Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience
Large diffusion-weighted brain MRI (dMRI) studies in neonates are crucial for developmental neuroscience. Our aim was to investigate the utility of ComBat, an empirical Bayes tool for multisite harmonization, in removing site effects from white matter (WM) dMRI measures in healthy infants born at 37...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187892932400149X |
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| author | Alexandra F. Bonthrone Manuel Blesa Cábez A. David Edwards Jo V. Hajnal Serena J. Counsell James P. Boardman |
| author_facet | Alexandra F. Bonthrone Manuel Blesa Cábez A. David Edwards Jo V. Hajnal Serena J. Counsell James P. Boardman |
| author_sort | Alexandra F. Bonthrone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large diffusion-weighted brain MRI (dMRI) studies in neonates are crucial for developmental neuroscience. Our aim was to investigate the utility of ComBat, an empirical Bayes tool for multisite harmonization, in removing site effects from white matter (WM) dMRI measures in healthy infants born at 37 gestational weeks+ 0 days-42 weeks+ 6 days from the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort (n = 86) and Developing Human Connectome Project (n = 287). Skeletonized fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD) maps were harmonized. Differences between voxel-wise metrics, skeleton means and histogram widths (5th-95th percentile) were assessed before and after harmonization, as well as variance associated with gestational age at birth and scan. Before harmonization, large cohort differences were observed. Harmonization removed all voxel-wise differences from MD maps and all metric means and histogram widths, however small voxel-wise differences (<1.5 % of voxels) remained in FA, AD and RD. We detected significant relationships between GA at birth and all metrics. When comparing single site and multisite harmonized datasets of equal sample sizes, harmonized data resulted in smaller standardized regression coefficients. ComBat could enable unprecedented sample sizes in developmental neuroscience, offering new horizons for biomarker discovery and validation, understanding typical and atypical brain development, and assessing neuroprotective therapies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c657a33061804d65a569b13af8b0591e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1878-9293 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-c657a33061804d65a569b13af8b0591e2025-01-22T05:41:17ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-01-0171101488Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscienceAlexandra F. Bonthrone0Manuel Blesa Cábez1A. David Edwards2Jo V. Hajnal3Serena J. Counsell4James P. Boardman5Centre for the Developing Brain, Research Department of Early Life Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, UK; Corresponding author.Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UKCentre for the Developing Brain, Research Department of Early Life Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, UKCentre for the Developing Brain, Research Department of Early Life Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, UKCentre for the Developing Brain, Research Department of Early Life Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, UKCentre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UKLarge diffusion-weighted brain MRI (dMRI) studies in neonates are crucial for developmental neuroscience. Our aim was to investigate the utility of ComBat, an empirical Bayes tool for multisite harmonization, in removing site effects from white matter (WM) dMRI measures in healthy infants born at 37 gestational weeks+ 0 days-42 weeks+ 6 days from the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort (n = 86) and Developing Human Connectome Project (n = 287). Skeletonized fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD) maps were harmonized. Differences between voxel-wise metrics, skeleton means and histogram widths (5th-95th percentile) were assessed before and after harmonization, as well as variance associated with gestational age at birth and scan. Before harmonization, large cohort differences were observed. Harmonization removed all voxel-wise differences from MD maps and all metric means and histogram widths, however small voxel-wise differences (<1.5 % of voxels) remained in FA, AD and RD. We detected significant relationships between GA at birth and all metrics. When comparing single site and multisite harmonized datasets of equal sample sizes, harmonized data resulted in smaller standardized regression coefficients. ComBat could enable unprecedented sample sizes in developmental neuroscience, offering new horizons for biomarker discovery and validation, understanding typical and atypical brain development, and assessing neuroprotective therapies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187892932400149XNeonatalDiffusion tensor imagingWhite MatterData harmonizationMultisiteComBat |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra F. Bonthrone Manuel Blesa Cábez A. David Edwards Jo V. Hajnal Serena J. Counsell James P. Boardman Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Neonatal Diffusion tensor imaging White Matter Data harmonization Multisite ComBat |
| title | Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience |
| title_full | Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience |
| title_fullStr | Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience |
| title_short | Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience |
| title_sort | harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion weighted brain mri data for developmental neuroscience |
| topic | Neonatal Diffusion tensor imaging White Matter Data harmonization Multisite ComBat |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187892932400149X |
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