title: Quality Control of Structural MRI Images Applied Using FreeSurfer-A Hands-On Workflow to Rate Motion Artifacts.
abstract: In structural magnetic resonance imaging motion artifacts are common, especially when not scanning healthy young adults. It has been shown that motion affects the analysis with automated image-processing techniques (e.g., FreeSurfer). This can bias results. Several developmental and adult studies have found reduced volume and thickness of gray matter due to motion artifacts. Thus, quality control is necessary in order to ensure an acceptable level of quality and to define exclusion criteria of images (i.e., determine participants with most severe artifacts). However, information about the quality control workflow and image exclusion procedure is largely lacking in the current literature and the existing rating systems differ. Here, we propose a stringent workflow of quality control steps during and after acquisition of T1-weighted images, which enables researchers dealing with populations that are typically affected by motion artifacts to enhance data quality and maximize sample sizes. As an underlying aim we established a thorough quality control rating system for T1-weighted images and applied it to the analysis of developmental clinical data using the automated processing pipeline FreeSurfer. This hands-on workflow and quality control rating system will aid researchers in minimizing motion artifacts in the final data set, and therefore enhance the quality of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Lea L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Backhausen
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Herting
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buse
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Veit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roessner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Smolka
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Nora C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Vetter
keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); head motion; quality control; rating system; structural MRI; volumetry