Automatic Analysis of Brain Tissue and Structural Connectivity in MRI

Studies of the brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide insights in physiology and pathology that can eventually aid clinical diagnosis and therapy monitoring. MRI data acquired in these studies can be difficult, as well as laborious, to interpret and analyze by human observers. Moreover, analysis by human observers can hamper the reproducibility by both inter- and intra-observer variability. These studies do, therefore, require accurate and reproducible quantitative image analysis techniques to optimally benefit from the valuable information contained in the MRI data. In this thesis, we focus on the development and evaluation of quantitative analysis techniques for brain MRI data. In the first part of this thesis, we focus on automatic brain tissue and white matter lesion (WML) segmentation. We propose an automatic WML segmentation method based on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans that can be added as an extension to brain tissue segmentation methods. We optimize and evaluate a previously proposed automatic brain tissue segmentation method in combination with the WML segmentation extension. We compare the accuracy and reproducibility of this newly developed segmentation framework to several other methods, some of which are publicly available. Additionally, we compare two brain tissue segmentation methods on the segmentation of longitudinal brain MRI data. The second part of this thesis is about structural brain connectivity based on diffusion MRI data. We propose a framework for analysis of structural connectivity in large groups of subjects. Structural connectivity is established using minimum cost paths based on the diffusion weighted images and is summarized in brain networks. Using statistical methods, we demonstrate that the obtained networks contain information regarding subject age, white matter lesion load and white matter atrophy. Finally, we evaluate the reproducibility of the proposed brain connectivity framework

Strategies of teachers in the regular classroom

It is known that regular schoolteachers have difficulties in educating students with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD), mainly because of their disruptive behavior. In order to manage the disruptive behavior of students with SEBD many advices and strategies are provided in educational literature. However, very little is known about teachers′ strategies in daily practice to enhance the social participation of these students. The current study aims at revealing what teachers do to improve the social participation of students with SEBD in regular class via expert panel meetings. The data from the expert panels were half-open coded with two codebooks. The results indicate that teachers use many different strategies. However, not all strategies were directly aimed at improving the social participation. Teachers also aimed at preconditions like parental contact

What do Dutch general education teachers do to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD?

Few studies have addressed the daily practice of applied teacher strategies aimed at facilitating the social participation of students with social-emotional problems or behavioural difficulties (SEBD). In this paper, we present two interlinked studies that address this topic. The main study reports on the development of the Teacher Strategy Questionnaire on Social Participation in the Classroom (TSQ-SPC). We tested the questionnaire's construct validity by performing a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. The follow-up study presents the results of a survey of 163 Dutch general primary education teachers of inclusive classes using a modified version of the TSQ-SPC. It provides insights on the strategies that teachers apply in their daily practice to facilitate positive social participation of students with SEBD. The findings of both studies suggest that general primary education teachers apply a limited repertoire of strategies. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for further research focusing on the development of interventions and revisions of the pre- and in-service teacher development curricula aimed at adequately supporting and preparing general education teachers

Young children’s perspectives on resolving social exclusion within inclusive classrooms

Not all children benefit from the opportunities of inclusive education, especially children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). This article presents the findings of a Q study exploring the perspectives of children with or at risk of SEBD, who experience difficulties with their social participation within the mainstream classroom. Forty-five children, aged 6–8 years, sorted 15 statements outlining approaches for resolving social exclusion and victimisation situations. Four shared perspectives were identified per situation using by-person factor analysis. These perspectives differed primarily with respect to the actors held responsible for resolving the situation. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for addressing the social needs of children with or at risk of SEBD within the inclusive classroom

Voices and Preferred Solutions of Socially Excluded Students in Primary Schools

Advocates of inclusive education argue that the social participation of students with special educational needs (SEN) increases by educating them together with typically developing peers. However, research indicates that this is not obvious for all students with SEN (Guralnick, Neville, Hammond, & Connor, 2007). Especially students with social emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD) are not automatically socially included in regular education. Sociometric data is commonly used in social inclusion studies, meaning that others such as peers often indicate if a student is accepted or not (Frostad & Pijl, 2007). When social participation is addressed the perspective of socially excluded students, including their experiences and preferred solutions, are often not taken into account. In order to effectively address the social participation of these students, with and without SEBD, their voices should be heard. The aim of the current study is to explore: 1) the experiences regarding social exclusion of students, with and without SEBD, in primary schools and 2) which solutions the students preferred in situations of social exclusion. In total 35 socially excluded students (age range 9 - 13 years) from grade 5 and 6, in regular primary education (N = 14) and special primary education (N = 21), were interviewed with an interview protocol to explore the experiences of social exclusion in play and victimization. To analyze the interviews a multi¬grounded theory approach was used to generate themes in the students’ experiences and their preferences to address social exclusion. The results show that students’ experiences with social exclusion often take place outside the classroom. The preferred solutions provided by the students cover a broad spectrum, with a main role for the teacher as initiator of the solutions. The results are discussed in light of need for further studies addressing students’ voices of all students, not only the students with SEN, the importance of including students’ insights when designing interventions that target the social participation of students in inclusive education and the need to shift the interventions from the classroom to skills outside the classroom on the playground. References: Frostad, P., & Pijl, S.J. (2007). Does being friendly help in making friends? the relation between the social position and social skills of pupils with special needs in mainstream education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22(1), 15¬30. Guralnick, M.J., Neville, B., Hammond, M.A., & Connor, R.T. (2007). The friendships of young children with developmental delays: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(1), 64¬79