The tractographer’s dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography

• Published in: Brain Structure and Function Vol. 230; no. 6; p. 99
• Main Authors: Dell’Acqua, Flavio, Leemans, Alexander, Zhang, Fan, Rheault, Francois, Farquharson, Shawna, De Luca, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 16.06.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain - anatomy & histology; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain research; Cell Biology; Correspondence; Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods; Epistemology; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Influence; Methods; Neurology; Neurosciences; Pathology
• ISSN: 1863-2661; 1863-2653; 1863-2661; 0340-2061
• DOI: 10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y

Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.