Quantile rank maps: a new tool for understanding individual brain development

Neuroimage. 2015 May 1:111:454-63. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.082. Epub 2015 Jan 10.

Abstract

We propose a novel method for neurodevelopmental brain mapping that displays how an individual's values for a quantity of interest compare with age-specific norms. By estimating smoothly age-varying distributions at a set of brain regions of interest, we derive age-dependent region-wise quantile ranks for a given individual, which can be presented in the form of a brain map. Such quantile rank maps could potentially be used for clinical screening. Bootstrap-based confidence intervals are proposed for the quantile rank estimates. We also propose a recalibrated Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for detecting group differences in the age-varying distribution. This test is shown to be more robust to model misspecification than a linear regression-based test. The proposed methods are applied to brain imaging data from the Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample and from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) sample.

Keywords: Box–Cox transformation; Generalized additive models for location, scale and shape; MRI; Penalized B-splines; Quantile rank map; Resting-state fMRI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology
  • Brain Mapping / methods*
  • Cerebral Cortex* / anatomy & histology
  • Cerebral Cortex* / growth & development
  • Cerebral Cortex* / physiology
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Net* / anatomy & histology
  • Nerve Net* / growth & development
  • Nerve Net* / physiology
  • Young Adult