Brain Image Analysis

Research Summary

Our work in brain image analysis is focused on processing of structural brain images to extract volume and surface representations of neuroanatomic structures with a particular emphasis on cortical anatomy. In collaboration with David Shattuck and colleagues at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at UCLA we have developed Brainsuite: software that will automatically extract a representation of the inner and outer cortical surface from T1-weighted images. Subsequent analysis allows coregistration of these surfaces to an atlas either automatically (using surface curvature) or based on user-drawn sulcal landmarks. Through mapping of the cerebrum to the unit ball we can then perform a volumetric coregistration in which there is a one-to-one mapping between cortical surfaces. We are now in the process of adding to BrainSuite ODF visualization, fiber tracking, and interactive visualization of connectivity using user-defined or atlas-based ROIs. Other aspects of our on-going work include methods for improved estimation of the ODF from HARDI data, intersubject coregistration of ODFs, and extensions of our image analysis tools to accommodate lesioned brains.

Collaborators

• David Shattuck, Associate Professor, Dept. Neurology, UCLA

• Hanna Damasio, University Professor, Dana Dornsife Chair in Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology and Neurology, Co-Director, USC College Brain and Creativity Institute

• Jessica Wisnowski, PhD, Dept. Radiology, Childrens Hospital, LA.

Research Support

• P41 RR013642: COMPUTATIONAL ANATOMY AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODELING, PI: A. Toga (LONI, UCLA)

• R01 NS074980: INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FOR SEMIAUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL BRAIN IMAGES, PI: D. Shattuck (LONI, UCLA)

• NSF BCS-1028389: AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF CORTICAL NETWORKS ACROSS FREQUENCIES IN AUDIOVISAL SPEECH INTEGRATION, PI: D. Pantazis (McGovern Brain Institute, MIT)