1. fMRI Visualization Tool
The analyzed functional data has to be mapped onto high-resolution 2D slice images or 3D surfaces to compensate for their low spatial resolution. In order to do the mapping, segmentation, surface rendering, surface smoothing, inflation, and flattening should be performed sequentially as the software shown in the following movie demonstrates. We are planning to provide the software freely after some improvement, only for the research purposes.
::Movie download:: (encoded by MPEG-4, about 11 MegaBytes)
→ Visualization
- 2D slice images of the 3D brain MR image with the analyze format
- 3D rendered surface
- 3D smoothed surface
- 3D inflated surface
- 2D flattened surface
- functional data from SPM mapped onto 2D slices and surfaces
→ Transformation into Talairach stereotaxic coordinates
→ Segmentation of the 3D image into cerebrum, WM, GM, and CSF
→ Surface rendering
→ Surface smoothing
→ Spherical inflation
→ Flattening
→ The SPM software is a suite of Matlab functions and subroutines with some externally compiled C routines
→ Realignment of image sequences
→ Automated non-linear spatial normalisation
→ Image segmentation
→ Coregistration
→ Spatial smoothing
→ Image calculator
→ Specification of design matrices for GLMs
→ (Restricted) Maximum Likelihood estimation of GLM parameters
→ Formation of Statistical Parametric Maps
→ Bayesian estimation of GLM parameters
→ Formation of Posterior Probability Maps
→ Analysis of effective connectivity using DCM
→ BrainVoyager is a commercial software package for the analysis and visualization of structural andfunctional magnetic resonance images
→ Extremely fast and highly optimized 2D and 3D analysis and visualization routines.
→ Integration of volume and surface rendering for fast creation of beautiful visualizations.
→ Advanced methods for semi-automated cortex reconstruction, inflation and flattening.
→ Comprehensive feature set for fMRI data analysis embodied in a single program.
