Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41673141›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

A pilot study on protocol consistency and graph metric reproducibility in microstructure-weighted connectomes.

Maddalena Cavallo, Mattia Ricchi, Aaron Axford, Kylie Yeung, Jordan McGing, Leonardo Brizi, Damian J Tyler, Claudia Testa, James T Grist

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Maddalena CavalloDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Mattia RicchiOxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Aaron AxfordOxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Kylie YeungOxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Jordan McGingOxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Leonardo BriziDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Damian J TylerOxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Claudia Testa *Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
James T Grist *Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. james.grist@cardiov.ox.ac.uk.

Funding

British Heart Foundation FS/19/18/34252Medical Research Council MR/R015708/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microstructure-weighted connectomes incorporate diffusion parameters into structural networks, offering a rich characterisation of brain connectivity. While these biologically-informed connectomes have shown sensitivity to pathology-related alterations (for example in multiple sclerosis), their reproducibility remains largely unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the consistency of connectomes weighted with tensor and Bingham-NODDI parameters, employing a four-shell acquisition protocol to ensure accurate fibre reconstruction. Phantom and in vivo (N=4) data were acquired to assess temporal, inter-site and inter-protocol reproducibility of weighting parameters and inter-site stability of graph metrics. High reproducibility was observed for fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and intra-neurite (INVF) and intra-cellular (ICVF) volume fractions, with coefficients of variation (CVs) below 5% and negligible Bland-Altman biases. Orientation dispersion index and β concentration parameter showed CVs above 5% and were excluded from connectome construction. Graph metrics extracted from FA-, MD- and INVF-weighted connectomes exhibited good consistency, except for modularity. Extra-cellular volume fraction (ECVF)-weighted connectomes showed poor reproducibility (CV>5%, intraclass correlation coefficient <0.5). These preliminary findings demonstrate the reliability of microstructure-weighted connectomes, identifying the weighting strategies and graph metrics with the highest reproducibility. This supports the use of network metrics derived from weighted connectomes as potential biomarkers of altered brain connectivity in neurological disorders.

Indexed as

BrainConnectomeAnisotropyDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingDiffusion Tensor ImagingHumansImage Processing, Computer-AssistedPhantoms, ImagingPilot ProjectsReproducibility of ResultsBingham-NODDIBrain structural connectivityDiffusion MRIGraph metricsReproducibilityWeighted connectomes

Identifiers

PMID41673141
PMCPMC12966391

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.