HARP: Hierarchical Anatomical Refinement of Pathways in Tractography

Motivation: Whole brain tractography is highly challenging, and it is prone to false positive streamlines despite the use of Anatomically Constraint Tractography (ACT). Goal(s): This study aims to reduce implausible streamlines in tractograms by introducing a novel refinement approach, thereby enhancing the accuracy of white matter connectivity analyses. Approach: We developed Hierarchical Anatomical Refinement of Pathways (HARP), an advanced modification of ACT. HARP integrates increasingly detailed anatomical priors in a hierarchical fashion to improve accuracy of tractograms. Results: Amount of implausible streamlines in ACT-based tractograms are relatively low but they are systematic. HARP is effective in further reducing false positive connections in tractograms. Impact: Hierarchical Anatomical Refinement of Pathways (HARP) enhances tractography, offering neuroscientists and clinicians a new level of precision in brain connectivity analysis, which could impact our understanding of the brain and its disorders.