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Updated: May 12, 2026
Three-Dimensional Shape Modeling and Analysis of Brain Structures
Published on: November 14, 2019
Comparison of two nonlinear registration techniques to investigate brain atrophy patterns in normal aging
1State Key Laboratory of Software Development Environment, Beihang University, 100191 Beijing, China; Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, 100191 Beijing, China.
Background And Purpose:
Automated anatomical labeling (AAL) provides an automatic brain region segmentation method to allow objective measurement of regional brain volume. Nonlinear registration plays a critical role in such automated region-based volumetry. The aim of this study was to compare age-related brain regional volume changes using two nonlinear registration methods in statistical parametric mapping (SPM).
Material And Methods:
The study included 176 right-handed healthy participants (age range: 18-94years). A total of 90 brain regions for each subject were automatically extracted, based on the AAL atlas, and two nonlinear registration methods (Normalization and DARTEL Toolbox in SPM5) were applied. Three-way ANOVA was performed to estimate the effects of brain region, each registration method and each hemisphere on regional volumes. Age-related brain-volume changes were also investigated by linear regression analysis for each nonlinear registration method.
Results:
Significant differences were found in volume among different brain regions (P<0.001) with the two nonlinear registration methods (P=0.011). Volumes of the corresponding brain region were significantly different (P=0.037) between two hemispheres, and age-related volume reductions were unevenly distributed across regions. The most dramatic decreases in volume were found in the bilateral insula, middle frontal regions and cingulum. Rankings of the decreased brain regional volumes differed between the two registration techniques and adjustment methods.
Conclusion:
The inferred age-related volume atrophy patterns based on the AAL atlas were largely dependent on the choice of registration methodology.
