Videodisc animation of 3D computer reconstructions of the human brain

Our group is creating a database of x-, y-, z- coordinates of central nervous system structures from serial cross-sections. We produce 3D computer images of the brain and its components and record them on videodisc. Useful animations include combining objects from different databases to correct anatomical scale, rendering a surface translucent to reveal underlying components, slicing and paging brain slabs with and without protruding individual objects, and dissecting functional pathways. We are beginning to use videodisc animations of the nervous system in computer-based interactive tutorials.