Cortechs.ai | Understanding Intracranial Volume (ICV) Analysis in Cortechs.ai’ Quantitative Imaging Products

Understanding Intracranial Volume (ICV) Analysis in Cortechs.ai’ Quantitative Imaging Products

The ability to compare the volumes of patients’ brain structures to brain structure volumes of healthy controls is a powerful tool to help physicians assess possible existence of neurodegeneration or the progression of a neurodegenerative disorder.

To adjust for any variation in brain size, sex difference, and inter-individual head-size in a population, brain structure volumes are normalized (or scaled) to a common measurement.

Cortechs.ai’ quantitative imaging software uses Intracranial Volume (ICV) to normalize an individual’s brain structure volumes, and automatically calculates it during the post-processing of brain MRIs for volumetric analysis. This consistent measure gives clinicians additional context of their patient’s brain structure volumes, regardless of head size.

ICV, also known as TIV (Total Intracranial Volume), is the volume of the cranial cavity as taken from a 3D T1 MRI, as outlined by the supratentorial dura matter, or cerebral contour when dura is not clearly detectable.

Cortechs.ai | Understanding Intracranial Volume (ICV) Analysis in Cortechs.ai’ Quantitative Imaging Products
Example of segmentation with intracranial mask from T1-weighted image. Image credit: Malone, I.B. et al. (2015). Accurate Automatic Estimation of Total Intracranial Volume: A Nuisance Variable with Less Nuisance. NeuroImage 104 (366-372).

ICV is a very consistent measure across the lifespan of a patient, making it a reliable tool for correction of head size variation across individuals. This correction is especially helpful when assessing neurodegenerative conditions.

For example, Patient A and Patient B both have thalamic volumes that are consistent with the average for their age and sex-matched population. Patient A is 5’6” tall, with an average head circumference, while Patient B is 6’2” tall with an above average head circumference. If the thalamic volumes could be interpreted without correcting for ICV, both patients would yield a normal result. However, once the patient’s thalamic volumes are normalized to their individual ICV, it could become apparent that Patient B’s thalamic volume is lower than expected for their age and gender.

NeuroQuant reports provide brain structure volumes (relevant to the report), % ICV and normative percentiles. NeuroQuant automatically calculates the ICV to accurately compare an individual’s brain structure volumes to Cortechs.ai’ age and sex-matched normative reference data. The ICV normalization and reference comparison on NeuroQuant reports provide physicians with a framework to better understand brain structure volumes when assessing patients.

Cortechs.ai | Understanding Intracranial Volume (ICV) Analysis in Cortechs.ai’ Quantitative Imaging Products

Need more information about ICV or Cortechs.ai quantitative image products? Contact us.

 

More Resources

05/18/2025

Cortechs.ai and ALZ-NET Announce Strategic Collaboration to Improve Alzheimer’s Disease Care Through AI-Driven Imaging

This new strategic collaboration aims to enhance the quality of care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

05/16/2025

Case Study: NeuroQuant® for ARIA: Monitoring ARIA Progression in Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Suzie Bash highlights how advanced imaging with NeuroQuant for ARIA supported detection and monitoring of ARIA-E and ARIA-H in an 81-year-old patient.

05/13/2025

Dr. Ana M. Franceschi Joins Cortechs.ai Medical Advisory Board

Neuroimaging thought leader to enhance PET/MRI and dementia research impact through AI-powered tools

05/10/2025

All the Ways to Use the NeuroQuant Custom Report

With the ability to select structures from NeuroQuant’s 70+ structure parcellation atlas, the user has the power to truly personalize patient care!

05/04/2025

Introducing NeuroQuant MS Lesion Dynamics Computation: A Clearer Path to Understanding Disease Progression

Discover how the latest NeuroQuant MS update offers a clearer, more intuitive way to track lesion changes and understand disease progression over time.

05/02/2025

4 Reasons Why Over 1500 Medical Centers Worldwide Trust Cortechs.ai

Trusted by 1500+ medical centers, Cortechs.ai delivers AI-powered imaging tools that enhance diagnostic accuracy and streamline workflows.
Scroll to Top