Template-Based Tractography for Clinical Neonatal Diffusion Imaging Data
Résumé
In imaging studies of neonates, particularly in the clinical setting, diffusion tensor imaging-based tractography is typically unreliable due to the use of fast acquisition protocols that yield low resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). These image acquisition protocols are implemented with the aim of reducing displacement artifacts that may be produced by the movement of the neonate's head during the scanning session.1 In addition, axons are not yet fully myelinated in neonates.1-3 As a result, the water molecule's movements are not as constrained as in older brains, making it even more difficult to define structure by means of diffusion profiles. Here, we introduce a post-processing method that overcomes some of the difficulties described above, allowing the determination of reliable tracts in newborns. We test our method using neonatal data and in particular, we successfully extract a limbic and some association and commisural fibers, all of which are typically difficult to obtain by direct tractography. The method is further validated through visual inspection by expert pediatric neuroradiologists.
Domaines
Imagerie médicaleOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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