A Comprehensive Method of Evaluating the Preprocessing Stage of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Abstract

fMRI nowadays is a very popular and crucial tool for medical purposes, which is always involved with engineering methods for properly processing the fMRI images. However, not too much effort has been invested in studying the preprocessing stage, the most basic step of processing the fMRI images and all subsequent steps based on it. In this thesis, some very interesting and significant changes are applied in the preprocessing stage. Then a very comprehensive method is employed to evaluate the effects of those changes on some advanced analysis. During the assessment phase, some other important new discoveries and facts regarding two significant methodologies of fMRI are presented: Functional Connectivity (FC), Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC). These new approaches will make the fMRI preprocessing more reasonable, reliable, and meaningful. More importantly, this project will prove the correct methods for the advanced analysis of fMRI images based on those changes in the preprocessing stage.