I heard that this parameter (DBM) is well known from continuum mechanics and is usually used for the analysis of volume changes in flowing liquids or gases. I am seeking some theories of how does it apply for neuroimaging morphometry.
I believe that typically DBM, or tensor-based morphometry, estimates how much deformation is needed to make a brain fit into a certain template (an average brain). This would indirectly return an atrophy value.
You can visit the SIENA's fslwiki page (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/SIENA) or the papers attached below:
Article SIENA-XL for improving the assessment of gray and white matt...
Article Tensor-Based Morphometry as a Neuroimaging Biomarker for Alz...