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Commentary - Journal of Neuroinformatics and Neuroimaging (2022) Volume 7, Issue 1
Strengths of longitudinal approaches on non-human primate neuroimaging.
Non-human primate (NHP) neuroimaging is a field progressively establishing itself as a crucial complement to human neuroimaging. The use of NHP models not only allows performing experiments that cannot be done in humans but also can shed light on the evolution of the primate brain. NHP neuroimaging has mostly been dominated by between-subject, cross-sectional experimental designs. However, within-subject, longitudinal designs are generally more powerful, but also more challenging. Here we compare longitudinal NHP neuroimaging with both cross-sectional NHP neuroimaging and longitudinal human neuroimaging. We describe its inherent strength in terms of statistical power and its specific strengths in developmental and ageing studies, as well as in interventional studies. We then describe specific challenges, encompassing data acquisition, image processing and statistical analyses.
Author(s): Franco Crook