An Investigation Into Young and Aged Rat Brain Volume Differences by Optimized Voxel-Based Morphometry

Ronan Kelly¹, Laurence O' Dwyer¹, Eric O' Hanlon¹, Colm Connolly¹, Marina Lynch², Christian Kerskens¹

Voxel-based morphometry has proven to be a reliable tool in analysing between group volume concentration differences in the human brain. Here we describe a modulated application of this tool, that of studying volume changes in the rat brain. Skull-stripped MRI images were registered to a generic brain template image, the output of which was averaged to produce a study-specific template file. A variety of statistical tests was then carried out, thus creating statistical maps highlighting regions of significant decline with age. Among these regions were the primary and secondary visual cortices, and CA1 and CA2 fields of the hippocampus.