3D-VIEWER: An atlas-based system for individual and statistical investigations of the human brain

3D-VIEWER is a new software tool for neurosurgical planning and population studies. It is based on digitized three-dimensional brain atlases derived f rom standard stereotactic atlases that can be adapted to an individual's br ain and shown as a series of displayed images. If the patient's brain has b een imaged in different modalities, the standardized anatomical information can be adapted to the individual images, which will bring the images into registration. The 3D-VIEWER can be used as a tool for combining multimodal information from the same patient. In addition, several tools are available that allow oblique views of anatomical structures or the view along the in tended trajectory during a neurosurgical intervention. Furthermore, using t he atlas transformation matrices, anatomical information can be determined when comparing an individual's brain to the anatomy of the atlas brain. Thu s, standardized anatomical information from the atlas Gan be introduced int o individual images. This standardization is used to perform individual-gro up and group-by-group comparisons between patients and normal controls in a natomical studies.