Voxel-based Morphometry - VBM For Brain Asymmetry

VBM For Brain Asymmetry

Usually VBM is performed for examining differences across subjects, but it may also be used to examine neuroanatomical differences between hemispheres detecting brain asymmetry. A technical procedure for such an investigation may use the following steps:

1. Construction of a study-specific brain image template with a balanced set of left and right handed and males and females.
2. Construction of white and grey matter templates from segmentation.
3. Construction of symmetric grey and white matter templates by averaging right and left cerebral hemispheres.
4. Segmentation and extraction of brain image, e.g., removal of scalp tissue in the image.
5. Spatial normalization to the symmetric templates
6. Correction for volume change (applying a Jacobian determinant)
7. Spatial smoothing.
8. Actual statistical analysis by the general linear model, i.e., statistical parametric mapping.