Hippocampal subfield volumetry from structural isotropic 1 mm3 MRI scans: A note of caution

Laura E.M. Wisse*, Gaël Chételat, Ana M. Daugherty, Robin de Flores, Renaud la Joie, Susanne G. Mueller, Craig E.L. Stark, Lei Wang, Paul A. Yushkevich, David Berron, Naftali Raz, Arnold Bakker, Rosanna K. Olsen, Valerie A. Carr

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spurred by availability of automatic segmentation software, in vivo MRI investigations of human hippocampal subfield volumes have proliferated in the recent years. However, a majority of these studies apply automatic segmentation to MRI scans with approximately 1 × 1 × 1 mm3 resolution, a resolution at which the internal structure of the hippocampus can rarely be visualized. Many of these studies have reported contradictory and often neurobiologically surprising results pertaining to the involvement of hippocampal subfields in normal brain function, aging, and disease. In this commentary, we first outline our concerns regarding the utility and validity of subfield segmentation on 1 × 1 × 1 mm3 MRI for volumetric studies, regardless of how images are segmented (i.e., manually or automatically). This image resolution is generally insufficient for visualizing the internal structure of the hippocampus, particularly the stratum radiatum lacunosum moleculare, which is crucial for valid and reliable subfield segmentation. Second, we discuss the fact that automatic methods that are employed most frequently to obtain hippocampal subfield volumes from 1 × 1 × 1 mm3 MRI have not been validated against manual segmentation on such images. For these reasons, we caution against using volumetric measurements of hippocampal subfields obtained from 1 × 1 × 1 mm3 images.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)539-550
Number of pages12
JournalHuman Brain Mapping
Volume42
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2021

Keywords

  • 1 mm
  • FreeSurfer
  • MRI
  • hippocampal subfields
  • volumetry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anatomy
  • Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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