title: Whole brain fiber-based comparison (FBC)-A tool for diffusion tensor imaging-based cohort studies.
abstract: We present a novel method for fiber-based comparison of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans of groups of subjects. The method entails initial preprocessing and fiber reconstruction by tractography of each brain in its native coordinate system. Several diffusion parameters are sampled along each fiber and used in subsequent comparisons. A spatial correspondence between subjects is established based on geometric similarity between fibers in a template set (several choices for template are explored), and fibers in all other subjects. Diffusion parameters between groups are compared statistically for each template fiber. Results are presented at single fiber resolution. As an initial exploratory step in neurological population studies this method points to the locations affected by the pathology of interest, without requiring a hypothesis. It does not make any grouping assumptions on the fibers and no manual intervention is needed. The framework was applied here to 18 healthy subjects and 23 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The results are compatible with previous findings and with the tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) method. Hum Brain Mapp 37:477-490, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Gali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zimmerman-Moreno
authors.affiliation: The Functional Brain Center, the Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St. Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ben Bashat
authors.affiliation: The Functional Brain Center, the Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St. Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Moran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artzi
authors.affiliation: ALS Clinic, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St. Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nefussy
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel.|ALS Clinic, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St. Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drory
authors.affiliation: The Functional Brain Center, the Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St. Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aizenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Hayit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Greenspan
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods
keywords: ALS; DTI; axial diffusivity; fractional anisotropy; mean diffusivity; radial diffusivity; tractogram; white matter fibers; whole brain tractography