Comparison of Hippocampal Subfield Segmentation Agreement between 2 Automated Protocols across the Adult Life Span

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The hippocampus is a frequent focus of quantitative neuroimaging research, and structural hippocampal alterations are related to multiple neurocognitive disorders. An increasing number of neuroimaging studies are focusing on hippocampal subfield regional involvement in these disorders using various automated segmentation approaches. Direct comparisons among these approaches are limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the agreement between two automated hippocampal segmentation algorithms in an adult population. MATERIALS AND METHODS:We compared the results of 2 automated segmentation algorithms for hippocampal subfields (FreeSurfer v6.0 and volBrain) within a single imaging data set from adults (n ¼ 176, 89 women) across a wide age range (20-79 years). Brain MR imaging was acquired on a single 3T scanner as part of the IXI Brain Development Dataset and included T1-and T2-weighted MR images. We also examined subfield volumetric differences related to age and sex and the impact of different intracranial volume and total hippocampal volume normalization methods.RESULTS: Estimated intracranial volume and total hippocampal volume of both protocols were strongly correlated (r ¼ 0.93 and 0.9, respectively; both P , .001). Hippocampal subfield volumes were correlated (ranging from r ¼ 0.42 for the subiculum to r ¼ 0.78 for the cornu ammonis [CA]1, all P , .001). However, absolute volumes were significantly different between protocols. volBrain produced larger CA1 and CA4-dentate gyrus and smaller CA2-CA3 and subiculum volumes compared with FreeSurfer v6.0. Regional age-and sex-related differences in subfield volumes were qualitatively and quantitatively different depending on segmentation protocol and intracranial volume/total hippocampal volume normalization method. CONCLUSIONS:The hippocampal subfield volume relationship to demographic factors and disease states should undergo nuanced interpretation, especially when considering different segmentation protocols. ABBREVIATIONS: CA ¼ cornu ammonis; DG ¼ dentate gyrus; HPSF ¼ hippocampal subfield; ICV ¼ intracranial volume; SR-SL-SM ¼ strata radiatum-lacunosum-moleculare; THV ¼ total hippocampal volume T he hippocampus is a major component of the limbic system, and it is affected in several neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders from Alzheimer disease to major depressive disorder. 1,2 Located in the mesial temporal lobes, the hippocampus functions as a computational hub through its extensive afferent and efferent connections with cortical and subcortical structures. 3 The hippocampus and hippocampal-related structures sustain a range of cognitive functions in the context of episodic and semantic memory, spatial navigation, planning, and learning. 4 The hippocampus is additionally divided into distinct cytoarchitectonic regions called subfields, most prominently the dentate gyrus (DG), cornu ammonis (CA) subfields 1-4, and the subiculum. 5 Distinctive cognitive functions are supported by different subfields, 6 and subfields are differ...

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