Diffusion tensor-based fast marching for modeling human brain connectivity network

Comput Med Imaging Graph. 2011 Apr;35(3):167-78. doi: 10.1016/j.compmedimag.2010.07.008. Epub 2010 Oct 28.

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an effective modality in studying the connectivity of the brain. To eliminate possible biases caused by fiber extraction approaches due to low spatial resolution of DTI and the number of fibers obtained, the fast marching (FM) algorithm based on the whole diffusion tensor information is proposed to model and study the brain connectivity network. Our observation is that the connectivity extracted from the whole tensor field would be more robust and reliable for constructing brain connectivity network using DTI data. To construct the connectivity network, in this paper, the arrival time map and the velocity map generated by the FM algorithm are combined to define the connectivity strength among different brain regions. The conventional fiber tracking-based and the proposed tensor-based FM connectivity methods are compared, and the results indicate that the connectivity features obtained using the FM-based method agree better with the neuromorphical studies of the human brain.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Brain / anatomy & histology*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging / methods*
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Models, Anatomic
  • Models, Neurological*
  • Nerve Net / anatomy & histology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity