Knowledge-based segmentation and labeling of brain structures from MRI images

In this paper, we propose a new knowledge-based method illustrated in the context of segmentation, which labels internal brain structures viewed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In order to improve the accuracy of the labeling, we introduce a fuzzy model of regions of interest (ROI) by analogy with the electrostatic potential distribution, to represent more appropriately the knowledge of distance, shape and relationship of structures. The knowledge is mainly derived from the Talairach stereotaxic atlas. The labeling is achieved by the regionwise labeling using genetic algorithms (GAs), followed by a voxelwise amendment using parallel region growing. The fuzzy model is used both to design the fitness function of GAs, and to guide the region growing. The performance of our proposed method has been quantitatively validated by six indices with respect to manually labeled images. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.