A method for the automatic segmentation of autoradiographic image stacks and spatial normalization of functional cortical activity patterns

J Neurosci Methods. 2004 Mar 15;134(1):45-58. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2003.10.015.

Abstract

This paper introduces two new methods for the automatic anatomical and functional analysis of neurobiological autoradiographic image stacks, such as 2-fluoro-deoxyglucose (2FDG) images. The difficulty in the evaluation of these "2(1/2)D" datasets is that they do not inherently represent a continuous 3D data volume (as generated by MRI or CT), but consist of a stack of images from single tissue slices, suffering from unavoidable preparation artifacts. In the first part of the paper, a semi-automatic segmentation method is presented which generates a 3D surface model of certain brain structures and which is robust against different cutting directions with respect to the brain coordinate system. The method saves man-hours compared to manual segmentation and the results are highly reproducible. In the second part, a fully automatic method for the extraction, analysis and 3D visualization of functional information is described, which allows not only a more accurate localization of activation sites, but also greatly enhances the comparability of different individuals. Results are shown for 2FDG autoradiographs from rat brains under acoustical stimulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoradiography / methods
  • Cerebral Cortex / chemistry*
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / analysis
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Rats

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18