Validation of plaster endocast morphology through 3D CT image analysis

A crucial component of research on brain evolution has been the comparison of fossil endocranial surfaces with modern human and primate endocrania. The latter have generally been obtained by creating endocasts out of rubber latex shells filled with plaster. The extent to which the method of production introduces errors in endocast replicas is unknown. We demonstrate a powerful method of comparing complex shapes in 3-dimensions (3D) that is broadly applicable to a wide range of paleoanthropological questions. Pairs of virtual endocasts (VEs) created from high-resolution CT scans of corresponding latex/plaster endocasts and their associated crania were rigidly registered (aligned) in 3D space for two Homo sapiens and two Pan troglodytes specimens. Distances between each cranial VE and its corresponding latex/plaster VE were then mapped on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The results show that between 79.7% and 91.0% of the voxels in the four latex/plaster VEs are within 2 mm of their corresponding cranial VEs surfaces. The average error is relatively small, and variation in the pattern of error across the surfaces appears to be generally random overall. However, inferior areas around the cranial base and the temporal poles were somewhat overestimated in both human and chimpanzee specimens, and the area overlaying Broca's area in humans was somewhat underestimated. This study gives an idea of the size of possible error inherent in latex/plaster endocasts, indicating the level of confidence we can have with studies relying on comparisons between them and, e.g., hominid fossil endocasts. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55857/1/20499_ftp.pd

A novel MRA-based framework for the detection of changes in cerebrovascular blood pressure.

Background: High blood pressure (HBP) affects 75 million adults and is the primary or contributing cause of mortality in 410,000 adults each year in the United States. Chronic HBP leads to cerebrovascular changes and is a significant contributor for strokes, dementia, and cognitive impairment. Non-invasive measurement of changes in cerebral vasculature and blood pressure (BP) may enable physicians to optimally treat HBP patients. This manuscript describes a method to non-invasively quantify changes in cerebral vasculature and BP using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) imaging. Methods: MRA images and BP measurements were obtained from patients (n=15, M=8, F=7, Age= 49.2 ± 7.3 years) over a span of 700 days. A novel segmentation algorithm was developed to identify brain vasculature from surrounding tissue. The data was processed to calculate the vascular probability distribution function (PDF); a measure of the vascular diameters in the brain. The initial (day 0) PDF and final (day 700) PDF were used to correlate the changes in cerebral vasculature and BP. Correlation was determined by a mixed effects linear model analysis. Results: The segmentation algorithm had a 99.9% specificity and 99.7% sensitivity in identifying and delineating cerebral vasculature. The PDFs had a statistically significant correlation to BP changes below the circle of Willis (p-value = 0.0007), but not significant (p-value = 0.53) above the circle of Willis, due to smaller blood vessels. Conclusion: Changes in cerebral vasculature and pressure can be non-invasively obtained through MRA image analysis, which may be a useful tool for clinicians to optimize medical management of HBP

A hierarchical approach with triangulated surfaces for 3D data segmentation

This article presents a new algorithm for segmenting three-dimensional images . It is based on a dynamic triangulated surface an d on a pyramidal representation . The triangulated surface, which follows a physical modelization and which can as well modify its geometry as its topology, segments images into their components by altering its shape according to internal and externa l constraints . In order to speed up the whole process, an algorithm of pyramid building with any reduction factor allows us t o transform the image into a set of images with progressive resolutions . This organization into a hierarchy, combined with a model that can adapt its mesh refinement to the resolution of the workspace, authorizes a fast estimation of the general forms included i n the image. After that, the model searches for finer and finer details while relying successively on the different levels of the pyramid.Ce travail présente un algorithme de segmentation d'images tridimensionnelles par utilisation de surfaces triangulées et de pyramides. Une triangulation de surface dynamique, dotée d'une modélisation physique et capable de changer sa topologie, va, en se déformant suivant certaines contraintes, segmenter l'image en ses constituants. Afin d'accélérer le processus, un algorithme de construction de pyramide de facteur de réduction quelconque permet de transformer l'image en un ensemble d'images de résolution progressive. Cette hiérarchisation, couplée à un modèle capable d'adapter la précision de sa maille à la résolution de son espace de travail, permet d'estimer très rapidement les formes générales contenues dans une image. Une fois ceci fait, le modèle recherche les détails de plus en plus petits en s'appuyant successivement sur les différents niveaux de la pyramide

Investigation of the internal geometry and mechanics of the human fingertip, in vivo, using magnetic resonance imaging

Also issued as a M.S., thesis, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-149).Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. NIH-5-ROI-NS33778Kimberly Jo Voss and Mandayam A. Srinivasan

Investigation of the internal geometry and mechanics of the human fingertip, in vivo, using magnetic resonance imaging

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-149).by Kimberly Jo Voss.M.S

Combining global and local information for the segmentation of MR images of the brain

Magnetic resonance imaging can provide high resolution volumetric images of the brain with exceptional soft tissue contrast. These factors allow the complex structure of the brain to be clearly visualised. This has lead to the development of quantitative methods to analyse neuroanatomical structures. In turn, this has promoted the use of computational methods to automate and improve these techniques. This thesis investigates methods to accurately segment MRI images of the brain. The use of global and local image information is considered, where global information includes image intensity distributions, means and variances and local information is based on the relationship between spatially neighbouring voxels. Methods are explored that aim to improve the classification and segmentation of MR images of the brain by combining these elements. Some common artefacts exist in MR brain images that can be seriously detrimental to image analysis methods. Methods to correct for these artifacts are assessed by exploring their effect, first with some well established classification methods and then with methods that combine global information with local information in the form of a Markov random field model. Another characteristic of MR images is the partial volume effect that occurs where signals from different tissues become mixed over the finite volume of a voxel. This effect is demonstrated and quantified using a simulation. Analysis methods that address these issues are tested on simulated and real MR images. They are also applied to study the structure of the temporal lobes in a group of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The results emphasise the benefits and limitations of applying these methods to a problem of this nature. The work in this thesis demonstrates the advantages of using global and local information together in the segmentation of MR brain images and proposes a generalised framework that allows this information to be combined in a flexible way