Predicting Neuropsychological Development from Skull Imaging

Craniosynostosis is a serious and common pediatric disease caused by the premature fusion of sutures of the skull. Although studies have shown an increase in risk for cognitive deficits in patients with isolated craniosynostosis, the causal basis for this association is still unclear. It is hypothesized that an abnormally shaped skull produces a secondary deformation of the brain that results in the disruption of normal neuropsychological development. In this paper, we conduct a comparative analysis of our newly developed shape descriptors in an attempt to understand the impact of skull deformations on neurobehavior. In particular, we show that our scaphocephaly severity indices and symbolic shape signatures are predictive of mental ability and psychomotor functions, respectively, which suggests the possibility that secondary deformation could influence neuro-developmental status