DTI studies show that a two week mindfulness training is accompanied by a decrease of axonal density in the ACC - as index by axial diffusivity. Which effects or symptoms are normally associated with such a reduction?
http://www.pnas.org/content/109/26/10570.short
I don't have a specific answer regarding the symptoms but I am just thinking if axonal loss is the only reasonable interpretation. "Reductions in radial diffusivity (RD) have been interpreted as improved myelin but reductions in axial diffusivity (AD) involve other mechanisms, such as axonal density." Axonal loss would cause reduction in AD but there are quite a few confounding factors in DTI that convolute the interpretation from my perspective. For instance, wouldn't increased isotropic diffusion cause the same effect?
I would really like to see the same type of study done with more advanced DWI such as NODDI, Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging or similar. That would probably shed more light on the underlying changes in the tissue micro structure.
http://mig.cs.ucl.ac.uk/index.php?n=Tutorial.NODDImatlab
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