Computer Program for Understanding Brain Morphology and Magnetic Resonance Image

Abstract

Understanding of brain morphology and magnetic resonance image (MRI) is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment of the brain diseases. As education tools, the cadaver dissection, plastic models, and neuroanatomy books have been used for understanding brain morphology; and the MRI films and radiology books have been used for understanding brain MRI. Recently, due to the popularization of powerful personal computers, computer programs compensating the conventional education tools have been used. But these computer programs have a disadvantage that it is not possible to visualize the details of brain morphology or to compare the corresponding sectioned specimens and MRI. Therefore, we attempted to make a computer program which could visualize not only the details of brain morphology but also the corresponding sectioned specimens and MRI by using the brains removed from Korean cadavers. Three brains were removed from Korean cadavers. With a brain, 122 MRI and 122 serially-sectioned specimens with an 1.4 ㎜ interval were acquired and inputted into the computer. Ten brain structures were segmented, and 83 fine structures were designated on the images. With two brains, 27 dissected specimens were acquired and inputted into the computer. One-hundred two fine structures were designated on the images. Based on these images, a computer program for understanding brain morphology and MRI was made. The computer program, which was made in this study, visualized the corresponding sectioned specimens, MRI, and segmented images after sectioning a brain horizontally or at any angles. In addition, the computer program visualized the images of dissected brain. This computer program is helpful to understand brain morphology and MRI. This computer program is expected to be used through CD-title or Internet as an educational tool for medical students and doctors.