A1037
Title: Hierarchical modeling of localized intracranial volume abnormalities in craniosynostosis
Authors: Joshua Lukemire - Emory University (United States) [presenting]
Ryan Taylor - Emory University (United States)
Julia Wrobel - Emory University (United States)
Abstract: Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of cranial sutures, alters skull morphology and can restrict localized brain development despite normal overall intracranial volume. These localized deformations are linked to long-term neurodevelopmental deficits, but there is a current lack of quantitative models that capture the heterogeneity in growth patterns driven by different suture fusion types. Leveraging a large dataset of CT and 3D photogrammetry scans from craniosynostosis patients and healthy controls, a novel hierarchical generalized additive model that uses soap-film smooths is proposed, and basis functions are shared to model continuous volume maps across space, age, and fusion type. This approach enables fine-scale localization of volume abnormalities and prediction of future development trajectories. The model accounts for covariates such as age and sex and is estimated using a Bayesian framework.
