Multi-channel registration of fractional anisotropy and T1-weighted images in the presence of atrophy: Application to multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Co-registration of structural T1-weighted (T1w) scans and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived fractional anisotropy (FA) maps to a common space is of particular interest in neuroimaging, as T1w scans can be used for brain segmentation while DTI can provide microstructural tissue information. While the effect of lesions on registration has been tackled and solutions are available, the issue of atrophy is still open to discussion. Multi-channel (MC) registration algorithms have the advantage of maintaining anatomical correspondence between different contrast images after registration to any target space. In this work, we test the performance of an MC registration approach applied to T1w and FA data using simulated brain atrophy images. Experimental results are compared with a standard single-channel registration approach. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations are presented, showing that the MC approach provides better alignment with the target while maintaining better T1w and FA co-alignment.