A graph matching-based sulcal pattern analysis: Application to the study of twin brains

Introduction Gyral folding has long fascinated scientists, as the character of gyral folding is related to functional compartmentalization. There is a large variability in the pattern of gyral folding across individuals and in genetic disorders but without means of quantifying these differences, it is difficult to define their functional significance or better understand their genetic/epigenetic etiology. Visual classification schemes lack the necessary dynamic range and reproducibility. Curvature measures can capture local properties of gyral folding, but they do not allow characterization of the spatial relationship between gyri or sulci. In this study we explore the potential of a novel method where the gyral pattern is represented as a sulcal pit-based graph and automatically compared between different brains using a spectral-based matching algorithm. Our method allows characterization of the positioning, arrangement, number and size of sulcal segments and their interrelationship. We applied this method to a twin study to investigate the genetic effect on the sulcal patterns.