Implicit reference-based group-wise image registration and its application to structural and functional MRI

In this study, an implicit reference group-wise (IRG) registration with a small deformation, linear elastic model was used to jointly estimate correspondences between a set of MRI images. The performance of pair-wise and group-wise registration algorithms was evaluated for spatial normalization of structural and functional MRI data. Traditional spatial normalization is accomplished by group-to-reference (G2R) registration in which a group of images are registered pair-wise to a reference image. G2R registration is limited due to bias associated with selecting a reference image. In contrast, implicit reference group-wise (IRG) registration estimates correspondences between a group of images by jointly registering the images to an implicit reference corresponding to the group average. The implicit reference is estimated during IRG registration eliminating the bias associated with selecting a specific reference image. Registration performance was evaluated using segmented T1-weighted magnetic resonance images from the Nonrigid Image Registration Evaluation Project (NIREP), DTI and fMRI images. Implicit reference pair-wise (IRP) registration-a special case of IRG registration for two images-is shown to produce better relative overlap than IRG for pair-wise registration using the same small deformation, linear elastic registration model. However, IRP-G2R registration is shown to have significant transitivity error, i.e., significant inconsistencies between correspondences defined by different pair-wise transformations. In contrast, IRG registration produces consistent correspondence between images in a group at the cost of slightly reduced pair-wise RO accuracy compared to IRP-G2R. IRG spatial normalization of the fractional anisotropy (FA) maps of DTI is shown to have smaller FA variance compared with G2R methods using the same elastic registration model. Analyses of fMRI data sets with sensorimotor and visual tasks show that IRG registration, on average, increases the statistical detectability of brain activation compared to G2R registration.