ENIGMA-DTI is a Working Group developing a harmonized protocol for analyzing DTI data for GWAS meta-analysis (Kochunov et al. 2012). Diffusion tensor imaging offers a range of measures that reflect the microstructure of both white and gray matter (by probing the diffusion profile of the water molecules). It is also possible to reconstruct macroscopic structures such as tracts, using the tensor’s directional information. Understanding the genetic factors underlying the connections of the brain is one of the most challenging projects in the imaging genetics field. This is especially true since the inherent plasticity of the developing brain allows for the remodeling of connectivity based on environmental influences. Interestingly though, heredity of diffusion weighted measures remains quite high, suggesting that factors related to brain growth, development, and plasticity are also highly heritable (White et al. 2013).
