CAT: a computational anatomy toolbox for the analysis of structural MRI data

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Computational Anatomy

Background:

• The neuroscience community has developed sophisticated brain image analysis tools, significantly advancing human brain mapping.
• A need exists for integrated, user-friendly, and comprehensive toolkits for morphometric analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT).
• To provide a citable standard for brain morphometric analyses in the neuroscience community.
• To evaluate the capabilities and workflow of the CAT for diverse user levels.

Main Methods:

• The Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT) provides a suite of tools for brain morphometric analyses.
• It features an intuitive graphical user interface and shell script usability.
• Analysis options include voxel-based, surface-based, and region-based morphometrics, with integrated preprocessing, statistical analysis, and visualization.

Main Results:

• CAT supports a comprehensive range of morphometric analyses, from preprocessing to results visualization.
• The toolbox is suitable for beginners, casual users, experts, and developers.
• Multiple quality control options are incorporated throughout the analysis workflow.

Conclusions:

• CAT is a powerful and versatile toolkit for brain morphometric analyses.
• It streamlines the entire analysis workflow, enhancing usability and reproducibility.
• The toolbox serves as a valuable resource for the neuroscience community in human brain mapping.