A Comprehensive Clinical Decision Support Application Software tool for estimate of the Fourth Ventricle volume using Brain Computed Tomography scan for Clinical Application

Abstract

The physiology and anatomy of the ventricular system has become an area of research for clinicians in neuropsychiatry to help manage neurologic diseases as well as other diseases such as chronic alcoholism. The objective of this study is to develop an easy and user-friendly graphical user interface for calculating fourth ventricle volume. Materials used were Minitab statistical tool and MeVisLab modelling tool. The methodology involved the use of MeVisLab measurements tool to measure the linear and volume dimensions using Voxel Count Method. Whilst the modeling was done with Minitab statistical tool to model the relationship between the linear and volume measurements. Minitab statistical modeling tool and the written code was done with python programming language. Minitab statistical software was used to model the relationship between the fourth Ventricle Volume and the product of fourth ventricle length (VL), fourth ventricle width (VW) and fourth ventricle thickness (VT). Ten model equations were developed; five each for males and females for the age group (21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60 and 61-70). A comprehensive decision support application software tool has been developed for easy, accurate and user-friendly GUI as part of diagnostic procedure for the calculation of volume of fourth ventricle to aid neurological diagnosis in clinical practice. These would help neurosurgeons in their diagnosis, localization and surgical removal of tumors and lesions (craniopharyngiomas and gliomas) surrounding the ventricular system.