Multi sequence average templates for aging and neurodegenerative disease populations

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Medical Image Analysis
• Brain Atlases

Background:

• Standard Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) processing relies on average templates for spatial normalization.
• The MNI-ICBM152 template, an average of healthy young adults, is widely used but poorly represents neurodegenerative disease populations.
• Atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases can lead to registration errors when using standard templates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present disease-specific MRI templates for improved standardization in neurodegenerative disease research.
• To reduce registration errors and enhance downstream analyses in patient populations.
• To provide sex-specific templates for a more accurate representation of disease-related anatomical changes.

Main Methods:

• Creation of multi-sequence average MRI templates for various neurodegenerative conditions.
• Inclusion of templates for Alzheimer's Dementia (AD), Fronto-temporal Dementia (FTD), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Parkinson's Disease (PD-CIE and PD-CI), Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), V-AD, V-MCI, Cognitively Intact Elderly (CIE), and a human phantom.
• Development of separate male and female templates for each condition.

Main Results:

• A suite of novel, disease-specific MRI templates has been generated.
• These templates encompass a range of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive statuses.
• Sex-specific templates are provided to account for anatomical differences between males and females.

Conclusions:

• Disease-specific MRI templates are crucial for accurate standardization in neurodegenerative disease research.
• The developed templates offer a valuable resource to mitigate registration errors and improve the reliability of neuroimaging analyses.
• These templates facilitate better characterization of brain anatomy in diverse patient populations.