title: A critical analysis of neuroanatomical software protocols reveals clinically relevant differences in parcellation schemes.
abstract: A high replicability in region-of-interest (ROI) morphometric or ROI-based connectivity analyses is essential for such methods to provide biomarkers of good health or disease. In this article, we focus on package design, and more specifically on cortical parcellation protocols, for novel insight into their contribution to inter-package differences. A critical analysis of cortical parcellation protocols from FreeSurfer, BrainSuite, BrainVISA and BrainGyrusMapping revealed major limitations. Details of reference populations are generally missing, cortical variability is not always explicitly accounted for and, more importantly, definition of gyral borders can be inconsistent. We recommend that in the package selection process end users incorporate protocol suitability for the ROIs under investigation, with these particular points in mind, as inter-package differences are likely to be significant and the source of incompatibility between studies' results.
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK. Electronic address: s1163658@sms.ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Shadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikhael
authors.affiliation: Toshiba Medical Visualization Systems Europe, Bonnington Bond, 2 Anderson Place Edinburgh EH6 5NP, UK.
authors.forename: Corné
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoogendoorn
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valdes-Hernandez
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pernet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001271:Atlases as Topic; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012984:Software / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cortical parcellation; Gyrus; MRI; Protocol; Sulcus; Variability