title: A reproducible method for automated extraction of brain volumes from 3D human head MR images.
abstract: An automated method for extracting brain volumes from three commonly acquired three-dimensional (3D) MR images (proton density, T1 weighted, and T2-weighted) of the human head is described. The procedure is divided into four levels: preprocessing, segmentation, scalp removal, and postprocessing. A user-provided reference point is the sole operator-dependent input required. The method's parameters were first optimized and then fixed and applied to 30 repeat data sets from 15 normal older adult subjects to investigate its reproducibility. Percent differences between total brain volumes (TBVs) for the subjects' repeated data sets ranged from .5% to 2.2%. We conclude that the method is both robust and reproducible and has the potential for wide application.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Magnetic Resonance, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: de Zubicaray
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chalk
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Doddrell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Semple
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001331:Automation; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results