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Abstract #3969

Are Larger Pathways Faster? A Spherical Deconvolution Tractography Study on the Visuo-Spatial Pathways

Michel Thiebaut De Schotten1,2, Flavio Dell'Acqua1,3, Stephanie Forkel1,4, Marco Catani1,3

1Natbrainlab, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom; 2Hopital de la Salptrire, CRICM-INSERM UMRS 975, Paris, France; 3Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom; 4Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom


Little is known about how the size of tract can modify the speed of conduction. Larger tract volumes could depend on a number of factors, including greater fibre myelination, higher number of axons and larger axonal diameter. Experimental physiology has shown that the conduction speed of larger diameter, or more myelinated axons is faster. A higher number of axons would also boost the speed of conduction by assuring a parallel processing. So, are larger pathways faster ?