Evaluating Template Generation Methods for Spatially Normalizing Down Syndrome Brain Magnetic Resonance Images

Magnetic resonance (MR) image registration and segmentation algorithms commonly used in studies of neurodegeneration have a higher failure rate for Down syndrome (DS) populations due to anatomical and morphological differences. For example, the Desikan‐Killiany atlas used by FreeSurfer was defined using MR images from cognitively normal adults and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this work was to evaluate three template generation methods (or group‐wise image registration) for spatially matching DS MR images and generating a DS cohort‐specific template.