“Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been frequently used to examine age-related deterioration of white matter microstructure and its relationship to cognitive decline. However, typical tensor-based analytical approaches are often difficult to interpret due to the challenge of decomposing and (mis)interpreting the impact of crossing fibers within a voxel. We hypothesized that a novel analytical approach capable of resolving fiber-specific changes within each voxel (i.e., fixel-based analysis [FBA])—would show greater sensitivity relative to the traditional tensor-based approach for assessing relationships between white matter microstructure, age, and cognitive performance.”

Find the paper and full list of authors in Human Brain Mapping.