Evaluation of Different Geometric Features on the Cerebral Cortex of the Healthy Mouse

Abstract

Evidence about the striking relation between the geometric features of the cerebral cortex and cognitive/healthy states of corresponding individuals has being widely reported for different mammalian species, including humans. In this study we evaluated four different geometric features (Average Fractal Dimension, Watershed Regions, Gyrification Index and Absolute Mean Curvature) on the cortex of six healthy mouse brains (C3HeB), based on their corresponding high resolution MR images. Each measure was evaluated firstly on the entire individual’s cerebral cortex, latter on both hemispheres and finally on a set of redefined cortical regions (with a similar volume). In all cases was obtained a low variation through subjects, which is expected due to we are working with healthy subjects at a similar age. In addition, we found that different brain regions presents different geometric properties, which is in correspondence with the different local properties of the cerebral cortex, that responds to the main principle of brain segregation. Future works should be focused on the evaluation through these measures of global and local structural brain affectations provoked by pathological states.

Finally, the obtained measures for the whole brain and both hemispheres were compared with the equivalent values obtained for 10 healthy human brains. Results indicated significant lower values for mouse brains, which should be respond-ing to the expected superior complexity of the human brain.