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Stereotactic PET atlas of the human brain: aid for visual interpretation of functional brain images
S Minoshima1, R A Koeppe, K A Frey
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Unlabelled:
In the routine analysis of functional brain images obtained by PET, subjective visual interpretation is often used for anatomic localization. To enhance the accuracy and consistency of the anatomic interpretation, a PET stereotactic atlas and localization approach was designed for functional brain images.
Methods:
The PET atlas was constructed from a high-resolution [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) image set of a normal volunteer (a 41-yr-old woman). The image set was reoriented stereotactically, according to the intercommissural (anterior and posterior commissures) line and transformed to the standard stereotactic atlas coordinates. Cerebral structures were annotated on the transaxial planes by using a proportional grid system and surface-rendered images. The stereotactic localization technique was applied to image sets from patients with Alzheimer's disease, and areas of functional alteration were localized visually by referring to the PET atlas.
Results:
Major brain structures were identified on both transaxial planes and surface-rendered images. In the stereotactic system, anatomic correspondence between the PET atlas and stereotactically reoriented individual image sets of patients with Alzheimer's disease facilitated both indirect and direct localization of the cerebral structures.
Conclusion:
Because rapid stereotactic alignment methods for PET images are now available for routine use, the PET atlas will serve as an aid for visual interpretation of functional brain images in the stereotactic system. Widespread application of stereotactic localization may be used in functional brain images, not only in the research setting, but also in routine clinical situations.