ArteryX MRI Tool Detects Brain Vessel Variations Overlooked by Earlier Software
University of Rochester researchers created ArteryX, a software toolbox that automates measurements of brain arteries from MRI scans. It assesses vessel size, length, branching, and complexity, reducing manual tracing and variability. The tool may help studies of how vascular changes contribute to stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
ArteryX was created at University of Rochester Medicine to automate measurements from 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography. It quantifies arterial features such as length, radius, volume, surface area, branching, twisting, and vascular complexity. The work, led by Nasir Uddin with Abrar Faiyaz as first author, appeared in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
In testing, ArteryX needed about 10–15 minutes of processing and user input, while iCafe took roughly 1.5 hours for a trained operator. Researchers also applied it to data from people with and without cerebral small vessel disease, suggesting it may support larger, more consistent studies of vascular contributions to stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
If validated and adopted, ArteryX may reduce manual workload for neuroimaging researchers and improve consistency across studies. This could accelerate research into how brain vessel changes relate to stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia, potentially benefiting patients and families through better understanding and future biomarkers. It may also help smaller labs analyze larger cohorts, though clinical impact would depend on further validation and translation beyond research settings.