Anatomical Connectivity from Tractography-free Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Its Application to EEG Brain Imagin

This proof-of-concept paper demonstrates how the Kalman filter, as a brain imaging method, can be enhanced by incorporating raw diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data without tractography, in addition to EEG recordings. An efficient algorithm is designed to streamline the otherwise tedious process of inferring connectivity between brain regions from DTI data. The DTI-based evolution model is applied to the Kalman filter and the Standardized Kalman filter, and these are compared with their conventional counterparts using the random walk evolution model. The numerical experiments use synthetic somatosensory and auditory evoked potentials. The results show that the DTI-modelled Kalman filter can obtain deep activity in the brainstem and thalamus. Moreover, the connection model limits the estimated spreads to the correct or nearest anatomical brain region.