Automated VOI Analysis in FDDNP PET Using Structural Warping: Validation through Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

We evaluate an automated approach to the cortical surface mapping (CSM) method of VOI analysis in PET. Although CSM has been previously shown to be successful, the process can be long and tedious. Here, we present an approach that removes these difficulties through the use of 3D image warping to a common space. We test this automated method using studies of FDDNP PET in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. For each subject, VOIs were created, through CSM, to extract regional PET data. After warping to the common space, a single set of CSM-generated VOIs was used to extract PET data from all subjects. The data extracted using a single set of VOIs outperformed the manual approach in classifying AD patients from MCIs and controls. This suggests that this automated method can remove variance in measurements of PET data and can facilitate accurate, high-throughput image analysis.