Allison B Randolph V1, Valentina Pedoia1, Lorenzo Nardo1, and Sharmila Majumdar1
Voxel-based relaxometry (VBR) allows for MR relaxtion time analysis without the sometimes deletorious assumtions of traditional ROIs. However, VBR introduces potentially new analysis issues, such as noise and map heterogeneity. In this study we propose to use VBR significance thresholding in
conjunction with cluster-extent based thresholding to define
data-driven regions of interest (ROIs) that include the most critical
information in Statistical Parametric Maps (SPM), controlling the aforesaid issues. The results suggests that the data driven voxel cluster ROIs and predefined traditional ROIs have unique, separate anatomical locations, and that the data-driven clusters perform better when correlated to osteoarthritis (OA) disease markers.
