NOWinBRAIN 3D neuroimage repository: Exploring the human brain via systematic and stereotactic dissections

Abstract

Purpose

Cadaveric and electronic dissections are well-established procedures to examine the brain. They are typically variable, content-specific, and not determined in any stereotactic space. We propose a novel approach to use systematically designed stereotactic multi-sequences of neuroimages of the dissected brain with non-dissected 3D structures/systems of interest. Our purpose is three-fold to propose a method for systematic brain dissecting, create a gallery of systematically dissected brain images located in a stereotactic space, and integrate this gallery with the NOWinBRAIN 3D neuroimage repository for public use.

Basic procedures

Systematic brain sectioning consists in the generation of a sequence of dissected image sequences and providing an image naming syntax. Brain dissections are defined by four parameters, dissection direction, dissection location, view of presentation, and appearance (parcellation and labeling).

Main findings

The created dissection gallery contains brain dissections with non-dissected cerebral ventricles, deep gray nuclei, white matter tracts, intracranial arteries, deep cerebral veins, and cranial nerve nuclei. It has 1,942 images organized in 6 albums and 32 sub-albums.

Principal conclusion

Systematic and stereotactic virtual brain dissections cum labeling facilitates exploration of location, course, continuity, extent, and cerebral context of structures and systems which are otherwise fully or partly obscured by the parenchyma. Because of its advantages, user simplicity, and free availability, the dissection gallery with NOWinBRAIN of overall 7,761 images is vital in medicine and beyond for medical students, residents, educators, medical professionals, neuroscientists, medical illustrators, patients, and brain enthusiasts for brain studying, teaching, testing, exploring, referencing, and communicating. This is the first work introducing stereotaxy to brain sectioning.