Characterization of Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease by Fully Automated Analysis of Brain MRI

Kai H. Barck¹, Kimberly Malesky¹, Vineela Gandham¹, Maj Hedehus¹, Sara Dominguez², William J. Meilandt², Claire E. Le Pichon², Oded Foreman³, Kimberly Scearce-Levie², Richard A. D. Carano¹

We have developed and validated a fully automated method of evaluating local differences in the brain structure by diffeomorphic coregistration of in-vivo mouse brain MRI data, and applied it to characterize brain morphology and T2 properties in transgenic mouse models of human Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Four genotype groups of mice were imaged: PS2/APP transgenic, tauP301L transgenic, PS2/APP/TauP301L transgenic, and wild type. The analysis identified significant regional volume differences in these mouse models that are consistent with known pathologies of AD. The presented method provides a valuable tool for preclinical research and drug development of neurodegenerative diseases.