Association fibers

Association fibers are bundles of axons within the brain that unite different parts of the same cerebral hemisphere.

In human neuroanatomy, bundles of axons within the brain, called fibers, can be categorized by their function into association fibers, projection fibers, and commissural fibers.

The association fibers unite different parts of the same cerebral hemisphere, and are of two kinds: (1) those connecting adjacent gyri, short association fibers; (2) those passing between more distant parts, long association fibers.

Short association fibers
The short association fibers (also often referred to as "U-fibers") lie immediately beneath the gray substance of the cortex of the hemispheres, and connect together adjacent gyri.

Long association fibers
The long association fibers include the following:

Diffusion tensor imaging is a non-invasive method to study the course of association fibers.