Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries
Abstract High-field magnetic resonance imaging to explore brain structure and function remains limited to high-resource settings. Novel, low-field (<0.1 T) imaging offers a more cost-effective/accessible alternative. However, the validity of low-field data at spatial resolutions relevant to resea...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08322-2 |
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| author | Charlotte M. Pretzsch František Váša Michael Brammer Lucy Brink Mandy Potter Wendy Mackay Petrusa Smit Carolina Du Plessis Marcelle Wagner Deborah Jonker Kirsten A. Donald Freda Scheffler Cindy Pham Viola Hollestein Eva Loth Declan GM Murphy Hein J. Odendaal Elizabeth R. Sowell Priscilla E. Springer Dan J. Stein Christine Ecker |
| author_facet | Charlotte M. Pretzsch František Váša Michael Brammer Lucy Brink Mandy Potter Wendy Mackay Petrusa Smit Carolina Du Plessis Marcelle Wagner Deborah Jonker Kirsten A. Donald Freda Scheffler Cindy Pham Viola Hollestein Eva Loth Declan GM Murphy Hein J. Odendaal Elizabeth R. Sowell Priscilla E. Springer Dan J. Stein Christine Ecker |
| author_sort | Charlotte M. Pretzsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract High-field magnetic resonance imaging to explore brain structure and function remains limited to high-resource settings. Novel, low-field (<0.1 T) imaging offers a more cost-effective/accessible alternative. However, the validity of low-field data at spatial resolutions relevant to research and clinic (vertex-level) remains unclear. Hence, we examine paired high-field (reference) and low-field (single/multi-orientation scans processed through established/novel pipelines) data (12 children [10-12 yrs] in a low- and middle-income country [LMIC]). We assess high-field/low-field correspondence between vertex-level measures of cortical volume, surface area, and cortical thickness; and compare analytic strategies. High/low-field images show weak-to-moderate global correspondence (cortical volume, surface area: Pearson’s r ≤ 0.6, cortical thickness r ≤ 0.3), and weak-to-very strong local correspondence (r ≤ 0.99). Greatest correspondence is achieved with multi-orientation images and a pipeline adjusted for low-resolution images (recon-all-clinical); or image enhancement (SynthSR) plus standard processing (FastSurfer); but agreement varies across brain based on input, analytic strategy, and neuroanatomical feature. We provide an application to interactively explore our results. Thus, low-field imaging can provide reliable, high-resolution estimates of cortical volume and surface area, but not cortical thickness; and analytic approaches should be selected based on multiple considerations. Once validated, this research may help deploy low-field imaging to aid research/evidence-based clinical work in high- and low-resource settings, including LMIC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e20e1cdc9314feb8ce7e1f32948082a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e20e1cdc9314feb8ce7e1f32948082a2025-08-20T02:07:45ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-06-018111410.1038/s42003-025-08322-2Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countriesCharlotte M. Pretzsch0František Váša1Michael Brammer2Lucy Brink3Mandy Potter4Wendy Mackay5Petrusa Smit6Carolina Du Plessis7Marcelle Wagner8Deborah Jonker9Kirsten A. Donald10Freda Scheffler11Cindy Pham12Viola Hollestein13Eva Loth14Declan GM Murphy15Hein J. Odendaal16Elizabeth R. Sowell17Priscilla E. Springer18Dan J. Stein19Christine Ecker20Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape TownDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health & Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape TownDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape TownDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern CaliforniaDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape TownDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University FrankfurtAbstract High-field magnetic resonance imaging to explore brain structure and function remains limited to high-resource settings. Novel, low-field (<0.1 T) imaging offers a more cost-effective/accessible alternative. However, the validity of low-field data at spatial resolutions relevant to research and clinic (vertex-level) remains unclear. Hence, we examine paired high-field (reference) and low-field (single/multi-orientation scans processed through established/novel pipelines) data (12 children [10-12 yrs] in a low- and middle-income country [LMIC]). We assess high-field/low-field correspondence between vertex-level measures of cortical volume, surface area, and cortical thickness; and compare analytic strategies. High/low-field images show weak-to-moderate global correspondence (cortical volume, surface area: Pearson’s r ≤ 0.6, cortical thickness r ≤ 0.3), and weak-to-very strong local correspondence (r ≤ 0.99). Greatest correspondence is achieved with multi-orientation images and a pipeline adjusted for low-resolution images (recon-all-clinical); or image enhancement (SynthSR) plus standard processing (FastSurfer); but agreement varies across brain based on input, analytic strategy, and neuroanatomical feature. We provide an application to interactively explore our results. Thus, low-field imaging can provide reliable, high-resolution estimates of cortical volume and surface area, but not cortical thickness; and analytic approaches should be selected based on multiple considerations. Once validated, this research may help deploy low-field imaging to aid research/evidence-based clinical work in high- and low-resource settings, including LMIC.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08322-2 |
| spellingShingle | Charlotte M. Pretzsch František Váša Michael Brammer Lucy Brink Mandy Potter Wendy Mackay Petrusa Smit Carolina Du Plessis Marcelle Wagner Deborah Jonker Kirsten A. Donald Freda Scheffler Cindy Pham Viola Hollestein Eva Loth Declan GM Murphy Hein J. Odendaal Elizabeth R. Sowell Priscilla E. Springer Dan J. Stein Christine Ecker Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries Communications Biology |
| title | Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_full | Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_short | Evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high-resolution, vertex-level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_sort | evaluating analytic strategies to obtain high resolution vertex level measures of cortical neuroanatomy in children in low and middle income countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08322-2 |
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