An in-plane, mirror-symmetric visualization tool for deep brain stimulation electrodes.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Medical Imaging
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a crucial treatment for various neurologic conditions.
• Accurate localization of DBS leads and microelectrode recording tracks is vital for surgical precision and research.
• Current clinical software lacks the capability for in-plane image reslicing with DBS leads while maintaining symmetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an open-source software tool for enhanced visualization of DBS lead placement.
• To enable accurate anatomic segmentation using co-registered CT and MRI scans.
• To address limitations in current clinical navigation software for DBS imaging analysis.

Main Methods:

• Developed a software tool using Matlab with a graphical user interface.
• Implemented functionality for visualizing deep brain stimulation lead placement.
• Integrated capabilities for co-registering and segmenting CT and MRI scans.

Main Results:

• Successfully created an open-source Matlab tool for DBS lead visualization.
• The software facilitates in-plane image reslicing with DBS leads and symmetry maintenance.
• The tool supports accurate anatomic segmentation for stereotactic surgery and research.

Conclusions:

• The developed open-source software provides a novel solution for visualizing DBS lead placement.
• This tool enhances the accuracy of stereotactic surgery and neurophysiology research.
• The software is freely available for use and further development.