A DT-MRI Validation Framework Using Fluoro Data

Most of the previous efforts on enhancing the DT-MRI estimation/smoothing have been based on “what is assumed to be correct”; and there are only very few studies concentrating on the validation of these approaches. This project presents our current efforts and observations for a validation framework. In the scope of this framework, high resolution fluoroscopy slices obtained from the brain stem of a rat are compared with the fibers tract maps obtained from the processing of the Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance images of the same rat. Several steps prior to comparison involve (i) the segmentation of the fibers from the fluoro data and the registration of the fibers for 3D stacking; (ii) processing of the DT-MRI data to obtain the fiber tracts; (iii) 3D registration of the fluoro volume to the DT-MRI data. The details of these steps are further investigated throughout this report.