RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Quantifying Differences and Similarities in Whole-brain White Matter Architecture Using Local Connectome Fingerprints JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 043778 DO 10.1101/043778 A1 Fang-Cheng Yeh A1 Jean M. Vettel A1 Aarti Singh A1 Barnabas Poczos A1 Scott Grafton A1 Kirk I. Erickson A1 Wen-Yih I. Tseng A1 Timothy D. Verstynen YR 2016 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/11/043778.abstract AB Quantifying differences or similarities in connectomes between individuals has been a challenge due to the immense complexity of global brain networks. Here we introduce a noninvasive method that uses diffusion MRI to characterize whole-brain white matter architecture as a single local connectome fingerprint that allows for a direct quantification of differences or similarities between two structural connectomes. In four independently acquired data sets with repeated scans (total N=213), we show that the local connectome fingerprint is highly specific to an individual, allowing for an accurate self-versus-others classification that achieves 100% accuracy in across 17,398 identification tests. The estimated classification error was approximately one thousand times smaller than fingerprints derived from fractional anisotropy or region-to-region connectivity patterns. We further illustrate that the local connectome fingerprint can be used as a phenotype, revealing 12.51% similarity between monozygotic twins, 5.14% between dizygotic twins, and 4.51% between none-twin siblings. Finally, we show that the local connectome fingerprint can quantify neuroplasticity over time as reflected by a decrease in self-similarity at an average rate of 7.26% per year. This novel quantification approach opens a new door for probing the influence of pathological, genetic, social, or environmental factors on the unique configuration of the human connectome.Author Summary We show that the local organization of white matter architecture is highly unique to individuals and reliable enough to the use of as a metric of brain difference. The difference in white matter architecture is found to be partially determined by genetic factors, but largely plastic across time. This approach opens a new door for probing the influence of pathological, genetic, social, or environmental factors on the unique configuration of the human connectome.