Registration and analysis of white matter group differences with a multi-fiber model

Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv. 2012;15(Pt 3):313-20. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-33454-2_39.

Abstract

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging has been used extensively to probe the white matter in vivo. Typically, the raw diffusion images are used to reconstruct a diffusion tensor image (DTI). The incapacity of DTI to represent crossing fibers leaded to the development of more sophisticated diffusion models. Among them, multi-fiber models represent each fiber bundle independently, allowing the direct extraction of diffusion features for population analysis. However, no method exists to properly register multi-fiber models, seriously limiting their use in group comparisons. This paper presents a registration and atlas construction method for multi-fiber models. The validity of the registration is demonstrated on a dataset of 45 subjects, including both healthy and unhealthy subjects. Morphometry analysis and tract-based statistics are then carried out, proving that multi-fiber models registration is better at detecting white matter local differences than single tensor registration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging / methods*
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Models, Neurological
  • Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / pathology*
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Subtraction Technique*
  • Tuberous Sclerosis / pathology*