| Cytoarchitectonic studies of the human brain have revealed regularized structure with regards to the cellular organization of the neocortex, which is the outermost 3-4mm thick portion of the brain. These studies have revealed columnar organization running from the surface of the brain inwards traversing six cortical layers. Up to this point objective methods have been developed for the definition of cortical columns, yet the definition of cortical lamina largely relies on subjective classification. The purpose of this project was to first address the subjective nature of classifying cortical transition. An objective method in which to classify lamina transitions from layers I to II and also III to IV using modified edge detection techniques was produced. Once cortical transitions had been identified layers II and III were isolated and processed so as to allow for comparisons between autistic and neurotypical tissue to determine whether differences were present in the number of cells and their size. Finally, novel texture measures were made for each image to determine their utility in classifying layers and regions. |
