An in vivo three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging-based averaged brain collection of the neonatal piglet (Sus scrofa)

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 9; p. e107650
• Main Authors: Conrad, Matthew S, Sutton, Bradley P, Dilger, Ryan N, Johnson, Rodney W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.09.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aging; Animal behavior; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain - cytology; Brain - growth & development; Brain mapping; Brain Mapping - methods; Female; Hogs; Image analysis; Image processing; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine and Health Sciences; Morphometry; Neonates; Neurodevelopment; Neuroimaging; Newborn babies; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Research and Analysis Methods; Resonance; Software; Software packages; Sus scrofa; Swine; Translation
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107650

Due to the fact that morphology and perinatal growth of the piglet brain is similar to humans, use of the piglet as a translational animal model for neurodevelopmental studies is increasing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be a powerful tool to study neurodevelopment in piglets, but many of the MRI resources have been produced for adult humans. Here, we present an average in vivo MRI-based atlas specific for the 4-week-old piglet. In addition, we have developed probabilistic tissue classification maps. These tools can be used with brain mapping software packages (e.g. SPM and FSL) to aid in voxel-based morphometry and image analysis techniques. The atlas enables efficient study of neurodevelopment in a highly tractable translational animal with brain growth and development similar to humans.