Schmidt M, Mennecke A, Michelson G, Dörfler A, Engelhorn T (2014)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2014
Book Volume: 9
Pages Range: e99344
Journal Issue: 6
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099344
Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) has been used to assess the integrity of the visual pathway in glaucoma patients. TBSS uses the subjects' FA data to create a mean FA skeleton of white matter tracts before running voxel-wise cross-subject statistics. We compared four different approaches of registration of FA maps to create the skeleton and evaluated alignment and subsequently the impact of the chosen registration on voxel-wise statistics.Our study comprised 69 subjects, i.e. 46 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and a healthy, age-matched control group of 23 subjects. Mean FA skeletons were created using the following registration approaches: registration to a standard template (T), registration to the group mean (GM), registration to a group-wise atlas (GW) and registration to the most typical subject (N). Subsequently, maps of standard deviation of the 4D images were created to assess the alignment. Voxel-wise statistics for each registration approach were performed.We found distinct differences in voxel-wise statistics depending on the chosen registration approach. Best alignment results were achieved by registration to a study specific template, i.e. to the group mean (GM) or to a group-wise atlas (GW). Overall alignment did not differ between these two approaches. However, voxel-wise statistics showed clusters of significantly decreased FA values in the T and GM approach, which were not significant after GW registration. These voxels of significantly decreased FA values after T and GM registration did not represent white matter tracts and correlated with higher standard deviation in FA maps across subjects, thus implying registration errors, especially in the optic radiation.Registration to a study-specific template, i.e. to the group mean or a group-wise atlas seems to be the method of choice in TBSS-analysis of glaucoma patients as it shows better alignment of the optic radiation and helps to rule out registration errors due to misalignment.
APA:
Schmidt, M., Mennecke, A., Michelson, G., Dörfler, A., & Engelhorn, T. (2014). DTI analysis in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma: impact of registration on Voxel-Wise statistics. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e99344. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099344
MLA:
Schmidt, Manuel, et al. "DTI analysis in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma: impact of registration on Voxel-Wise statistics." PLoS ONE 9.6 (2014): e99344.
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