A polar probabilistic atlas for MRI-free functional imaging in MNI/Talairach space for MRI excluded patients

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 — Poster Session III
10:00 a.m. – Noon	Natcher Conference Center	NICHD	IMAG-30

Authors

• J Riley
• V Reddy
• F Amyot
• L Najafizadeh
• J Kainerstorfer
• Y Ardeshipour
• V Chernomordik
• A Gandjbakhche

Abstract

We present a novel approach to atlasing of functional brain imaging for Near Infra Red Functional Imaging (NIRFI). NIRFI is an upcoming approach for functional imaging in patients where MRI is excluded (which can be for a variety of reasons, e.g. penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or low functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)). However, current NIRFI approaches are currently limited in their ability to provide meaningful MNI or Talairach coordinates unless a subject has also undergone a co-registered structural MRI. Current NIRFI data therefore lacks the required localization to assess functional changes and plasticity effects. We demonstrate that by projecting the NIRFI data and fMRI atlases into a NIR sensitivity driven geometry we can align the NIRFI data to the atlas in the absence of a patient specific structural MRI. This approach provides a novel and rapid approach to assign MNI/Talairach coordinates to NIRFI without the need for the unobtainable structural MRI. We also demonstrate a novel probabilistic assignment of activation which allows us to easily interrogate the relative plasticity of the measured functional response. Such approaches should provide much clearer information about the separation of response in a TBI/ASD patient from a healthy population.

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