Parametric brain MR atlases: standardization for imaging informatics.

This paper is focused on the development of normal MR brain atlases of intrinsic MR parameters. These parameters permit quantitative comparisons across imaging studies (as opposed to raw image intensity values) and are important markers of neurological diseases. The development includes fast sequences to generate three parameters (T1: spin-lattice relaxation, T2: spin-spin relaxation, and Diffusion Tensor) covering the whole brain with isotropic and high-resolution images. The analysis of raw data to generate the parametric images is followed by registration algorithms to bring the image studies acquired on normal subjects aligned to a common frame of reference. The registration method includes both linear and non-linear algorithms. Two atlas schemes are discussed: an average atlas and a probabilistic atlas. Initial results on sequence development and registration are presented. The atlases are envisaged as an integral part of an imaging informatics infrastructure that enables image analysis across imaging studies to perform automated image data mining.