Metabolic visualization and intelligent shape analysis of the hippocampus

Abstract

This paper suggests a prototype system for visualization and analysis of anatomic shape and functional features of the hippocampus. Based on the result of MR-SPECT multi-modality image registration, anatomical and functional features of hippocampus are extracted from MR and registered SPECT images, respectively. The hippocampus is visualized in 3D by applying volume rendering to hippocampus volume data extracted from the MR image with color coded by registered SPECT image. In order to offer the objective and quantitative data concerning to the anatomic shape and functional features of the hippocampus, the geometric volume and the SPECT intensity histogram of hippocampus regions are automatically measured based on the MR and the registered SPECT image, respectively. We also propose a new method for the analysis of hippocampal shape using an integrated Octree-based representation, consisting of meshes, voxels, and skeletons. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.