METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING IMAGE BASED BIOMARKERS SUITABLE FOR DIAGNOSIS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND METHODS FOR DIAGNOSING NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

摘要

The present invention relates to a method to acquire an image-based biomarker suitable for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases; a method to provide information for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases, an apparatus for predicting neurodegenerative diseases; and a computer program for the method to provide information for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases and the apparatus for predicting neurodegenerative diseases. The method to acquire an image-based biomarker suitable for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases comprises the following steps of: (a) collecting a magnetic resonance (MR) image and a positron emission tomography (PET) image of an object (k); (b) computing a normalized cortex thickness value (Z^thickness_k) from the collected MR image, and a weighted value (W^NDD_k) regarding a pathological factor of neurodegenerative diseases from PET data; and (c) computing a cortex thickness value (Y^NDDweight_k) weighted with a pathological factor value regarding neurodegenerative diseases by multiplying Z^thickness_k and W^NDD_k.