Bridging neuroradiology and neuroanatomy: NOWinBRAIN—a repository with sequences of correlated and labeled planar-surface neuroimages

Abstract

Purpose: Integrating neuroradiology with neuroanatomy is essential in medical neuroeducation and neuroimage interpretation. To bridge 2D neuroradiology and 3D neuroanatomy, spatially correlated pairs of labeled images were employed, planar radiologic, and planar-surface combined. Research design: The method employs a 3D fully parcellated and labeled brain atlas extended to the head and neck with about 3000 3D components to create planar radiologic and surface neuroanatomic images. The atlas handles reformatted radiologic images as 3D objects using texture mapping which provides consistency with polygonal 3D neuroanatomic structures. This ensures a precise spatial correspondence of dual 2D–2D/3D images for any composed 3D scene reformatted in arbitrary orientation. The sequences of labeled dual images were created spanning a structure/system of interest in multiple orientations. To facilitate image searching, the image name encodes its content, orientation, and stereotactic location. Results: Labeled dual 2D–2D/3D neuroimage sequences in multiple orientations were created for the cerebrum, brainstem, deep nuclei, cerebral ventricles, intracranial arteries, dural sinuses, extracranial arteries, extracranial veins, trigeminal nerve, head muscles, glands, bones of cranium, and visual system. They all were hierarchically organized as a planar-surface gallery with 42 folders and 502 neuroimages. This gallery was integrated with a public NOW inBRAIN repository at www.nowinbrain.org with more than 7700 neuroimages. Conclusions: Owing to its advantages, simplicity, and free availability, this resource is useful for medical students, residents, educators, and clinicians to study the brain, head, and neck as well as to prepare presentations and teaching materials. The approach might potentially enhance image interpretation by integrating brain atlases with radiologic workstations.