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In vivo correlation between axon diameter and conduction velocity in the human brain

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A Commentary to this article was published on 13 January 2015

Abstract

The understanding of the relationship between structure and function has always characterized biology in general and neurobiology in particular. One such fundamental relationship is that between axon diameter and the axon’s conduction velocity (ACV). Measurement of these neuronal properties, however, requires invasive procedures that preclude direct elucidation of this relationship in vivo. Here we demonstrate that diffusion-based MRI is sensitive to the fine microstructural elements of brain wiring and can be used to quantify axon diameter in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrate the in vivo correlation between the diameter of an axon and its conduction velocity in the human brain. Using AxCaliber, a novel magnetic resonance imaging technique that enables us to estimate in vivo axon diameter distribution (ADD) and by measuring the interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) by electroencephalography, we found significant linear correlation, across a cohort of subjects, between brain microstructure morphology (ADD) and its physiology (ACV) in the tactile and visual sensory domains. The ability to make a quantitative assessment of a fundamental physiological property in the human brain from in vivo measurements of ADD may shed new light on neurological processes occurring in neuroplasticity as well as in neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Assaf Horowitz, Daniel Barazany, Ido Tavor, Moran Bernstein & Yaniv Assaf

  2. School of Psychology Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Galit Yovel

  3. Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Galit Yovel & Yaniv Assaf

Authors
  1. Assaf Horowitz
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  2. Daniel Barazany
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  3. Ido Tavor
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  4. Moran Bernstein
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  5. Galit Yovel
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  6. Yaniv Assaf
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Correspondence to Yaniv Assaf.

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Horowitz, A., Barazany, D., Tavor, I. et al. In vivo correlation between axon diameter and conduction velocity in the human brain. Brain Struct Funct 220, 1777–1788 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-014-0871-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-014-0871-0

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