostic imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods

Access to Document

10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y

Cite this

@article{07e4b1fc7363479d9b9c9ac93f0b5c81,

title = "The tractographer's dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography",

abstract = "Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.",

keywords = "Algorithms, Brain/diagnostic imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods",

author = "Flavio Dell'Acqua and Alexander Leemans and Fan Zhang and Francois Rheault and Shawna Farquharson and {De Luca}, Alberto",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y",

language = "English",

volume = "230",

journal = "Brain structure & function",

issn = "1863-2653",

publisher = "Springer-Verlag",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The tractographer's dilemma

T2 - understanding sources of variability in tractography

AU - Dell'Acqua, Flavio

AU - Leemans, Alexander

AU - Zhang, Fan

AU - Rheault, Francois

AU - Farquharson, Shawna

AU - De Luca, Alberto

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.

PY - 2025/6/16

Y1 - 2025/6/16

N2 - Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.

AB - Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.

KW - Algorithms

KW - Brain/diagnostic imaging

KW - Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods

KW - Humans

KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods

U2 - 10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y

DO - 10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y

M3 - Letter

C2 - 40522517

SN - 1863-2653

VL - 230

JO - Brain structure & function

JF - Brain structure & function

IS - 6

M1 - 99

ER -