The extent of heritability for overall brain size and regional cortical surface features such as ... more The extent of heritability for overall brain size and regional cortical surface features such as sulcus lengths is important for demonstrating a genetic component to the observed phenotypic differences among individuals and for evaluating the potential for evolutionary change in response to selection. Although the genetics of brain size has been extensively considered, the detailed morphology of the cortical surface has not previously been subjected to genetic analysis. We estimated the heritability of brain size and cortical sulcus lengths using 438 endocranial casts taken from skeletons of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from the Cayo Santiago population. Estimates were obtained both by mother-offspring regression and symmetric-differences-squared (SDS) methods. Brain size, measured as cranial capacity, was highly and significantly heritable in this population, confirming results of previous studies with laboratory mice. Overall, cortical sulcus lengths were also heritable, with ...
Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology, 1990
Two digital imaging systems, a video camera and analog-to-digital converter, and a charge-coupled... more Two digital imaging systems, a video camera and analog-to-digital converter, and a charge-coupled device linear photodiode array slide scanner, were tested for their suitability in quantitative studies of periodontal disease. The information content in the original films was estimated, and digital systems were assessed according to these requirements. Radiometric and geometric performance criteria for the digital systems were estimated from measurements and observations. The scanner-based image acquisition (digitization) system had no detectable noise and had a modulation transfer function curve superior to that of the video-based system. The scanner-based system was equivalent to the video-based system in recording radiographic film densities and had more geometric distortion than the video-based system. The comparison demonstrated the superiority of the charge-coupled device linear array system for the quantification of periodontal disease extent and activity.
Chord-based algorithms can eliminate cone-beam artifacts in images reconstructed from a clinical ... more Chord-based algorithms can eliminate cone-beam artifacts in images reconstructed from a clinical computed tomography (CT) scanner. The feasibility of using chord-based reconstruction algorithms was evaluated with three clinical CT projection data sets. The first projection data set was acquired using a clinical 64-channel CT scanner (Philips Brilliance 64) that consisted of an axial scan from a quality assurance phantom. Images were reconstructed using (1) a full-scan FDK algorithm, (2) a short-scan FDK algorithm, and (3) the chord-based backprojection filtration algorithm (BPF) using full-scan data. The BPF algorithm was capable of reproducing the morphology of the phantom quite well, but exhibited significantly less noise than the two FDK reconstructions as well as the reconstruction obtained from the clinical scanner. The second and third data sets were obtained from scans of a head phantom and a patient's thorax. For both of these data sets, the BPF reconstructions were comparable to the short-scan FDK reconstructions in terms of image quality, although sharper features were indistinct in the BPF reconstructions. This research demonstrates the feasibility of chord-based algorithms for reconstructing images from clinical CT projection data sets and provides a framework for implementing and testing algorithmic innovations.
A detailed contrast bolus propagation model is essential for optimizing bolus-chasing Computed To... more A detailed contrast bolus propagation model is essential for optimizing bolus-chasing Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA). Bolus characteristics were studied using bolus-timing datasets from Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) for adaptive controller design and validation. MRA bolus-timing datasets of the aorta in thirty patients were analyzed by a program developed with MATLAB. Bolus characteristics, such as peak position, dispersion and bolus velocity, were studied. The bolus profile was fit to a convolution function, which would serve as a mathematical model of bolus propagation in future controller design. The maximum speed of the bolus in the aorta ranged from 5-13 cm/s and the dwell time ranged from 7-13 seconds. Bolus characteristics were well described by the proposed propagation model, which included the exact functional relationships between the parameters and aortic location. The convolution function describes bolus dynamics reasonably well and could be used to impleme...
Pathological disturbances of mood may follow a 'bipolar' course, in which normal ... more Pathological disturbances of mood may follow a 'bipolar' course, in which normal moods alternate with both depression and mania, or a 'unipolar' course, in which only depression occurs. Both bipolar and unipolar disorders can be heritable illnesses associated with neurochemical, neuroendocrine and autonomic abnormalities. The neurobiological basis for these abnormalities has not been established. Using positron emission tomographic (PET) images of cerebral blood flow and rate of glucose metabolism to measure brain activity, we have now localized an area of abnormally decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex ventral to the genu of the corpus callosum in both familial bipolar depressives and familial unipolar depressives. This decrement in activity was at least partly explained by a corresponding reduction in cortical volume, as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated reductions in the mean grey matter volume in the same area of 39 and 48% in the bipolar and unipolar samples, respectively. This region has previously been implicated in the mediation of emotional and autonomic responses to socially significant or provocative stimuli, and in the modulation of the neurotransmitter systems targeted by antidepressant drugs.
The earliest hominid from South Africa, Australopithecus africanus, is known from only six specim... more The earliest hominid from South Africa, Australopithecus africanus, is known from only six specimens in which accurate assessment of endocranial capacity and cranial venous outflow pattern can be obtained. This places a severe limit on a number of hypotheses concerning early hominid evolution, particularly those involving brain-body size relationships and adaptations of the circulatory system to evolving upright posture. Advances in high-resolution two- and three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) now allow the inclusion of another important specimen to this list, MLD 37/38 from Makapansgat. A new computer imaging technique is described that "reconstructs" the missing portions of the endocranial cavity in order to determine endocranial capacity. In addition, CT evaluation allows assessment of cranial venous outflow pattern even in cases where the endocranial cavity is completely filled with stone matrix. Results show that endocranial capacity in this specimen is less than originally proposed and also support the view that gracile and robust australopithecines evolved different cranial venous outflow patterns in response to upright postures.
To develop a technique that is able to reduce acquisition time and remove uneven blurring in reco... more To develop a technique that is able to reduce acquisition time and remove uneven blurring in reconstructed image for PROPELLER MRI. By using under-sampling and iterative reconstruction, this proposed technique will be less sensitive to subject motion. Numerical simulations, as well as experiments on a phantom and healthy human subjects were performed to demonstrate advantages of a combination of under-sampled acquisition and iterative reconstruction. Method of motion correction was modified to increase accuracy of motion correction for the under-sampled PROPELLER acquisition. It was demonstrated that the proposed approach achieved substantial acceleration of PROPELLER acquisition while maintaining its motion correction advantage. An effective method for reducing imaging time in PROPELLER was introduced in this study, which minimizes typical under-sampling artifacts without uneven spatial resolution and maintains the ability of motion correction.
The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze Apert and Crouzon skulls from three-dimensio... more The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze Apert and Crouzon skulls from three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of CT-scans. 12 Apert patients and 19 with Crouzon syndrome were included in the study. The age range was 0 to 23 years. All CT-scannings were carried out according to the same protocol with a slice thickness of 2 or 4 mm and 3-D reconstructions of the craniofacial region included midsagittal and horizontal cuts. A number of qualitative characteristics of the calvaria and cranial base were recorded and the cranial base angle was measured on the 3-D models. Our results showed that Apert and Crouzon syndromes are very different in cranial development and their dysmorphology is highly age dependent. We suggest that cartilage abnormalities, especially in the anterior cranial base, play a primary role in cranial development in the Apert syndrome from very early intrauterine life. Several cranial anomalies observed postnatally, however, are caused by the resultant dysmorphic and compensatory growth and are probably compounded by early cranial deformation. The primary abnormality in Crouzon syndrome appears to be premature fusion of sutures and synchondroses. Based on the findings at birth and early infancy it would seem that such fusions occur relatively late in fetal life. The adult cranial form in Crouzon's patients is explainable by resultant dysmorphic and compensatory growth changes. Very early release of the coronal suture areas with advancement of the frontal bone is advocated in both syndromes but for somewhat different reasons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The extent of heritability for overall brain size and regional cortical surface features such as ... more The extent of heritability for overall brain size and regional cortical surface features such as sulcus lengths is important for demonstrating a genetic component to the observed phenotypic differences among individuals and for evaluating the potential for evolutionary change in response to selection. Although the genetics of brain size has been extensively considered, the detailed morphology of the cortical surface has not previously been subjected to genetic analysis. We estimated the heritability of brain size and cortical sulcus lengths using 438 endocranial casts taken from skeletons of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from the Cayo Santiago population. Estimates were obtained both by mother-offspring regression and symmetric-differences-squared (SDS) methods. Brain size, measured as cranial capacity, was highly and significantly heritable in this population, confirming results of previous studies with laboratory mice. Overall, cortical sulcus lengths were also heritable, with ...
Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology, 1990
Two digital imaging systems, a video camera and analog-to-digital converter, and a charge-coupled... more Two digital imaging systems, a video camera and analog-to-digital converter, and a charge-coupled device linear photodiode array slide scanner, were tested for their suitability in quantitative studies of periodontal disease. The information content in the original films was estimated, and digital systems were assessed according to these requirements. Radiometric and geometric performance criteria for the digital systems were estimated from measurements and observations. The scanner-based image acquisition (digitization) system had no detectable noise and had a modulation transfer function curve superior to that of the video-based system. The scanner-based system was equivalent to the video-based system in recording radiographic film densities and had more geometric distortion than the video-based system. The comparison demonstrated the superiority of the charge-coupled device linear array system for the quantification of periodontal disease extent and activity.
Chord-based algorithms can eliminate cone-beam artifacts in images reconstructed from a clinical ... more Chord-based algorithms can eliminate cone-beam artifacts in images reconstructed from a clinical computed tomography (CT) scanner. The feasibility of using chord-based reconstruction algorithms was evaluated with three clinical CT projection data sets. The first projection data set was acquired using a clinical 64-channel CT scanner (Philips Brilliance 64) that consisted of an axial scan from a quality assurance phantom. Images were reconstructed using (1) a full-scan FDK algorithm, (2) a short-scan FDK algorithm, and (3) the chord-based backprojection filtration algorithm (BPF) using full-scan data. The BPF algorithm was capable of reproducing the morphology of the phantom quite well, but exhibited significantly less noise than the two FDK reconstructions as well as the reconstruction obtained from the clinical scanner. The second and third data sets were obtained from scans of a head phantom and a patient's thorax. For both of these data sets, the BPF reconstructions were comparable to the short-scan FDK reconstructions in terms of image quality, although sharper features were indistinct in the BPF reconstructions. This research demonstrates the feasibility of chord-based algorithms for reconstructing images from clinical CT projection data sets and provides a framework for implementing and testing algorithmic innovations.
A detailed contrast bolus propagation model is essential for optimizing bolus-chasing Computed To... more A detailed contrast bolus propagation model is essential for optimizing bolus-chasing Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA). Bolus characteristics were studied using bolus-timing datasets from Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) for adaptive controller design and validation. MRA bolus-timing datasets of the aorta in thirty patients were analyzed by a program developed with MATLAB. Bolus characteristics, such as peak position, dispersion and bolus velocity, were studied. The bolus profile was fit to a convolution function, which would serve as a mathematical model of bolus propagation in future controller design. The maximum speed of the bolus in the aorta ranged from 5-13 cm/s and the dwell time ranged from 7-13 seconds. Bolus characteristics were well described by the proposed propagation model, which included the exact functional relationships between the parameters and aortic location. The convolution function describes bolus dynamics reasonably well and could be used to impleme...
Pathological disturbances of mood may follow a 'bipolar' course, in which normal ... more Pathological disturbances of mood may follow a 'bipolar' course, in which normal moods alternate with both depression and mania, or a 'unipolar' course, in which only depression occurs. Both bipolar and unipolar disorders can be heritable illnesses associated with neurochemical, neuroendocrine and autonomic abnormalities. The neurobiological basis for these abnormalities has not been established. Using positron emission tomographic (PET) images of cerebral blood flow and rate of glucose metabolism to measure brain activity, we have now localized an area of abnormally decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex ventral to the genu of the corpus callosum in both familial bipolar depressives and familial unipolar depressives. This decrement in activity was at least partly explained by a corresponding reduction in cortical volume, as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated reductions in the mean grey matter volume in the same area of 39 and 48% in the bipolar and unipolar samples, respectively. This region has previously been implicated in the mediation of emotional and autonomic responses to socially significant or provocative stimuli, and in the modulation of the neurotransmitter systems targeted by antidepressant drugs.
The earliest hominid from South Africa, Australopithecus africanus, is known from only six specim... more The earliest hominid from South Africa, Australopithecus africanus, is known from only six specimens in which accurate assessment of endocranial capacity and cranial venous outflow pattern can be obtained. This places a severe limit on a number of hypotheses concerning early hominid evolution, particularly those involving brain-body size relationships and adaptations of the circulatory system to evolving upright posture. Advances in high-resolution two- and three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) now allow the inclusion of another important specimen to this list, MLD 37/38 from Makapansgat. A new computer imaging technique is described that "reconstructs" the missing portions of the endocranial cavity in order to determine endocranial capacity. In addition, CT evaluation allows assessment of cranial venous outflow pattern even in cases where the endocranial cavity is completely filled with stone matrix. Results show that endocranial capacity in this specimen is less than originally proposed and also support the view that gracile and robust australopithecines evolved different cranial venous outflow patterns in response to upright postures.
To develop a technique that is able to reduce acquisition time and remove uneven blurring in reco... more To develop a technique that is able to reduce acquisition time and remove uneven blurring in reconstructed image for PROPELLER MRI. By using under-sampling and iterative reconstruction, this proposed technique will be less sensitive to subject motion. Numerical simulations, as well as experiments on a phantom and healthy human subjects were performed to demonstrate advantages of a combination of under-sampled acquisition and iterative reconstruction. Method of motion correction was modified to increase accuracy of motion correction for the under-sampled PROPELLER acquisition. It was demonstrated that the proposed approach achieved substantial acceleration of PROPELLER acquisition while maintaining its motion correction advantage. An effective method for reducing imaging time in PROPELLER was introduced in this study, which minimizes typical under-sampling artifacts without uneven spatial resolution and maintains the ability of motion correction.
The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze Apert and Crouzon skulls from three-dimensio... more The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze Apert and Crouzon skulls from three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of CT-scans. 12 Apert patients and 19 with Crouzon syndrome were included in the study. The age range was 0 to 23 years. All CT-scannings were carried out according to the same protocol with a slice thickness of 2 or 4 mm and 3-D reconstructions of the craniofacial region included midsagittal and horizontal cuts. A number of qualitative characteristics of the calvaria and cranial base were recorded and the cranial base angle was measured on the 3-D models. Our results showed that Apert and Crouzon syndromes are very different in cranial development and their dysmorphology is highly age dependent. We suggest that cartilage abnormalities, especially in the anterior cranial base, play a primary role in cranial development in the Apert syndrome from very early intrauterine life. Several cranial anomalies observed postnatally, however, are caused by the resultant dysmorphic and compensatory growth and are probably compounded by early cranial deformation. The primary abnormality in Crouzon syndrome appears to be premature fusion of sutures and synchondroses. Based on the findings at birth and early infancy it would seem that such fusions occur relatively late in fetal life. The adult cranial form in Crouzon's patients is explainable by resultant dysmorphic and compensatory growth changes. Very early release of the coronal suture areas with advancement of the frontal bone is advocated in both syndromes but for somewhat different reasons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Uploads