Diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) and its application in visual development and amblyopia research

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) is an efficient and noninvasive tool to investigate the characteristics and functions of white matter fiber tracts,and it can be used to study the relationship between the structure and function in the nervous system,the plasticity and damage repair of visual development,abnormalities of the white matters that relate to the visual pathways.Recently,the quantification of white matter fiber tracts from the lateral geniculate bodies to the occipital lobe visual cortex using DTI offers morphological information for the function and structure of the white matters during visual development.Some studies attempt to compare the DTI outcomes and tractography between amblyopic children and normal children so as to better display the variations of optic radiation in children with amblyopia,and to evaluate the relationship between structure and function of the white matters.DTI becomes an important supplementary research approach in these fields.This paper reviews the application of DTI in visual development and amblyopic eyes. Key words: diffusion tensor imaging; white matter; visual development; amblyopia