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Cited by 20Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesAdvanced MRI Techniques and Applications

Dissecting whole-brain conduction delays through MRI microstructural measures

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Mancini, Matteo, Tian, Qiyuan, Fan, Qiuyun, Cercignani, Mara, Huang, Susie Y.·2021·Brain Structure and Function
DOI 10.1007/s00429-021-02358-wPMC PMC8448685
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Abstract

Network models based on structural connectivity have been increasingly used as the blueprint for large-scale simulations of the human brain. As the nodes of this network are distributed through the cortex and interconnected by white matter pathways with different characteristics, modeling the associated conduction delays becomes important. The goal of this study is to estimate and characterize these delays directly from the brain structure. To achieve this, we leveraged microstructural measures from a combination of advanced magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions and computed the main determinants of conduction velocity, namely axonal diameter and myelin content. Using the model proposed by Rushton, we used these measures to calculate the conduction velocity and estimated the associated delays using tractography. We observed that both the axonal diameter and conduction velocity distributions presented a rather constant trend across different connection lengths, with resulting delays that scale linearly with the connection length. Relying on insights from graph theory and Kuramoto simulations, our results support the approximation of constant conduction velocity but also show path- and region-specific differences.

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  • Such velocity maps could ultimately help estimate propagation delays and cortical synchronization, with potential relevance to psychiatric disorders and consciousness.

    “Such velocity maps could ultimately help estimate propagation delays (Mancini et al., 2021) and cortical synchronization, with potential relevance to psychiatric disorders and consciousness.”

    From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Mancini et al., 2021

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Mancini, M., Tian, Q., Fan, Q., Cercignani, M., & Huang, S. Y.
Affiliations
  • Brighton and Sussex Medical School (GB)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Cardiff University (GB)
Corresponding author
Mancini, Matteo
ORCID
Venue
Brain Structure and Function
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-08-14
Volume
226
Issue
8
Pages
2651-2663
ISSN
  • 1863-2653 (ISSN-L)
  • 1863-2661
DOI
10.1007/s00429-021-02358-w
PMC
PMC8448685
OpenAlex
W3190769832
Cited by
20
References
9
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4
FWCI
1.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Brain Structure and Function (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • PolyPublie (École Polytechnique de Montréal) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (213722/Z/18/Z)
  • National Institutes of Health (R01-NS118187, K23-NS096056, U01-EB026996, P41-EB015896, P41-EB030006)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
Keywords
conduction delay, conduction velocity, white matter microstructure, axon diameter, myelin content, structural connectivity, brain network models, tractography, connection length, Kuramoto synchronization, graph theory, human brain
MeSH terms
Axons, Brain, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, White Matter

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