Registration of high angular resolution diffusion MRI images using 4th order tensors.
Registration of Diffusion Weighted (DW)-MRI datasets has been commonly achieved to date in literature by using either scalar or 2nd-order tensorial information. However, scalar or 2nd-order tensors fail to capture complex local tissue structures, such as fiber crossings, and therefore, datasets containing fiber-crossings cannot be registered accurately by using these techniques. In this paper we present a novel method for non-rigidly registering DW-MRI datasets that are represented by a field of 4th-order tensors. We use the Hellinger distance between the normalized 4th-order tensors represented as distributions, in order to achieve this registration. Hellinger distance is easy to compute, is scale and rotation invariant and hence allows for comparison of the true shape of distributions. Furthermore, we propose a novel 4th-order tensor re-transformation operator, which plays an essential role in the registration procedure and shows significantly better performance compared to the re-orientation operator used in literature for DTI registration. We validate and compare our technique with other existing scalar image and DTI registration methods using simulated diffusion MR data and real HARDI datasets.
Barmpoutis
Angelos
A
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611, USA. abarmpou@cise.ufl.edu
Vemuri
Baba C
BC
Forder
John R
JR
D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique