A new method in computer-assisted imaging in neuroanatomy.

A procedure is described yielding computed images of postmortem brains with high topographic accuracy. Structures of the brain are traced and registered by means of a digitizer capable of measuring coordinates three-dimensionally. The information corresponding to one brain model is stored on a flexible disk with a capacity of 256 Kbytes. According to the output desired, the resulting brain images are either completely or partially displayed on the computer screen as stereo pairs. The brain models possess a local fidelity of about 1 mm. The images are useful in simultaneously studying superficial and central parts of the brain, spatial relationships of the various structures and the projection of deep structures onto the surface of the brain. A RAM of about 100 Kbytes is necessary for a program enabling the user to perform stereo projections, three-dimensional transformations and other image manipulations. The special features of anatomical computer imaging as compared to computed tomography (CT) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR) are outlined. A combination of these different techniques seems to improve clinical diagnosis.