Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association
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An international Delphi panel has defined a harmonized protocol (HarP) for the manual segmentation of the hippocampus on MR. The aim of this study is to study the concurrent validity of the HarP toward local protocols, and its major sources of variance. ⋯ The HarP has high measurement stability compared with local segmentation protocols, and good reproducibility within and among human tracers. Hippocampi segmented with the HarP can be used as a reference for the qualification of human tracers and automated segmentation algorithms.
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A globally harmonized protocol (HarP) for manual hippocampal segmentation based on magnetic resonance has been recently developed by a task force from European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC) and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Our aim was to produce benchmark labels based on the HarP for manual segmentation. ⋯ Certified benchmark labels have been produced based on the HarP to be used for tracers' training and qualification.
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The use of hippocampal volumetry as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) requires that tracers from different laboratories comply with the same segmentation method. Here we present a platform for training and qualifying new tracers to perform the manual segmentation of the hippocampus on magnetic resonance images (MRI) following the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (EADC-ADNI) Harmonized Protocol (HarP). Our objective was to demonstrate that the training process embedded in the platform leads to increased compliance and qualification with the HarP. ⋯ This platform is an adequate infrastructure allowing standardized training and evaluation of tracers' compliance with the HarP. This is a necessary step allowing the use of hippocampal volumetry as a biomarker for AD in clinical and research centers.
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Hippocampal volumetry on magnetic resonance imaging is recognized as an Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker, and manual segmentation is the gold standard for measurement. However, a standard procedure is lacking. We operationalize and quantitate landmark differences to help a Delphi panel converge on a set of landmarks. ⋯ Anatomic landmark variability in available protocols can be reduced to four discrete and measurable segmentation units. Their quantitative assessment will help a Delphi panel to define a set of landmarks for a harmonized protocol.