Relationship Between NeuroTrax and Brain Regions/Tracts as Measured by MRI and DTI

A central challenge in neuroscience is to understand how brain structure relates to cognitive function. Advances in imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), combined with digital cognitive testing (NeuroTrax) are helping to clarify these relationships in clinical contexts like multiple sclerosis (MS) and normal aging.

One study investigated whether MRI-derived brain volumes were associated with cognitive performance in people with MS [1]. Using NeuroTrax’s cognitive testing platform, researchers assessed nine domains, including memory, executive function, and processing speed. Significant correlations were observed between global cognitive scores and whole brain, white matter, gray matter, thalamic, hippocampal, and lesion volumes. Thalamic and lateral ventricular volumes were the strongest predictors of performance across domains, highlighting the thalamus as a key hub for cognitive integrity in MS.

Research in healthy aging populations has provided further insights into how brain microstructure supports cognition [2]. Results showed a domain-specific pattern: executive function was linked to frontal white matter and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF); processing speed correlated with the cingulum, corona radiata, inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), parietal white matter, and thalamus; and memory was associated with temporal and frontal regions, including the cingulate cortex and parahippocampus.

A follow-up study extended these findings with tractography of temporal lobe projections [3]. Executive function performance was tied to DTI parameters in the SLF and uncinate fasciculus (UF), while processing speed was related to integrity in the cingulum, fornix, ILF, and SLF. Memory performance showed strong associations with the fornix, cingulum, ILF, SLF, and UF. Taken together, these results illustrate how distinct white matter pathways underpin different aspects of cognition.

By combining NeuroTrax with MRI and DTI, researchers are able to link specific cognitive domains to measurable brain structures and tracts. This linkage underscores the value of digital cognitive testing for detecting subtle changes, validating neuroimaging findings, and potentially guiding targeted interventions in both clinical and aging populations.

Contact us today to learn how NeuroTrax supports clinical and research applications in brain health.

References:

[1] Golan, D., Doniger, G.M., Srinivasan, J., Sima, D.M., Zarif, M., Bumstead, B., Buhse, M., Van Hecke, W., Wilken, J., and Gudesblatt, M. (2020). The association between MRI brain volumes and computerized cognitive scores of people with multiple sclerosis. Brain and Cognition, 145: 105614. PMID: 32927305

[2] Sasson, E., Doniger, G.M., Pasternak, O., Tarrasch, R., and Assaf, Y. (2012). Structural correlates of cognitive domains in normal aging with diffusion tensor imaging. Brain Structure and Function, 217, 503–515. PMID: 21909706

[3] Sasson, E., Doniger, G.M., Pasternak, O., Tarrasch, R., and Assaf, Y. (2013). White matter correlates of cognitive domains in normal aging with diffusion tensor imaging. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7:32. PMID: 23493587