MRI-based brain volumetrics: emergence of a developmental brain science

MRI-based brain volumetrics is an established methodology of great versatil ity and reliability with a broad range of potential applications in medicin e and basic human brain science. We consider here, more theoretical implica tions of brain tissue volumes. Specifically, we suggest that volume is an e volutionarily and developmentally regulated fundamental property of tissue, in this instance the brain and its component structures. Within this frame work (1), regularities in relative variation of volumes with respect to mea n volume of a structure are viewed as systematic manifestations of the rule s of histogenetic process (2), regularities in the relative strength of cor relation of volumes of structures are suggested to reflect constraints whic h serve systematically the requirements of neural systems operation. These hypotheses, if supported by extensive observation, may guide the design of applications of MRI based volumetric analysis of the human brain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.