title: Fluid registration of diffusion tensor images using information theory.
abstract: We apply an information-theoretic cost metric, the symmetrized Kullback-Leibler (sKL) divergence, or J-divergence, to fluid registration of diffusion tensor images. The difference between diffusion tensors is quantified based on the sKL-divergence of their associated probability density functions (PDFs). Three-dimensional DTI data from 34 subjects were fluidly registered to an optimized target image. To allow large image deformations but preserve image topology, we regularized the flow with a large-deformation diffeomorphic mapping based on the kinematics of a Navier-Stokes fluid. A driving force was developed to minimize the J-divergence between the deforming source and target diffusion functions, while reorienting the flowing tensors to preserve fiber topography. In initial experiments, we showed that the sKL-divergence based on full diffusion PDFs is adaptable to higher-order diffusion models, such as high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI). The sKL-divergence was sensitive to subtle differences between two diffusivity profiles, showing promise for nonlinear registration applications and multisubject statistical analysis of HARDI data.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Leow
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Klunder
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dutton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barysheva
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: de Zubicaray
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Toga
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007257:Information Theory; D008297:Male; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique