Tractometry. (360G-Wellcome-096646_Z_11_Z)

The brain is composed of grey matter and white matter. If the grey matter acts as the brains service stations, then the white matter serves as its motorways connecting different regions. Thus, white matter connections are fundamental to the brain function carrying information back and forth. The white matter is formed from tube-like axons which are wrapped in a fatty insulating layer called myelin, which improves the efficiency of data transfer. I am developing complementary non-invasive bra in imaging techniques to study the microstructure of the white matter to try and determine variations in which aspect of white matter best explains individual differences in performance on cognitive tasks or in the electrical functioning of the brain. In addition to understanding more about the relationship between white matter structure and brain function, my research aims to develop more sensitive tests of individual differences in white matter microstructure, replacing the current state-of-t he-art derived from the technique of diffusion tensor imaging. These measures should then provide new insights into the impact of development, disease and ageing on white matter and how this leads to differences in function