Atrophic age-related changes in cerebral hemispheres: Euclidean geometry based morphometry of MRI brain scans

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to conduct a comprehensive morphometric analysis of two-dimensional MRI brain images and determine the simple morphometric parameters of the cerebral hemispheres that best characterize quantitatively brain atrophic changes in normal aging. This study analyzed MRI brain scans from 100 apparently healthy individuals (44 males and 56 females) aged 18 to 86 years (mean age 41.72±1.58 years). For each brain investigation, five tomographic sections were selected, including four coronal and one axial. The perimeter, area values, and their derivative indices were determined. The study has shown that the parameter most sensitive to aging changes was the ratio of two area values: the area corresponding specifically to cerebral tissue and the area that captures the cerebral tissue and the sulcal content. The results of the present study can be used in clinical practice for the quantitative assessment of age-related atrophic changes in cerebral hemispheres.