Abstract
The central auditory pathway plays an important role in auditory processing, and disturbance of the pathway causes various symptoms; e.g., speech recognition disorder and auditory agnosia. Investigation of the auditory pathway in live humans is difficult, however, because of its complexity compared to other modalities such as the visual or somatosensory pathway.
MRaxonography (MRX) is a new technique to investigate the auditory pathway non-invasively, which has been impossible with classical methods. It is based on a diffusion-weighted MRI technique and offers the ability to visualize the human neuronal tract.
We successfully visualized the central auditory pathway in normal subjects using MRX. MRX is also useful as a diagnostic tool for central auditory disturbance. For further investigation, measurement of diffusion coefficient and diffusion tensor analysis are promising methods for quantification of auditory function. MRX is a useful technique for investigating the central auditory system.
