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What is NeuroSlice?
BRAINYak has spent considerable time and effort to create their product, the NeuroSlice brain model. NeuroSlice is a series of brain images overlayed with useful information intended for use in learning environments, research institutes and patient education. NeuroSlice is a series of 8 T1 weighted and 7 DTI real size axial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) slices of the brain, embedded in acrylic and set into an attractive wooden stand. NeuroSlice has a total of 8 acrylic slices and the images and information contained in those slices can be customized to suit your needs. NeuroSlice is now available for purchase for $320AU.
NeuroSlice is a durable product and is intended for use by more than one person at a time, a limitation of book and computer based learning. NeuroSlice was also made with human use in mind so the images are both colourful and at the same time precise and detailed. This means it can be used regardless of experience in brain anatomy, but is still useful to those who are more experienced. NeuroSlice is not intended to replace more complex atlases but to fill the gap between these sometimes overwhelming neuroanatomy texts and overly simplified 3D brain models or posters that you can place on your desk or pin to the wall. NeuroSlice is a useful quick reference tool for your desk that is both easy to use and rich in detail.TOP
What kind of MR Images have been used?
The heart of the NeuroSlice brain model is in its two 3D MRI images which have been processed using cutting edge research software to provide you with images that are both high resolution and signal-to-noise, and relevant for comparisons with other normal brains. Several images were created for use in NeuroSlice and any combination of these are available for making your customized model.
T1 Imgages
These images were acquired using a Siemens 3 Tesla Trio 'Total Image Matrix' MRI system, one of only several in the world and only six months old. Both images are of a healthy brain belonging to a 27 year old right-handed male with above-average IQ. The first image used to look at the cerebral cortex and subcortical grey matter structures is a T1 weighted high-resolution structural brain scan. In order to make NeuroSlice a superior product to average MRI scans we have actually made an average image of 11 independent scans. This gives NeuroSlice far superior signal-to-noise characteristics over normal clinical or even research grade MRI scans. This means that your can be confident that contrast in the image is due to real anatomy and not scanner noise. The resolution of the final images are 0.5 x 0.5 mm which means that there is no obvious pixilation in the images.
Using this image we have also reconstructed the cortical surface and produced images of the left cerebral hemisphere which is useful for viewing gyral and sulcal patterns.
DTI Image
DTI measures the diffusion of water molecules within body tissue. This method of imaging can reveal the anatomy of white matter in the brain and brainstem. The DTI image used in NeuroSlice is an average of six 60 direction diffusion weighted acquisitions so it is of superior signal-to-noise to normal diffusion imaging. Using these images we have calculated the diffusion tensor and created a beautiful colour map which gives the direction of the white matter fibers. This type of imaging is perfect for looking at brainstem structures and we can provide slices rostrally from the pons.TOP
How have the images been labeled?
In creating NeuroSlice we have customized two labeling schemes to fit exactly with our brain. The T1 image is overlaid with the Anatomical Automatic Labeling (AAL) scheme created by Neurofunctional Imaging Group (GIN, UMR6095, CYCERON, Caen, France). We have taken this scheme and customized it to fit our brain image perfectly. The AAL system is the current method of choice for neuroimaging researchers when reporting areas of the brain. It is based on gyral and sulcal patterns so it is also an excellent labeling scheme for use in learning neuro-anatomy. The T1 image has been warped to standard space (MNI152, Montreal Neurological Institute, Canada) using the SPM2 (Wellcome Institute of Neuroimaging, University College, London) software and overlaid with a grid coordinate system for easy reference.
The DTI images have white matter structures labeled based on the white matter atlas (Mori, S et al. MRI Atlas of Human White Matter. 2005) and brain stem structures are based on histological image labels by Nolte (The Human Brain: An Introduction to Its Functional Anatomy. 2002).
The information contained in NeuroSlice is original and the result of many hours of meticulous labeling by professional researchers and based on published reference texts and research. You can have confidence that the labels used in the NeuroSlice model are current, meaningful and accurate. Of course if you do not require this level of detail in your model, you can customize your model to be simpler.TOP
What does the final product look like?
The NeuroSlice Model has been designed with aesthetics in mind. The images are embedded in clear acrylic and set into a solid hard wood base made from rescued Australian native timbers such as jarrah and Tasmanian ash. In order to make the slices easy to grasp and examine, slices are inserted into the timber base. This makes NeuroSlice an excellent tool for group learning activities or discussion and illustration of brain anatomy.TOP
Can I Have Something Different?
We believe an essential part of any high quality teaching or learning instrument is that it satisfies the needs of the users, teachers and learners. Therefore we provide at no extra cost, the ability for you to customize your own model. Here are some examples of customizations that customers have asked for:
- Can you please make the labels simpler so I can explain to my patients using simple English which parts of the brain their seizures are originating in?
- Can you make more detailed images of the brain stem as this is important for my neuro-anatomy students who struggle with remembering these structures?
- Can I only have the images which show the cortical labels as I am not really interested in the white matter?
- Can you remove the labels and just keep the colours so my students can fill in the labels themselves from the legend as a learning exercise?
- Can I also have the original MRI images so I can look at them on a computer and see the areas that are not contained in the slices you have chosen?
Please feel free to speak to your sales consultant about customizations that will help us make a NeuroSlice model that fits your needs.TOP
