Model-based segmentation of hippocampal subfields in ultra-high resolution in vivo MRI

Recent developments in MR data acquisition technology are starting to yield images that show anatomical features of the hippocampal formation at an unprecedented level of detail, providing the basis for hippocampal subfield measurement. Because of the role of the hippocampus in human memory and its implication in a variety of disorders and conditions, the ability to reliably and efficiently quantify its subfields through in vivo neuroimaging is of great interest to both basic neuroscience and clinical research. In this paper, we propose a fully-automated method for segmenting the hippocampal subfields in ultra-high resolution MRI data. Using a Bayesian approach, we build a computational model of how images around the hippocampal area are generated, and use this model to obtain automated segmentations. We validate the proposed technique by comparing our segmentation results with corresponding manual delineations in ultra-high resolution MRI scans of five individuals.