Hi, I'm completely new to this field. I'm wanting to look at variation in optic disc shape (assess heritability) as a possible predictor for optic nerve diseases (eg glaucoma).
Essentially, the basic form of an optic disc is a vertically shaped oval (although some peoples discs are more circular and even (rarely) horizontally oval). The curves which make up the shape are not completely smooth however, and usually there are subtle changes in curvature around this 'oval' shape. Also, optic discs usually are not perfectly symmetrical. I'm unsure how to tackle this shape problem. Initially, I thought of treating each disc as a smooth and symmetrical oval and calculating 2 curvatures (for the steep and flat curves of the oval (assuming symmetry)) and describing this as some sort of shape or form factor. Then I stumbled onto morphometrics. Which leads me to ask 2 questions: 1. Would using geometric morphometrics be considered overkill (by those who know enough about it) for this type of problem? In my readings it seems (Elliptic?) Fourier analysis could be used in this case. 2. Is there any way of converting this information into a meaningful biological variable? Can the numbers you get from whatever analysis you do be used in a biological sense, or are they only meaningful when describing the shape mathematically? (sorry if I haven't explained this well). Ultimately, I'm wanting to do genetic analyses on a sample of people and want to be able to make associations with shape. Thanks for your time, Regards, Paul -- Replies will be sent to the list. For more information visit http://www.morphometrics.org
