scholarly journals Longitudinal Automatic Segmentation of Hippocampal Subfields (LASHiS) using Multi-Contrast MRI

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Shaw ◽  
Ashley York ◽  
Maryam Ziaei ◽  
Markus Barth ◽  
Steffen Bollmann ◽  
...  

AbstractThe volumetric and morphometric examination of hippocampus formation subfields in a longitudinal manner using in vivo MRI could lead to more sensitive biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders and diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, as the anatomical subregions are functionally specialised. Longitudinal processing allows for increased sensitivity due to reduced confounds of inter-subject variability and higher effect-sensitivity than cross-sectional designs. We examined the performance of a new longitudinal pipeline (Longitudinal Automatic Segmentation of Hippocampus Subfields [LASHiS]) against three freely available, published approaches. LASHiS automatically segments hippocampus formation subfields by propagating labels from cross-sectionally labelled time point scans using joint-label fusion to a non-linearly realigned ‘single subject template’, where image segmentation occurs free of bias to any individual time point. Our pipeline measures tissue characteristics available in in vivo high-resolution MRI scans, at both clinical (3 Tesla) and ultra-high field strength (7 Tesla) and differs from previous longitudinal segmentation pipelines in that it leverages multi-contrast information in the segmentation process. LASHiS produces robust and reliable automatic multi-contrast segmentations of hippocampus formation subfields, as measured by higher volume similarity coefficients and Dice coefficients for test-retest reliability and robust longitudinal Bayesian Linear Mixed Effects results at 7 T, while showing sound results at 3 T. All code for this project including the automatic pipeline is available at https://github.com/CAIsr/LASHiS

Author(s):  
Robert Laureno

This chapter on “Imaging” examines the relative advantages and disadvantages of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. It compares the modalities to each other and to gross neuropathology. For several decades, neurologists have been able to view cross-sectional images of living patients. Analogous to gross neuropathology, cross-sectional imaging displays the brain as an entire organ but does not demonstrate microscopic tissue or cellular pathology. By allowing practitioners to view sections of brain and spinal cord in vivo, imaging has improved neurologic practice and facilitated clinical research. This chapter deals with imaging topics that are important to the neurologist. The timing of scans, the effects of gravity, and the importance of plane of section are considered. Imaging is compared to gross neuropathology, and MRI is compared to CT.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 2854-2866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma G Duerden ◽  
M Mallar Chakravarty ◽  
Jason P Lerch ◽  
Margot J Taylor

Abstract Sex-based differences in brain development have long been established in ex vivo studies. Recent in vivo studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have offered considerable insight into sex-based variations in brain maturation. However, reports of sex-based differences in cortical volumes and thickness are inconsistent. We examined brain maturation in a cross-sectional, single-site cohort of 436 individuals (201 [46%] males) aged 4–54 years (median = 16 years). Cortical thickness, cortical surface area, subcortical surface area, volumes of the cerebral cortex, white matter (WM), cortical and subcortical gray matter (GM), including the thalamic subnuclei, basal ganglia, and hippocampi were calculated using automatic segmentation pipelines. Subcortical structures demonstrated distinct curvilinear trajectories from the cortex, in both volumetric maturation and surface-area expansion in relation to age. Surface-area analysis indicated that dorsal regions of the thalamus, globus pallidus and striatum, regions demonstrating structural connectivity with frontoparietal cortices, exhibited extensive expansion with age, and were inversely related to changes seen in cortical maturation, which contracted with age. Furthermore, surface-area expansion was more robust in males in comparison to females. Age- and sex-related maturational changes may reflect alterations in dendritic and synaptic architecture known to occur during development from early childhood through to mid-adulthood.


Author(s):  
Tales Santini ◽  
Sossena Wood ◽  
Narayanan Krishnamurthy ◽  
Tiago Martins ◽  
Howard J. Aizenstein ◽  
...  

AbstractRecently cleared by the FDA, 7 Tesla (7T) MRI is a rapidly growing technology that can provide higher resolution and enhanced contrast in human MRI images. However, the increased operational frequency (~297 MHz) hinders its full potential since it causes inhomogeneities in the images and increases the power deposition in the tissues. This work describes the optimization of an innovative radiofrequency (RF) head coil coupled design, named Tic Tac Toe, currently used in large scale human MRI scanning at 7T; to date, this device was used in more than 1,300 patient/volunteer neuro 7T MRI scans. Electromagnetic simulations were performed for each of the coil’s antennas using the finite-difference time-domain method. Numerical optimizations were used to combine the calculated electromagnetic fields produced by these antennas, based on the superposition principle, and successfully produced homogeneous magnetic field distributions at low levels of power deposition in the tissues. The simulations were then successfully validated in-vivo using the Tic Tac Toe RF head coil system on a 7T MRI scanner.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajar Danesh ◽  
Raheleh Kafieh ◽  
Hossein Rabbani ◽  
Fedra Hajizadeh

The introduction of enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) has provided the advantage of in vivo cross-sectional imaging of the choroid, similar to the retina, with standard commercially available spectral domain (SD) OCT machines. A texture-based algorithm is introduced in this paper for fully automatic segmentation of choroidal images obtained from an EDI system of Heidelberg 3D OCT Spectralis. Dynamic programming is utilized to determine the location of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Bruch’s membrane (BM) (the blood-retina barrier which separates the RPE cells of the retina from the choroid) can be segmented by searching for the pixels with the biggest gradient value below the RPE. Furthermore, a novel method is proposed to segment the choroid-sclera interface (CSI), which employs the wavelet based features to construct a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). The model is then used in a graph cut for segmentation of the choroidal boundary. The proposed algorithm is tested on 100 EDI OCTs and is compared with manual segmentation. The results showed an unsigned error of 2.48 ± 0.32 pixels for BM extraction and 9.79 ± 3.29 pixels for choroid detection. It implies significant improvement of the proposed method over other approaches likek-means and graph cut methods.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tales Santini ◽  
Sossena Wood ◽  
Narayanan Krishnamurthy ◽  
Tiago Martins ◽  
Howard J. Aizenstein ◽  
...  

AbstractRecently cleared by the FDA, 7 Tesla (7 T) MRI is a rapidly growing technology that can provide higher resolution and enhanced contrast in human MRI images. However, the increased operational frequency (~ 297 MHz) hinders its full potential since it causes inhomogeneities in the images and increases the power deposition in the tissues. This work describes the optimization of an innovative radiofrequency (RF) head coil coupled design, named Tic Tac Toe, currently used in large scale human MRI scanning at 7 T; to date, this device was used in more than 1,300 neuro 7 T MRI scans. Electromagnetic simulations of the coil were performed using the finite-difference time-domain method. Numerical optimizations were used to combine the calculated electromagnetic fields produced by these antennas, based on the superposition principle, resulting in homogeneous magnetic field distributions at low levels of power deposition in the tissues. The simulations were validated in-vivo using the Tic Tac Toe RF head coil system on a 7 T MRI scanner.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan C. Lau ◽  
Yiming Xiao ◽  
Roy A.M. Haast ◽  
Greydon Gilmore ◽  
Kamil Uludag ◽  
...  

AbstractThe zona incerta (ZI) is a small gray matter region of the deep brain first identified in the 19th century, yet direct in vivo visualization and characterization has remained elusive. Noninvasive detection of the ZI and surrounding region could be critical to further our understanding of this widely connected but poorly understood deep brain region and could contribute to the development and optimization of neuromodulatory therapies. We demonstrate that high resolution (submillimetric) longitudinal (T1) relaxometry measurements at high magnetic field strength (7 Tesla) can be used to delineate the ZI from surrounding white matter structures, specifically the fasciculus cerebellothalamicus, fields of Forel (fasciculus lenticularis, fasciculus thalamicus, field H), and medial lemniscus. Using this approach, we successfully derived in vivo estimates of the size, shape, location, and tissue characteristics of substructures in the ZI region, confirming observations only previously possible through histological evaluation that this region is not just a space between structures but contains distinct morphological entities that should be considered separately. Our findings pave the way for increasingly detailed in vivo study and provide a structural foundation for precise functional and neuromodulatory investigation.


Author(s):  
Cesar D. Fermin ◽  
Hans-Peter Zenner

Contraction of outer and inner hair cells (OHC&IHC) in the Organ of Corti (OC) of the inner ear is necessary for sound transduction. Getting at HC in vivo preparations is difficult. Thus, isolated HCs have been used to study OHC properties. Even though viability has been shown in isolated (iOHC) preparations by good responses to current and cationic stimulation, the contribution of adjoining cells can not be explained with iOHC preparations. This study was undertaken to examine changes in the OHC after expossure of the OHC to high concentrations of potassium (K) and sodium (Na), by carefully immersing the OC in either artifical endolymph or perilymph. After K and Na exposure, OCs were fixed with 3% glutaraldehyde, post-fixed in osmium, separated into base, middle and apex and embedded in Araldite™. One μm thick sections were prepared for analysis with the light and E.M. Cross sectional areas were measured with Bioquant™ software.Potassium and sodium both cause isolated guinea pig OHC to contract. In vivo high K concentration may cause uncontrolled and sustained contractions that could contribute to Meniere's disease. The behavior of OHC in the vivo setting might be very different from that of iOHC. We show here changes of the cell cytosol and cisterns caused by K and Na to OHC in situs. The table below shows results from cross sectional area measurements of OHC from OC that were exposed to either K or Na. As one would expect, from the anatomical arrangement of the OC, OHC#l that are supported by rigid tissue would probably be displaced (move) less than those OHC located away from the pillar. Surprisingly, cells in the middle turn of the cochlea changed their surface areas more than those at either end of the cochlea. Moreover, changes in surface area do not seem to differ between K and Na treated OCs.


Author(s):  
Valeria Vendries ◽  
Tamas Ungi ◽  
Jordan Harry ◽  
Manuela Kunz ◽  
Jana Podlipská ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Osteophytes are common radiographic markers of osteoarthritis. However, they are not accurately depicted using conventional imaging, thus hampering surgical interventions that rely on pre-operative images. Studies have shown that ultrasound (US) is promising at detecting osteophytes and monitoring the progression of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound reconstructions may offer a means to quantify osteophytes. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of osteophyte depiction in the knee joint between 3D US and conventional computed tomography (CT). Methods Eleven human cadaveric knees were pre-screened for the presence of osteophytes. Three osteoarthritic knees were selected, and then, 3D US and CT images were obtained, segmented, and digitally reconstructed in 3D. After dissection, high-resolution structured light scanner (SLS) images of the joint surfaces were obtained. Surface matching and root mean square (RMS) error analyses of surface distances were performed to assess the accuracy of each modality in capturing osteophytes. The RMS errors were compared between 3D US, CT and SLS models. Results Average RMS error comparisons for 3D US versus SLS and CT versus SLS models were 0.87 mm ± 0.33 mm (average ± standard deviation) and 0.95 mm ± 0.32 mm, respectively. No statistical difference was found between 3D US and CT. Comparative observations of imaging modalities suggested that 3D US better depicted osteophytes with cartilage and fibrocartilage tissue characteristics compared to CT. Conclusion Using 3D US can improve the depiction of osteophytes with a cartilaginous portion compared to CT. It can also provide useful information about the presence and extent of osteophytes. Whilst algorithm improvements for automatic segmentation and registration of US are needed to provide a more robust investigation of osteophyte depiction accuracy, this investigation puts forward the potential application for 3D US in routine diagnostic evaluations and pre-operative planning of osteoarthritis.


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