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Reducing acquisition time for MRI-based forensic age estimation.

ABSTRACT: Radiology-based estimation of a living person's unknown age has recently attracted increasing attention due to large numbers of undocumented immigrants entering Europe. To avoid the application of X-ray-based imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been suggested as an alternative imaging modality. Unfortunately, MRI requires prolonged acquisition times, which potentially represents an additional stressor for young refugees. To eliminate this shortcoming, we investigated the degree of reduction in acquisition time that still led to reliable age estimates. Two radiologists randomly assessed original images and two sets of retrospectively undersampled data of 15 volunteers (N = 45 data sets) applying an established radiological age estimation method to images of the hand and wrist. Additionally, a neural network-based age estimation method analyzed four sets of further undersampled images from the 15 volunteers (N = 105 data sets). Furthermore, we compared retrospectively undersampled and acquired undersampled data for three volunteers. To assess reliability with increasing degree of undersampling, intra-rater and inter-rater agreement were analyzed computing signed differences and intra-class correlation. While our findings have to be confirmed by a larger prospective study, the results from both radiological and automatic age estimation showed that reliable age estimation was still possible for acquisition times of 15 seconds.

SUBMITTER: Neumayer B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5794919 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Forensic anthropology includes, amongst other applications, the positive identification of unknown human skeletal remains. The first step in this process is an assessment of the biological profile, that is: sex, age, stature and ancestry. In forensic contexts, age estimation is one of the main challenges in the process of identification. Recently established admissibility criteria are driving researchers towards standardisation of methodological procedures. Despite these changes, experience still plays a central role in anthropological examinations. In order to avoid this issue, age estimation procedures (i) must be presented to the scientific community and published in peer reviewed journals, (ii) accurately explained in terms of procedure and (iii) present clear information about the accuracy of the estimation and possible error rates. In order to fulfil all these requirements, a number of methods based on physiological processes which result in biochemical changes in various tissue structures at the molecular level, such as modifications in DNA-methylation and telomere shortening, racemization of proteins and stable isotopes analysis, have been developed. The current work proposes a new systematic approach in age estimation based on tracing physicochemical and mechanical degeneration of the rib cortical bone matrix. This study used autopsy material from 113 rib specimens. A set of 33 parameters were measured by standard bio-mechanical (nanoindentation and microindentation), physical (TGA/DSC, XRD and FTIR) and histomorphometry (porosity-ImageJ) methods. Stepwise regressions were used to create equations that would produce the best 'estimates of age at death' vs real age of the cadavers. Five equations were produced; in the best of cases an equation counting 7 parameters had an R2 = 0.863 and mean absolute error of 4.64 years. The present method meets all the admissibility criteria previously described. Furthermore, the method is experience-independent and as such can be performed without previous expert knowledge of forensic anthropology and human anatomy.

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Reducing acquisition time for MRI-based forensic age estimation.

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