Title: Patient abnormality estimation relative to control data through fMRI activation map analysis

Authors: H.N. Suma, S. Murali

Addresses: PET Research Centre, PES College of Engineering, Mandya, Karnataka, India. ' PET Research Centre, PES College of Engineering, Mandya, Karnataka, India

Abstract: The analysis of brain activations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an active area of neuropsychological research. Standard techniques for analysis have traditionally focused on finding the most significant areas of brain activation, and have only recently begun to explore the importance of their spatial characteristics. We compare fMRI contrast images and significance maps of control and patient data using spatial distribution of activation values. An image pre-processing procedure involving K-means clustering, background suppression and extraction of region-of-interest precedes the analysis process. The comparison through statistical methods results in arriving at a diagnostic extent value of abnormality in the patient data as compared to normal (control) data.

Keywords: functional MRI; magnetic resonance imaging; fMRI; activity maps; clustering; regions of interest; ROI; image processing; medical imaging; patient abnormality; abnormality estimation; activation map analysis; brain activations; neuropsychological research; patient data; medical informatics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEI.2008.019470

International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2008 Vol.1 No.1, pp.62 - 72

Published online: 13 Jul 2008 *

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