Evaluation of diffusion MRI methods and fiber tracking algorithms for optimal imaging of the anterior visual pathway

Motivation: Diffusion-weighted MRI of the anterior-visual-pathway (AVP) is challenging due to the small diameter of the optic nerve and susceptibility artifacts. Goal(s): To compare the performance of diffusion MRI acquisition, tractography, reconstruction, and fiber-tracking methods in reconstructing the AVP. Approach: The overlap between a mask based on track-density and the T1-weighted imaged AVP was used to evaluate the accuracy of the reconstruction. Results: Readout segmented EPI (RESOLVE) and the combined use of Constant Solid Angle (CSA) reconstruction with Parallel Transport Tractography (PTT) scored best. Impact: Our findings support an optimal selection of methods for imaging the AVP in clinical research and radiology clinics.