用扩散MRI追踪数据实现脑核团精细分区,提升神经解剖研究精度。
DeepNuParc: A Novel Deep Clustering Framework for Fine-scale Parcellation of Brain Nuclei Using Diffusion MRI Tractography
- 基于深度学习与流线聚类,从dMRI数据直接分割脑核团。
- 在杏仁核和丘脑上实现多被试一致的精细分区,结果与主流图谱吻合。
- 适合神经影像、脑图谱构建及精准神经科学研究者使用。
脑核团是由解剖上不同的神经元群组成的重要信息处理枢纽,其精细分区对理解脑结构-功能关联至关重要。扩散MRI(dMRI) tractography 能够估计白质结构连接,揭示目标核团的空间拓扑特征。本文提出 DeepNuParc 深度聚类框架,实现基于 dMRI 追踪数据的自动化脑核团精细分区。首先,采用新型深度学习方法直接在 dMRI 数据上精确分割目标核团;其次,设计基于流线聚类的结构连接特征,实现核团内体素的鲁棒表征;最后,改进经典的联合降维与 k-means 聚类方法,实现更细粒度的分区。在杏仁核(amygdala)和丘脑(thalamus)两个关键结构上验证,DeepNuParc 可在多个受试者间实现一致的多区域划分,并与广泛使用的粗尺度图谱具有良好对应性。代码已开源:https://github.com/HarlandZZC/deep_nuclei_parcellation。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Brain nuclei are clusters of anatomically distinct neurons that serve as important hubs for processing and relaying information in various neural circuits. Fine-scale parcellation of the brain nuclei is vital for a comprehensive understanding of its anatomico-functional correlations. Diffusion MRI tractography is an advanced imaging technique that can estimate the brain's white matter structural connectivity to potentially reveal the topography of the nuclei of interest for studying its subdivisions. In this work, we present a deep clustering pipeline, namely DeepNuParc, to perform automated, fine-scale parcellation of brain nuclei using diffusion MRI tractography. First, we incorporate a newly proposed deep learning approach to enable accurate segmentation of the nuclei of interest directly on the dMRI data. Next, we design a novel streamline clustering-based structural connectivity feature for a robust representation of voxels within the nuclei. Finally, we improve the popular joint dimensionality reduction and k-means clustering approach to enable nuclei parcellation at a finer scale. We demonstrate DeepNuParc on two important brain structures, i.e. the amygdala and the thalamus, that are known to have multiple anatomically and functionally distinct nuclei subdivisions. Experimental results show that DeepNuParc enables consistent parcellation of the nuclei into multiple parcels across multiple subjects and achieves good correspondence with the widely used coarse-scale atlases. Our codes are available at https://github.com/HarlandZZC/deep_nuclei_parcellation.
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