Retrieving fiber orientations from any brain histology section and comparison to diffusion MRI

Motivation: Neuronal axons (nerve fibers) facilitate complex connectivity patterns, but retrieving fiber architecture with micrometer resolution remains elusive. Meanwhile, thousands of brain histology sections are produced and archived daily. Goal(s): Here, we show that fiber architecture can be derived with micrometer resolution from new and archived histology sections. Approach: Using Computational Scattered Light Imaging (ComSLI), we generate detailed microscopic maps of nerve fiber orientations in healthy and diseased, animal and human brain sections prepared with various protocols and stains. Results: We compare whole-brain results to diffusion MRI. This opens new avenues to studying microscopic brain fiber architecture in a time- and cost-effective manner. Impact: Using scattered light, we generate micrometer maps of nerve fiber orientations in new and archived histology sections of healthy and diseased, animal and human brains prepared with various protocols and stains. We compare whole-brain fiber orientations to diffusion MRI.