Automated Talairach atlas-based parcellation and measurement of cerebral lobes in children

This study applied a Talairach-based automated parcellation method, origina lly proposed for adults, to the measurement of lobar brain regions in pedia tric study groups. Manual measures of lobar brain regions in a sample of 15 healthy boys, girls and adults were used initially to revise the original Talairach-based grid to increase its applicability to pediatric brains. The applicability of the revised Talairach grid was then tested on an independ ent sample of five girls with Rett syndrome. As Tables 3 and 4 in the text demonstrate, sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values either remained unchanged or increased as a result of revising the sectors to fit the brains of children. High levels of sensitivity and specificity were ac hieved for all revised Talairach-based calculations in relation to the manu al measures. Both positive predictive values and intraclass correlations be tween volumetric measures produced by the revised automated and manual meth ods varied with the relative size of the brain region. Values were relative ly low for smaller structures such as the brainstem and subcortical region, and high for lobar regions. These results suggest that the automated Talai rach atlas-based parcellation method can produce sensitive and specific vol umetric measures of lobar brain regions in both normal children and childre n with brain disorders. Accordingly, the method holds much promise for faci litating quantitative pediatric neuroimaging research. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.