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Objective To explore the application value of Chinese brain template Chinese2020 in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data analysis of Chinese Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. Methods Twelve Chinese AD patients (AD group) and 17 healthy volunteers (control group) were collected. Then rs-fMRI data were registered to the Chinese brain template Chinese2020 and traditional standard brain template ICBM152, respectively. Whole brain analysis was performed to explore the regional spontaneous neuronal activity alterations in AD patients, in which amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were extracted as indicators. The distribution pattern of brain regions with significant differences obtained from the data analysis based on the two templates was compared respectively. Results The results from both templates showed that ALFF in AD group decreased in right superior temporal gyrus, right precuneus and right angular gyrus while increased in left cerebellum, left temporal pole, superior temporal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus (all P<0.05), and ReHo in AD group decreased in left middle temporal gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, left trigonometric frontalis inferior gyrus and left cuneus, while increased in left cerebellum (all P<0.05) compared with in control group. In the analysis based on Chinese brain template Chinese2020, the average of the gray matter volume percentage within the activated areas (ALFF: [38.85±17.88]%, ReHo: [54.69±13.28]%) were higher than those based on traditional standard brain template ICBM152 (ALFF: [33.75±14.70]%, ReHo: [45.66±12.35]%), but without difference (P=0.68, 0.21). Conclusion In rs-fMRI study of Chinese AD, analysis based on Chinese brain template Chinese2020 may provide more accurate information than on conventional westerner brain template.
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Objective To investigate the value of Chinese brain template Chinese2020 in detecting gray matter (GM) alterations in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) in Chinese population using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Methods Totally 15 PD patients (PD group)and 15 gender- and age-matched healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled. Chinese2020 based on Chinese and MNI152 based on Caucasian were used for spatial normalization, respectively. The deformations induced by spatial normalization and gray matter (GM) proportion in the identified brain areas were compared between Chinese2020 and MNI152. The differences of GM volume between PD group and control group were examined using VBM. Results Using MNI152, GM atrophies in PD patients were detected in bilateral temporal lobe extending into ipsilateral insula/parahippocampus/hippocampus, the left superior occipital cortex/cuneus/precuneus, as well as the right putamen. Besides the above mentioned regions, the right middle frontal cortex atrophy was additionally identified using Chinese2020. Particularly, fewer deformations were found when spatially normalizing Chinese population's brain to Chinese2020 than to MNI152. Moreover, GM percentages of detected regions using Chinese2020 were significantly higher than those using MNI152 (t=2.502, P=0.037). Conclusion CBT should be used in neuroimaging studies of Chinese population, which may achieve fewer deformations during spatial normalization, more GM proportions in the identified clusters and improve the accuracy of detection.
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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to construct a Korean normal elderly brain template (KNE96) using Korean elderly individuals for use in brain MRI studies and to validate it. METHODS: We used high-resolution 3.0T T1 structural MR images from 96 Korean normal elderly individuals (M/F=48/48), aged 60 years or older (M=69.5+/-6.2 years, F=70.1+/-7.0 years), for constructing the KNE96 template. The KNE96 template was validated by comparing the registration-induced deformations between the KNE96 and ICBM152 templates using different MR images from 48 Korean normal elderly individuals (M/F=24/24), aged 60 years or older (M=71.5+/-5.9 years, F=72.8+/-5.1 years). We used the magnitude of displacement vectors (mag-displacement) and log of Jacobian determinants (log-Jacobian) to quantify the deformation produced during registration process to templates. RESULTS: The mag-displacement and log-Jacobian of the registration were much smaller using the KNE96 template than with the ICBM152 template in most brain regions. There was a prominent difference in the significant averaged differences (SADs) of the mag-displacement and log-Jacobian between the KNE96 and ICBM152 at the superior, medial, and middle frontal gyrus, the lingual, inferior, middle, and superior occipital gyrus, and the caudate and thalamus. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that templates constructed from Asian populations, such as the KNE96, may be more desirable than those from Caucasian populations, like the ICBM152, in computational neuroimaging studies that measure and compare anatomical features of the frontal and occipital lobe, thalamus and caudate.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Asian People , Brain , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neuroimaging , Occipital Lobe , ThalamusABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the volume differences of human brain 3-D MR images obtained by automatic segmentation methods depending on brain templates and image acquisition conditions, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D T1-weighted MR images oriented in coronal and sagittal plane were acquired from eight healthy subjects (29.5+/-5.66 years) using two identical 3T MR scanners at different sites. Caucasian brain template and Korean elderly brain template were applied for the same subject to segment brain structural region. Volumetric differences and variation of gray matter, white matter and hippocampus depending on scan orientations and brain template types were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: Volumetric measurements have some different results for the same subject images depending on scan orientation in identical MR scanners but not significantly. However, all segmented volumes relied upon brain templates were significantly different (p<0.05). Small variation of the volume in gray matter, white matter (coefficient of variation, CV< or =1%) and hippocampus (CV< or =3%) were obtained. Comparing the mean CV in all segmented regions, variation of scan orientation was not significantly different with inter scanner variation but variation relied upon brain templates were significantly different (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Authors found that brain template regarding the specific properties of the subjects is required to reduce the errors of brain volumetry.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Brain , Hippocampus , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Magnetics , Magnets , OrientationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To generate a Korean specific brain template, especially in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by optimizing the voxel-based analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-dimensional T1-weighted images were obtained from 123 subjects who were 43 cognitively normal subjects and patients with 44 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 36 AD. The template and the corresponding aprior maps were created by using the matched pairs approach with considering differences of age, gender and differential diagnosis (DDX). We measured several characteristics in both our and the MNI templates, including in the ventricle size. Also, the fractions of gray matter and white matter voxels normalized by the total intracranial were evaluated. RESULTS: The high resolution template and the corresponding aprior maps of gray matter, white matter (WM) and CSF were created with the voxel-size of 1 x 1 x 1 mm. Mean distance measures and the ventricle sizes differed between two templates. Our brain template had less gray matter and white matter areas than the MNI template. There were volume differences more in gray matter than in white matter. CONCLUSION: Gray matter and/or white matter integrity studies in populations of Korean elderly and patients with AD are needed to investigate with this template.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Alzheimer Disease , Brain , Diagnosis, Differential , Cognitive DysfunctionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clinical trials that utilize imaging findings as surrogate endpoints are considered to be cost-effective. However, unlike numeric data, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings are not quantifiable. Thus, we have begun to develop a software package that is able to convert qualitative MRI findings into quantifiable data. METHODS: Computer software (DUIH_Image) was created with which every patient's MRI data can be registered on a standard brain template. Interuser and intrauser reliabilities for the registration were measured, and then a proof-of-principle experiment was conducted to determine whether the system could identify factors that were associated with a greater National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission. We studied 40 consecutive patients [65.1+/-14.2 years old (mean+/-SD); 22 males and 18 females] with first-ever acute lacunar infarction of the corona radiata, who were divided into two groups according to their NIHSS score (i.e., low: 0-2; high: > or =3). The following parameters were compared between these two groups: (1) data retrieved from clinical profiles, including demographic and risk factor variables; and (2) accumulated diffusion MRI lesions mapped on a standard template. RESULTS: Modest levels of interuser and intrauser reliability were observed (p<0.05, R(2)=0.63-0.84, Pearson correlations). Regarding the clinical profiles, no significant difference was found for the numeric data sets or infarct size between the two groups. However, on the accumulated lesion map image, the lesion area that overlapped the most was located more posterolaterally in the high NIHSS score group than in the low NIHSS score group. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study we have demonstrated the potential usefulness of the DUIH_Image software. We plan to update this software to enable its utilization in actual clinical trials.