Do manual and voxel-based morphometry measure the same? A proof of concept study.
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a commonly used method to study volumetric variations on a whole brain basis. However, it is often criticized for potential confounds, mainly based on imperfect spatial registration. We therefore aimed to evaluate if VBM and "gold standard" manual volumetry are measuring the same effects with respect to subcortical gray matter volumes. Manual regions-of-interest were drawn in the hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, thalamus, putamen, pallidum, and caudate nucleus bilaterally. Resulting volumes were used for a whole brain VBM correlation analysis with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8). The hippocampus, amygdala, putamen, and caudate nucleus were correctly identified by SPM using the contemporary high-dimensional normalization (DARTEL toolbox). This strongly suggests that VBM and manual volumetry both are indeed measuring the same effects with regard to subcortical brain structures.
Department of Neurology/Epileptology and Hertie Institute of Clinical Brain Research, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University , Tuebingen , Germany ; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg August University , Goettingen , Germany.
Niels K
NK
Focke
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Translational Research in Systems Neuroscience and Clinical Psychiatry, Georg August University , Goettingen , Germany.
Sarah
S
Trost
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg August University , Goettingen , Germany.
Walter
W
Paulus
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
Peter
P
Falkai
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Translational Research in Systems Neuroscience and Clinical Psychiatry, Georg August University , Goettingen , Germany.
Oliver
O
Gruber
DARTEL; manual volumetry; mixed psychiatric sample; validation; voxel-based morphometry