Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus - Summary - MDSpire

Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus

  • By

  • Roberto Altieri

  • Lorenzo Ugga

  • Andrea Bianconi

  • Stefano Caneva

  • Ferdinando Caranci

  • Giovanni Cirillo

  • Fabio Cofano

  • Sergio Corvino

  • Oreste de Divitiis

  • Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa

  • Donatella Franco

  • Ciro De Luca

  • Pietro Fiaschi

  • Gianluca Galieri

  • Diego Garbossa

  • Giuseppe La Rocca

  • Salvatore Marino

  • Edoardo Mazzucchi

  • Grazia Menna

  • Antonio Mezzogiorno

  • Alberto Morello

  • Alessandro Olivi

  • Michele Papa

  • Daniela Pacella

  • Rosellina Russo

  • Giovanni Sabatino

  • Giovanna Sepe

  • Assunta Virtuoso

  • Giovanni Vitale

  • Giuseppe Vitale

  • Gianluigi Zona

  • Manlio Barbarisi

  • July 7, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To investigate whether fractional anisotropy (FA) directly influences morphometric and neuroimaging characteristics of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF) in relation to different tumor histotypes.

Approach:
  • Study Design: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted across six Italian Neurosurgical Units, reviewing medical records of 1,294 patients who underwent surgery for various intracranial tumors.
  • Inclusion Criteria: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with histological/molecular diagnosis of glioblastoma, low-grade glioma, brain metastasis, or meningioma, and complete preoperative neuroimaging were included.
  • MRI and DTI Analysis: MRI scans were performed using 1.5 and 3 Tesla systems, with DTI data acquired using varying diffusion directions across institutions. Tractography analyses were standardized and assessed by a multidisciplinary team.
  • Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects regression models to assess the association between AF/IFOF FA and their length or volume.
Key Findings:
  • FA is a recognized index of white matter integrity.
  • Morphometric alterations of the IFOF and AF were previously described in relation to different tumor histotypes.
  • Reduced FA may influence tract reconstruction and morphometric measures.
Interpretation:

The relationship between FA and tract morphometric measures reflects both biological changes in white matter integrity and methodological characteristics of diffusion tractography.

Limitations:
  • Retrospective design limits causative conclusions.
  • Inconsistent acquisition parameters across centers may affect data reliability.
Conclusion:

The study aims to clarify the interaction between white matter integrity and tumor characteristics.

Original Source(s)

Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus

  • by Roberto Altieri, Lorenzo Ugga, Andrea Bianconi, Stefano Caneva, Ferdinando Caranci, Giovanni Cirillo, Fabio Cofano, Sergio Corvino, Oreste de Divitiis, Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa, Donatella Franco, Ciro De Luca, Pietro Fiaschi, Gianluca Galieri, Diego Garbossa, Giuseppe La Rocca, Salvatore Marino, Edoardo Mazzucchi, Grazia Menna, Antonio Mezzogiorno, Alberto Morello, Alessandro Olivi, Michele Papa, Daniela Pacella, Rosellina Russo, Giovanni Sabatino, Giovanna Sepe, Assunta Virtuoso, Giovanni Vitale, Giuseppe Vitale, Gianluigi Zona, Manlio Barbarisi

  • July 7, 2026

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