Comparison of brain volume estimation via cerebral computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Background In clinical routine, cerebral computed tomography (cCT) is easily accessible and more commonly used than brain magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). However, to the best of our knowledge a fully automated, validated regional specific volume estimation tool is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between tissue classification for gray matter of both modalities. Method Brain imaging segmentations of cCT and structural MRI of 37 healthy controls and 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease were performed. The intensity and voxel count of normalized gray matter maps (MNI) in regions of interest using the Automated Anatomical Labelling Atlas (AAL3) were computed and compared between cCT and cMRI in both cohorts. Result Brain Volume, measured by intensity and voxel count of gray matter, is associated between cortical regions acquired by cCT and cMRI. Although correlation coefficients varied between different brain areas, cortical compared to subcortical regions showed a relatively strong correlation. Conclusion The evaluation of brain atrophy using segmented brain images acquired by cCT may be a simple, cost‐effective, and valuable addition to the clinical workflow, particularly in the context of socioeconomic and health disparities.