Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Detection and mapping of abnormal brain structure with a probabilistic atlas of cortical surfaces
Thompson PM, MacDonald D, Mega MS, Holmes CJ, Evans AC, Toga AW.. Journal of computer assisted tomography, 1997-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Purpose We have devised, implemented, and tested a technique for creating a comprehensive probabilistic atlas of the human cerebral cortex, based on high-dimensional fluid transformations. The goal of the atlas is to detect and quantify subtle and distributed patterns of deviation from normal cortical anatomy, in a 3D brain image from any given subject. Method Given a 3D MR image of a new subject, a high-resolution surface representation of the cerebral cortex is automatically extracted. The algorithm then calculates a set of high-dimensional volumetric maps, fluidly deforming this surface into structural correspondence with other cortical surfaces, selected one by one from an anatomic image database. The family of volumetric warps so constructed encodes statistical properties of local anatomical variation across the cortical surface. Additional strategies are developed to fluidly deform the sulcal patterns of different subjects into structural correspondence. A probability space of random transformations, based on the theory of anisotropic Gaussian random fields, is then used to encode information on complex variations in gyral and sulcal topography from one individual to another. A complete system of 256(2) probability density functions is computed to reflect the observed variability in stereotaxic space of the points whose correspondences are found by the warping algorithm. Confidence limits in stereotaxic space are determined for cortical surface points in the new subject's brain. Results Color-coded probability maps are generated, which highlight and quantify regional patterns of deformity in the anatomy of new subjects. These maps indicate locally the probability of each anatomic point being as unusually situated, given the distributions of corresponding points in the scans of normal subjects. 3D MRI volumes are analyzed, from subjects with clinically determined Alzheimer disease and age-matched normal subjects. Conclusion Applications of the random fluid-based probabilistic atlas include the transfer of multisubject 3D functional, vascular, and histologic maps onto a single anatomic template, the mapping of 3D atlases onto the scans of new subjects, and the rapid detection, quantification, and mapping of local shape changes in 3D medical images in disease and during normal or abnormal growth and development.
Key findings
- Results Color-coded probability maps are generated, which highlight and quantify regional patterns of deformity in the anatomy of new subjects.
Why it matters
This paper describes a computational method for building a probabilistic atlas of the brain surface to detect subtle deviations from normal cortical anatomy. It is a technical imaging tool and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of computer assisted tomography) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography: journal h-index 158 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 324 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.5 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 24.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Arthur W. Toga: h-index 179 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, Los Angeles: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9216760) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Thompson, P. M., MacDonald, D., Mega, M. S., Holmes, C. J., Evans, A. C., & Toga, A. W. (1997). Detection and mapping of abnormal brain structure with a probabilistic atlas of cortical surfaces. Journal of computer assisted tomography. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004728-199707000-00008
Vancouver
Thompson PM, MacDonald D, Mega MS, Holmes CJ, Evans AC, Toga AW. Detection and mapping of abnormal brain structure with a probabilistic atlas of cortical surfaces. Journal of computer assisted tomography. 1997. doi:10.1097/00004728-199707000-00008. PMID: 9216760.
BibTeX
@article{thompson1997-9216760,
author = {Thompson, P. M. and MacDonald, D. and Mega, M. S. and Holmes, C. J. and Evans, A. C. and Toga, A. W.},
title = {{Detection and mapping of abnormal brain structure with a probabilistic atlas of cortical surfaces}},
journal = {Journal of computer assisted tomography},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1097/00004728-199707000-00008},
pmid = {9216760},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/00004728-199707000-00008}
}
Later studies that cite this one
2 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “disorder”
492 studies in the library carry the topic tag “disorder”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 492 tagged studies.