A multiparametric and multiscale approach to automated segmentation of brain veins

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2015 Aug:2015:3041-4. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2015.7319033.

Abstract

Cerebral vein analysis provides a fundamental tool to study brain diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders or traumatic brain injuries. In order to assess the vascular anatomy, manual segmentation approaches can be used but are observer-dependent and time-consuming. In the present work, a fully automated cerebral vein segmentation method is proposed, based on a multiscale and multiparametric approach. The combined investigation of the R2(*)- and a Vesselness probability-map was used to obtain a fast and highly reliable classification of venous voxels. A semiquantitative analysis showed that our approach outperformed the previous state-of-the-art algorithm both in sensitivity and specificity. Inclusion of this tool within a parametric brain framework may therefore pave the way for a quantitative study of the intracranial venous system.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Brain / blood supply*
  • Cerebral Veins
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated
  • Reproducibility of Results