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Review
. 2025 Jun 16;230(6):99.
doi: 10.1007/s00429-025-02964-y.

The tractographer's dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography

Flavio Dell'Acqua  1   2 , Alexander Leemans  3 , Fan Zhang  4 , Francois Rheault  5 , Shawna Farquharson  6 , Alberto De Luca  7
Affiliations
Review

The tractographer's dilemma: understanding sources of variability in tractography

Flavio Dell'Acqua et al. Brain Struct Funct. .

Abstract

Tractography involves many steps, and as such can be heavily affected by data quality, operator decisions such as algorithm and parameter selection and/or biological variables - in addition to random effects such as noise and motion. Due to the interplay between sources of variability, even seemingly minor decisions or overlooked assumptions can lead to major variations in output that can potentially confound tractography results. This article summarizes the main sources of variability in tractography to remind both new and experienced users of the importance of making informed decisions at all stages of the tractography pipeline.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

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