Abstract #2892

The EMD-Test for Shape-Based Morphometry.

Nathan Faggian^1,2, India Bohanna², Leigh A. Johnston^2,3, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis⁴, Gary Francis Egan^1,2

¹Center for Neuroscience, Melbourne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; ²Neuroimaging, Howard Florey Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; ³Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Melbourne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; ⁴Centre for Developmental Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Shape analyses commonly assume normality and apply an appropriate statistical test correction. However, non-parametric methods such as the KS-test are more suitable when normality is not assured. Parametric methods are inaccurate when applied to non-normally distributed data and require correction. Our aim was to use non-parametric shape analysis methods to investigate shape differences between Huntingtons Disease (HD) patients and controls. Non-parametric shape differences were examined using a novel statistical method based on Earth Movers Distance (EMD).