Smoothing fields of weighted collections with applications to diffusion MRI processing

Gunnar A. Sigurdsson, Jerry L. Prince

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using modern diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging protocols, the orientations of multiple neuronal fiber tracts within each voxel can be estimated. Further analysis of these populations, including application of fiber tracking and tract segmentation methods, is often hindered by lack of spatial smoothness of the estimated orientations. For example, a single noisy voxel can cause a fiber tracking method to switch tracts in a simple crossing tract geometry. In this work, a generalized spatial smoothing framework that handles multiple orientations as well as their fractional contributions within each voxel is proposed. The approach estimates an optimal fuzzy correspondence of orientations and fractional contributions between voxels and smooths only between these correspondences. Avoiding a requirement to obtain exact correspondences of orientations reduces smoothing anomalies due to propagation of erroneous correspondences around noisy voxels. Phantom experiments are used to demonstrate both visual and quantitative improvements in postprocessing steps. Improvement over smoothing in the measurement domain is also demonstrated using both phantoms and in vivo human data.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMedical Imaging 2014
Subtitle of host publicationImage Processing
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Print)9780819498274
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
EventMedical Imaging 2014: Image Processing - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Feb 16 2014Feb 18 2014

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume9034
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Other

OtherMedical Imaging 2014: Image Processing
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period2/16/142/18/14

Keywords

  • Correspondence
  • Diffusion MRI
  • HARDI
  • Multi-tensor
  • Multiple directions
  • Multiple orientations
  • Smoothing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Biomaterials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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