Development and optimization of tools for the study of human brain anatomical connectivity using high angular resolution diffusion MRI

Project Type: FONDECYT Initiation #11121644
Position: Principal Researcher
Award Year: 2012. Ending Year: 2015.

Descripción

This project sought to develop and optimize tools for the study and analysis of brain connectivity, using Difussion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) data.

The studies are based on High Angular Resolution Difussion Imaging (HARDI) images.

These present very high quality, due to the advancement of acquisition technologies, as well as the acquisition itself (long duration, dedicated to research) and the performed post-processing, which seek to provide a solid base for the study of the healthy adult human brain.

The main results of this project contemplate:

  • The analysis of the reproducibility of short association fascicles of the brain, using data clustering tools and cortical parcellations.

  • The optimization of an algorithm for the segmentation of brain fibers, achieving times that allow an interactive segmentation (Principal Researcher: Professor Miguel Figueroa T.).

  • The development of a tool for the optimized visualization and manipulation of brain tracts.

Other interesting results are:

  • Development of a tool for the optimized visualization of tracts for Android devices (iFiber).

  • Creation of an atlas of short brain fascicles.

  • Development of algorithms for the comparison of brain tracts, between subjects and between hemispheres.

Undergraduate Theses related to the project

Student Thesis Defense Date
Ignacio Osorio W. Electronic Civil Engineering Thesis: “Software for the Interactive Visualization and Extraction of Brain Fibers” December 31st, 2015.
Danilo Bonometti B. Electronic Civil Engineering Thesis: “Visualization of Brain Fibers” April 1st, 2015.
Daniel Seguel B. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Automatic Algorithm for the Segmentation of Short Association Fibers of the Human Brain” March 17th, 2015.
Claudio Román G. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Short Brain Fibers Clustering Calculated from Difussion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Images” January 16th, 2015.
Miguel Guevara O. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Algorithm for the Automatic Segmentation of Short Brain Fibers of the Fronto-Parietal Region and the Insular Cortex” January 16th, 2015.
Pablo L. Silva P. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Parcellation of the Brain Cortex Based on the Anatomical Connectivity” May 29th, 2014.
Eduardo Venegas A. Electronic Civil Engineering Thesis: “Development of a software for the interactive manipulation of brain fibers” July 18th, 2014.
Nicole A. Labra A. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Optimization of Algorithm for the Classification of White Matter Fibers based on the Brain Fascicles Atlas” April 30th, 2013.
Edison Pardo R. Electronic Civil Engineering Thesis: “Study of the Variability of the Connections of Short Association of the Human Brain” April 4th, 2013.
Gabriel E. Varela M. Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: “Calculation of Diffusion Tensor Indices from the Westin Algorithm” April 4th, 2013.

Postgraduate Theses related to the project

Student Thesis Defense Date
Claudio Román G. Master of Engineering Sciences w/m in Electrical Engineering.
“Segmentation of brain short brain fibers based on hierarchical Clustering from HARDI database”		 November 30th, 2016.
Miguel Guevara O. Master of Engineering Sciences w/m in Electrical Engineering.
“Parcellation of the brain cortex based on fiber atlas calculated from tractography”		 January 30th, 2016.
Nicole Labra A. Master of Engineering Sciences w/m in Electrical Engineering, (co-director)
“Quick segmentation of white substance brain fibers”		 January 28th, 2015.

Publications

1412, 2018

Award-Winning Thesis at EVIC 2018

Felipe Silva, Biomedical Engineering student, member of the Medical Images Analysis Group, and currently working on his thesis, had an outstanding participation at the XIV IEEE Latin American Summer School in Computational Intelligence (EVIC 2018), which took place on December 12th, 13th, and 14th, 2018, in Santiago, Chile. Felipe presented his paper titled "Cortical Mesh Parcellation based on Graph Representation of Short Fiber Connections", which obtained the First Place in the paper contest.   The work proposes a new method for performing a parcellation of the brain cortex surface, based on brain fiber fascicles, segmented via a fiber atlas. The method uses a representation of the parcels and their overlap via graphs, and it performs processing to find the most stable parcels in a subject.

1212, 2018

Outstanding participation of UdeC Biomedical Engineering at INGELECTRA 2018

Biomedical Engineering of University of Concepción had an outstanding pariticipation at the XXVII Congress of Electronics-Electricity (INGELECTRA 2018), which took place the 10th, 11th, and 12th, December 2018, in Valdivia, Chile. Andrea Vázquez, student of Masters in Computer Science, and Narciso López, student of PhD in Computer Science, both members of the Medical Images Analysis Group, presented the work "Parallel optimization for the segmentation of fiber fascicles in massive tractography data sets". This presentation obtained the First Place in the postgraduate category.   Furthermore, Jaime Jiménez, Biomedical Engineer and Masters student, presented the paper "Interactive System for the Promotion of Language and Communication in young kids", which he made as his thesis, under the direction of professors Pamela Guevara and Esteban Pino, in the context of the Project FONDED IDEA ID16I10210, directed by the researcher Marcela Peña, from "Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile". This presentation obtained an honorable mention.   Professor Pamela Guevara dictated the presentation titled "Study of brain connectivity from difussion Magnetic Resonance", in which she exposes the acquisition and preprocessing of Magnetic Resonance data. Then sehe presented the main works carried out by the Medical Images Analysis Group, including the creation of the brain fascicles atlas, and algorithms for the clustering of brain fibers and the segmentation of fiber fascicles, in addition to the software for the exploration of the brain in 3D. (All works carried out in the context of the FONDECYT 116127 y Anillo ACT172121 projects).

1012, 2018

Parallel optimization for the segmentation of fiber fascicles in massive tractography data sets

A. Vázquez, N. López-López, M. Figueroa, C. Hernández, P. Guevara. Optimización paralela para la segmentación de fascículos de fibras en conjuntos masivos de datos de tractografía (Parallel optimization for the segmentation of fiber fascicles in massive tractography data sets). XXVII Congress of Electronics-Electricity (INGELECTRA 2018), Valdivia, Chile, 2018. First place in postgraduate category.

1012, 2018

Interactive System for the Promotion of Language and Communication in small children

C. Vázquez, J. Jiménez, E. Pino, P. Guevara, M. Peña. Sistema Interactivo de Promoción del Lenguaje y la Comunicación en niños pequeños (Interactive System for the Promotion of Language and Communication in small children). XXVII Congress of Electronics-Electricity (INGELECTRA 2018), Valdivia, Chile, 2018. Honorable mention.

712, 2018

Outstanding participation of UdeC Biomedical Engineering in CONACINEL 2018

Biomedical Engineering from University of Concepción had an outsdanding participation at the 2nd National Congress of Electronics Engineering (CONACINEL 2018), which took place October 6th and 7th, 2018, at "Universidad Austral", in Valdivia. The ex-student of the Medical Images Analysis Group, Ignacio Espinoza, obtained First Place in the paper contest, with his work "Virtual reality software for the exploration of the brain in 3D". The app allows to visualize lobes, convolutions, subcortical structures and the main fiber fascicles of the brain. It was made using Unity and Blender software, and it allows interaction via the Oculus Rift virtual reality lens and the Leap Motion device. Felipe Silva (who is currently working on his thesis) obtained the Second Place, with his work "Color detector device for people with visual disability". The device uses a RGB color sensor capable of detecting colors, where two modes were implemented: the first one reproduces the name of the color through a speaker, whereas the second one uses a combination of three semitones, allowing the relation of colors and music without depending on a particular language. This device aims to improve the life quality of a blind person in daily chores like, for example, knowing the color of the clothes they wear. Professor Pamela Guevara dictated the presentation "Study of brain connectivity from difussion Magnetic Resonance", in which she exposed the acquisition and preprocessing of dMR data. Afterwards, she presented the main works developed by the Medical Images Analysis Group, including the creation of a brain fascicles atlas, and algorithms for the clustering of brain fibers and segmentation of fiber fascicles (all carried out in the context of the "FONDECYT 116127" and "Anillo ACT172121" projects). Professor Pablo Aqueveque presented "Biomedical Engineering", where he introduced the area and exposed his main works.

News

1310, 2019

Professor Pamela Guevara gives talk at Liceo Comercial

Between October 5th and 13th, 2019, the XXV National Week of Science and Technology took place, in which two talks were presented by teachers of [...]

2018-11-10T18:32:47-03:00

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