Model-based clustering of meta-analytic functional imaging data

We present a method for the analysis of meta-analytic functional imaging data. It is based on Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) and subsequent model-based clustering using Gaussian mixture models, expectation-maximization (EM) for model fitting, and the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) for model selection. Our method facilitates the clustering of activation maxima from previously performed imaging experiments in a hierarchical fashion. Regions with a high concentration of activation coordinates are first identified using ALE. Activation coordinates within these regions are then subjected to model-based clustering for a more detailed cluster analysis. We demonstrate the usefulness of the method in a meta-analysis of 26 fMRI studies investigating the well-known Stroop paradigm.