title: funcLAB/G-service-oriented architecture for standards-based analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging in HealthGrids.
abstract: Functional MRI is successfully being used in clinical and research applications including preoperative planning, language mapping, and outcome monitoring. However, clinical use of fMRI is less widespread due to its complexity of imaging, image workflow, post-processing, and lack of algorithmic standards hindering result comparability. As a consequence, wide-spread adoption of fMRI as clinical tool is low contributing to the uncertainty of community physicians how to integrate fMRI into practice. In addition, training of physicians with fMRI is in its infancy and requires clinical and technical understanding. Therefore, many institutions which perform fMRI have a team of basic researchers and physicians to perform fMRI as a routine imaging tool. In order to provide fMRI as an advanced diagnostic tool to the benefit of a larger patient population, image acquisition and image post-processing must be streamlined, standardized, and available at any institution which does not have these resources available. Here we describe a software architecture, the functional imaging laboratory (funcLAB/G), which addresses (i) standardized image processing using Statistical Parametric Mapping and (ii) its extension to secure sharing and availability for the community using standards-based Grid technology (Globus Toolkit). funcLAB/G carries the potential to overcome the limitations of fMRI in clinical use and thus makes standardized fMRI available to the broader healthcare enterprise utilizing the Internet and HealthGrid Web Services technology.
authors: Department of Radiology, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 4560 Sunset Blvd. #81, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA. serberich@chla.usc.edu
authors: Stephan G
authors: SG
authors: Erberich
authors: Manasee
authors: M
authors: Bhandekar
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: Chervenak
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Kesselman
authors: Marvin D
authors: MD
authors: Nelson
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems; D003219:Confidentiality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D020407:Internet; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D012984:Software