title: Comparison of human septal nuclei MRI measurements using automated segmentation and a new manual protocol based on histology.
abstract: Septal nuclei, located in basal forebrain, are strongly connected with hippocampi and important in learning and memory, but have received limited research attention in human MRI studies. While probabilistic maps for estimating septal volume on MRI are now available, they have not been independently validated against manual tracing of MRI, typically considered the gold standard for delineating brain structures. We developed a protocol for manual tracing of the human septal region on MRI based on examination of neuroanatomical specimens. We applied this tracing protocol to T1 MRI scans (n=86) from subjects with temporal epilepsy and healthy controls to measure septal volume. To assess the inter-rater reliability of the protocol, a second tracer used the same protocol on 20 scans that were randomly selected from the 72 healthy controls. In addition to measuring septal volume, maximum septal thickness between the ventricles was measured and recorded. The same scans (n=86) were also analyzed using septal probabilistic maps and DARTEL toolbox in SPM. Results show that our manual tracing algorithm is reliable, and that septal volume measurements obtained via manual and automated methods correlate significantly with each other (p<.001). Both manual and automated methods detected significantly enlarged septal nuclei in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy in accord with a proposed compensatory neuroplastic process related to the strong connections between septal nuclei and hippocampi. Septal thickness, which was simple to measure with excellent inter-rater reliability, correlated well with both manual and automated septal volume, suggesting it could serve as an easy-to-measure surrogate for septal volume in future studies. Our results call attention to the important though understudied human septal region, confirm its enlargement in temporal lobe epilepsy, and provide a reliable new manual delineation protocol that will facilitate continued study of this critical region.
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: Tracy.butler@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaborszky
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pirraglia
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Jinyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Xiuyuan Hugh
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Wai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tsui
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Talos
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Orrin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Devinsky
authors.affiliation: Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuchna
authors.affiliation: Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowicki
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Rubin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuzniecky
authors.affiliation: Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wegiel
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glodzik
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rusinek
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Mony J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: deLeon
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thesen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001331:Automation; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2012 Jan;18(1):157-61
references.pmid: 22152217
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2009 Jun 24;29(25):8094-102
references.pmid: 19553449
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1968 Jul;133(3):383-410
references.pmid: 5710964
references.citation: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2008 Jun;27(6):1235-41
references.pmid: 18504741
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1980 Feb 15;189(4):573-91
references.pmid: 6769979
references.citation: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2007 Apr;257(3):140-8
references.pmid: 17180571
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2008 Sep 1;42(3):1127-41
references.pmid: 18585468
references.citation: Neuron. 2002 Jan 31;33(3):341-55
references.pmid: 11832223
references.citation: Epilepsy Behav. 2005 Jun;6(4):633-45
references.pmid: 15878307
references.citation: Hippocampus. 2007;17(5):396-411
references.pmid: 17372974
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2006 Jun;95(6):3645-53
references.pmid: 16554504
references.citation: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2002 Sep;16(3):305-10
references.pmid: 12205587
references.citation: Epilepsy Res. 1994 Jul;18(3):195-204
references.pmid: 7805641
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 1990 May;13(5):163-8
references.pmid: 1693232
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2010 Jul;20(7):1685-95
references.pmid: 19889714
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1986 Aug;6(8):2155-62
references.pmid: 3746405
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2002 Jan;15(1):273-89
references.pmid: 11771995
references.citation: Brain Res. 1989 Dec 25;505(1):29-38
references.pmid: 2558781
references.citation: Neuron. 2002 Jan 31;33(3):325-40
references.pmid: 11832222
references.citation: Science. 1978 Jul 14;201(4351):160-3
references.pmid: 663646
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Apr 15;45(3):855-66
references.pmid: 19162198
references.citation: Neurology. 2001 Nov 13;57(9):1669-74
references.pmid: 11706109
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1983 Dec;10(4):1185-201
references.pmid: 6320048
references.citation: J Neurochem. 2006 Feb;96(3):609-23
references.pmid: 16405497
references.citation: J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1994 Mar-Apr;18(2):192-205
references.pmid: 8126267
references.citation: Neurology. 2013 Jan 29;80(5):487-91
references.pmid: 23303846
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2007 Oct 15;38(1):95-113
references.pmid: 17761438
references.citation: Neurobiol Aging. 1990 Jan-Feb;11(1):3-13
references.pmid: 2183081
references.citation: Nature. 1993 Aug 19;364(6439):723-5
references.pmid: 8355787
references.citation: J Chem Neuroanat. 2000 Oct;20(1):49-59
references.pmid: 11074343
references.citation: Neuron. 2011 Jul 14;71(1):155-65
references.pmid: 21745645
references.citation: Science. 1989 Aug 18;245(4919):758-61
references.pmid: 2549634