Masaya Misaki1,
Jonathan Savitz1, 2, Vadim Zotev1, Raquel
Phillips1, Han Yuan1, Kymberly D. Young1,
Wayne C. Drevets1, Jerzy Bodurka1, 3
1Laureate
Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States; 2Tulsa
School of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States; 3College
of Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, United States
We propose a new structural image contrast from a novel combination of T1- and T2-weighted images. A specific combination of T1 and T2 images, CI=(T1-T2)/(T1+T2), could reduce noise and enhance contrast between brain structures. The utility of the new contrast image was evaluated using automatic segmentation software: FAST in FSL for white and gray matter segmentation and FreeSurfer for segmenting subcortical regions. The combined image had significantly higher contrast between white and gray matters as well as between subcortical structures. The contrast enhancement offered by the combined image can improve accuracy of structural analysis of the human brain.
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