Evaluation of MRI-based estimation of cortical thickness

The most important structure in the human brain is the cerebral cortex. It makes it possible to perceive our visual environment and sounds, to perform motoric actions such as grasping an object, to speak, to understand speech, etc. The cerebral cortex is a 2-5 mm thick sheet, embedded in the skull. Analysis of MRI data makes it possible to estimate the thickness of the cerebral cortex. In certain neurological conditions such as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, the thickness of specific cortical areas decreases faster than in healthy aging. Therefore, cortical thickness is an important feature for MRI-based diagnosis of neurological diseases. In our study, we will evaluate algorithms and software packages for estimating cortical thickness. The results of our study will support MRI-based diagnosis of neurological diseases, the study of their pathophysiology, and using cortical-thickness as a biomarker for studying the efficacy of drugs.

Faculty Supervisor:

Amir Shmuel

Student:

Sethu K. Boopathy Jegathambal

Partner:

NeuroRx Research Inc.

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: