National Alliance for Medical Image Computing

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Driving Biological Projects

The overall goal of NA-MIC is to create, to develop, to deploy, and to train others in the use of computational tools for the quantitative analysis and visualization of medical imaging data. Our ultimate goal is to develop tool elements that can be reused and linked into any flexible fabric that links operations important to refining, to analyzing, and to presenting biomedical image data. To achieve these goals, Driving Biological Projects (DBPs) were used to focus the technical development of such tools. Initially (2004-2007) the focus of the DBPs was on schizophrenia. From 2007 to 2010, we will expand our efforts into other diseases including lupus erythematodes, autism, velocardiofacial syndrome (VCSF), and prostate cancer.

2007-2010

Brachytherapy Needle Positioning Robot

From the beginning of the NCBC project, NIH planned for a three year cycle for the DBPs. In accordance with this policy, starting with the 4th year of NA-MIC, the DBPs were shifted from schizophrenia to lupus, autism, velocardiofacial syndrome (VCSF), and prostate cancer.

1. The Analysis of Brain Lesions in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosis: This DBP is led by Drs. Jeremy Bockholt and Charles Gasparovi at the MIND Institute and the University of New Mexico. Details....
2. Longitudinal MRI study of early brain development in neuropsychiatric disorder: UNC Autism Study: This DBP is led by Drs. Heather Hazlett and Joseph Piven at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Details....
3. Velocardiofacial Syndrome (VCFS) as a genetic model for schizophrenia: This effort is led by Dr. Marek Kubicki at Harvard Medical School. Details....
4. Segmentation and Registration Tools for Robotic Prostate Interventions: This effort is led by Dr. Gabor Fichtinger at Queens University. Details....

2004-2007

Comparison of results of shape analysis of the Caudate.

Schizophrenia was a particularly appropriate choice for an initial DBP because it is a disorder that has been the focus of many neuroimaging studies, including collaborations with computer scientists. All of these efforts have led to important advances in the field. New developments in neuroimaging promise to take our understanding even further, to a more complete understanding of the neural circuits that are disrupted in schizophrenia, as well as a more complete understanding of the relationship between brain abnormalities, cognitive functioning, and genetic influences. During the first three years of NA-MIC, Core 3 consisted of four DBPs which were grouped into two thrusts.

• Thrust 1 was directed by Drs. Shenton (DBP1) and Saykin (DBP2). The focus of this thrust was to utilize neuroimaging tools to evaluate fronto-temporal connectivity abnormalities in schizophrenia, as well as abnormalities in hemispheric connections (i.e., corpus callosum), and abnormalities in the anterior limb of the internal capsule. Improved segmentation techniques, coregistration of structural MRI, DTI-MR, and fMRI, as well as novel processing tools for evaluating white matter fiber tracts and interregional functional connectivity were needed to accomplish these goals, and they were developed in conjunction with Cores 1 and 2. Findings from this project, which involve both structural and functional information about brain abnormalities in schizophrenia, were correlated with neurocognitive, clinical, and behavioral data in order to understand further the relationship between brain abnormalities and cognition/behavior in schizophrenia. Common imaging, cognitive, and clinical measures were used across both sites (DBP1 and DBP2). (See Publication Pages on NA-MIC for specific details regarding findings.)
• Thrust 2 was directed by Drs. Steven Potkin (DBP3) and James Kennedy (DBP4). The main thrust of this core was to utilize improved segmentation, co-registration, statistics, and circuitry analysis tools to evaluate abnormal brain networks in schizophrenia. The dorsal prefrontal cortex and its associated local and distal connections are viewed as key to understanding schizophrenia. Abnormalities in dorsal prefontal cortex structure and function, either primary or secondary to its many connected regions, as revealed by MRI, are viewed as explaining various characteristics of the illness. It is well documented that schizophrenia is heritable; therefore, the genetic contribution was also considered by developing innovative methods in conjunction with Cores 1 and 2, to combine imaging data, genetic data, neurocognitive data, and clinical profiles.