Subject-Specific Head Model Generation by Mesh Morphing: A Personalization Framework and Its Applications.

Xiaogai Li

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.706566

Abstract

Finite element (FE) head models have become powerful tools in many fields within neuroscience, especially for studying the biomechanics of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Subject-specific head models accounting for geometric variations among subjects are needed for more reliable predictions. However, the generation of such models suitable for studying TBIs remains a significant challenge and has been a bottleneck hindering personalized simulations. This study presents a personalization framework for generating subject-specific models across the lifespan and for pathological brains with significant anatomical changes by morphing a baseline model. The framework consists of hierarchical multiple feature and multimodality imaging registrations, mesh morphing, and mesh grouping, which is shown to be efficient with a heterogeneous dataset including a newborn, 1-year-old (1Y), 2Y, adult, 92Y, and a hydrocephalus brain. The generated models of the six subjects show competitive personalization accuracy, demonstrating the capacity of the framework for generating subject-specific models with significant anatomical differences. The family of the generated head models allows studying age-dependent and groupwise brain injury mechanisms. The framework for efficient generation of subject-specific FE head models helps to facilitate personalized simulations in many fields of neuroscience.

Highlights

This study addresses the challenge of generating subjectspecific head injury models with hexahedrons, especially concerns about mesh morphing, which is an efficient approach for generating subject-specific models
The results show that the framework is robust to generate subjectspecific models across the lifespan and for pathological brains with significant anatomical changes by morphing a baseline model
The generated head models (Figure 8) and cross-sections (Figure 9) demonstrate the capacity of the framework for generating subject-specific head models with significant anatomical differences; all morphed from a baseline model

Summary

Introduction

Finite element (FE) head models have become powerful tools to simulate brain stimulations with direct current (tDCS) (Datta et al, 2009; Datta et al, 2012; Huang et al, 2013; Windhoff et al, 2013; Opitz et al, 2015; Alekseichuk et al, 2019; Li et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020), magnetic (TMS) (Opitz et al, 2013), and ultrasound (TUS) (Legon et al, 2014). Personalized simulations with anatomically detailed subject-specific head models are largely facilitated in these brain stimulation fields

Objectives

Methods

Results