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

105, 2020

Short White Matter Tracts Myelinization is Associated With Impaired Social Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A NODDI and Relaxometry Study

M.-A. d'Albis, S. Sarrazin, J.-F. Mangin, P. Guevara, M. Guevara, Ch. Laidi, J. Boisgontier, R. Delorme, S. Holiga, C. Bouquet, M. Ly-Le Moal, A. Amestoy, I. Scheid, M. Leboyer, C. Poupon, J. Houenou. Short White Matter Tracts Myelinization is Associated With Impaired Social Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A NODDI and Relaxometry Study. Abstract in Biological Psychiatry, 87:9, S339, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.02.870

2711, 2019

Brain Connectomics School 2019

From September 23 to 27, 2019, the Summer School on Brain Connectomics, sponsored by MICCAI and the IEEE Signal Processing Society, was held at the University of Verona, Italy. Many of the leading authors of image processing applied to the study of the human connectome presented in it. Professor Pamela Guevara participated in the school, which included both lectures and workshop sessions.

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 the Faculty of Engineering at University of Concepción, Katherina Fernández and Pamela Guevara, to Junior and Senior students of the "Liceo Comercial" Female School of Concepción, in the context of the "Scientists to the Classroom" campaign. Professor Guevara presented the talk titled "Study of the brain through magnetic resonance imaging", while professor Fernández presented "Biomaterials for the Future". More information at the Facultad de Ingeniería UdeC website (in Spanish).

News

2207, 2021

Opinion piece on first gender equality policy in science and technology

Opinion piece written by professor Pamela Guevara, published in El Mostrador newspaper and in RevistaEI magazine, about the first gender equality policy in science and technology: [...]

2705, 2021

Professor Guevara joins the Group of Principal Investigators at AC3E

Starting May 2021, Dr. Pamela Guevara is a Principal Researcher at the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), in charge of the Biomedical [...]

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

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

FacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestVkEmail
Go to Top