A framework for detailed objective comparison of non-rigid registration algorithms in neuroimaging

Non-rigid image registration is widely used in the analysis of brain images to the extent it is provided as a standard tool in common packages such as SPM. However the performance of algorithms in specific applications remains hard to measure. In this paper a detailed comparison of the performance of an affine, B-Spline control-point and viscous fluid registration algorithm in inter-subject brain registration is presented. The comparison makes use of highly detailed expert manual labellings of a range of structures distributed in scale and in location in the brain. The overall performance is B-Spline, fluid, affine (best first) with all algorithms struggling to improve the match of smaller structures. We discuss caveats, evaluation strategies for registration and implications for future registration-based neuroimaging studies. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004.