Analysis of brain structural volume in Chinese normal middle-aged and elder population based on automatic brain segmentation technology / 中国医学影像技术

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the differences of brain structure volume in normal middle-aged and elder Chinese using automatic brain segmentation technique. Methods MRI was performed in 96 healthy middle-aged and elderly volunteers, and the volume of each brain structure was obtained with automatic brain segmentation technology. The differences of brain structure volumes in different genders, age, left and right side of the brain were analyzed, and the impact of aging was observed. Results Statistical differences of the absolute value of whole brain volume, also of standard volume of brain structures, including right putamen, bilateral caudate nucleus, right globus pallidus, gray matter of right frontal lobe and right parietal lobe were found between different genders. There were statistical differences of bilateral standard volume of cerebral ganglion, putamen, caudate nucleus, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, insular lobe, gray matter of cingulated gyrus and the third ventricle of cerebrum. The volume of cerebrospinal fluid, right ventricle and the third ventricle of cerebrum were positively correlated with aging (r=0.60, 0.51, 0.57, all P<0.05), whereas of bilateral frontal lobe and left insula lobe, cortical gray matter, gray matter of parietal lobe, temporal lobe and left occipital lobe were negatively correlated with aging (all P<0.05). Conclusion Automatic brain segmentation technology can directly and rapidly display brain structure volume. There are differences of brain structure volume in healthy middle-aged and elderly Chinese people between different genders. The volume of cerebrospinal fluid, lateral ventricle and third ventricle increase, while of cortical gray matter, frontal gray and white matter, parietal, occipital, temporal gray matter and insula lobe decrease with aging.