A physical model for DT-MRI based connectivity map computation.
In this study we address the problem of extracting a robust connectivity metric for brain white matter. We defined the connectivity problem as an energy minimization task, by associating the DT-field to a physical system composed of nodes and springs, with their constants defined as a function of local structure. Using a variational approach we formulated a fast and stable map evolution, which utilizes an anisotropic kernel smoothing scheme equivalent to a diffusion PDE. The proposed method provides connectivity maps that correlate with normal anatomy on real patient data.
Yörük
Erdem
E
Department of Electrical&Electronics Engineering, Boğazici University, Turkey. erdem.yoruk@boun.edu.tr
Acar
Burak
B
Bammer
Roland
R