An Accurate Automated Local Similarity Factor-Based Neural Tree Approach toward Tissue Segmentation of Newborn Brain MRI

Abstract

Background Segmentation of brain MR images of neonates is a primary step for assessment of brain evolvement. Advanced segmentation techniques used for adult brain MRI are not companionable for neonates, due to extensive dissimilarities in tissue properties and head structure. Existing segmentation methods for neonates utilizes brain atlases or requires manual elucidation, which results into improper and atlas dependent segmentation.

Objective The primary objective of this work is to develop fully automatic, atlas free, and robust system to segment and classify brain tissues of newborn infants from magnetic resonance images.

Study Design In this study, we propose a fully automatic, atlas-free pipeline based Neural Tree approach for segmentation of newborn brain MRI which utilizes resourceful local resemblance factor such as concerning, connectivity, structure, and relative tissue location. Physical collaboration and uses of an atlas are not required in proposed method and at the same time skirting atlas-associated bias which results in improved segmentation. Proposed technique segments and classify brain tissues both at global and tissue level.

Results We examined our results through visual assessment by neonatologists and quantitative comparisons that show first-rate concurrence with proficient manual segmentations. The implementation results of the proposed technique provided a good overall accuracy of 91.82% for the segmentation of brain tissues as compared with other methods.

Conclusion The pipelined-based neural tree approach along with local similarity factor segments and classify brain tissues. The proposed automated system have higher dice similarity coefficient as well as computational speed.

Keywords

neonate brain MRI - local similarity factor - image segmentation - pipeline-based neural tree - intensity homogeneity correction - affine registration - noise reduction

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