BrainWeb: Simulated Brain Database
As the interest in the computer-aided, quantitative analysis of
medical image data is growing, the need for the validation of such
techniques is also increasing. Unfortunately, there exists no `ground
truth' or gold standard for the analysis of in vivo acquired
data. These pages provide a solution to the validation problem, in the
form of a Simulated Brain Database (SBD). The SBD contains a set of
realistic MRI data volumes produced by an
MRI simulator.
These data
can be used by the neuroimaging community to evaluate the performance
of various image analysis methods in a setting where the truth is known.
Currently, the SBD contains simulated brain MRI data based on two
anatomical models:
normal
and
multiple sclerosis (MS).
For both of
these, full 3-dimensional data volumes have been simulated using three
sequences (T1-, T2-, and proton-density- (PD-) weighted) and a variety
of slice thicknesses, noise levels, and levels of intensity
non-uniformity. These data are available for viewing in three
orthogonal views (transversal, sagittal, and coronal), and for
downloading. Further details about the creation of the SBD are
available.
NEW: Twenty normal anatomical models are now available.
Note: the SBD is still considered
"under development", both in terms of the
anatomical model and the simulation itself. What you get today may not
be the same as what you get tomorrow!
Custom MRI Simulations
This feature allows you to run your own custom MRI simulation (on
our server) with any of several pulse sequences and source digital
phantoms, and arbitrary values of the acquisition artifacts.
Questions?
Take a look at the FAQ.
We would appreciate it if the following references would be included
in any published work that uses this resource:
- http://www.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/brainweb/
- C.A. Cocosco, V. Kollokian, R.K.-S. Kwan, A.C. Evans :
"BrainWeb: Online Interface to a 3D MRI Simulated Brain Database"
NeuroImage, vol.5, no.4, part 2/4, S425, 1997 -- Proceedings of 3-rd International Conference on Functional Mapping of the Human Brain, Copenhagen, May 1997.
- R.K.-S. Kwan, A.C. Evans, G.B. Pike :
"MRI simulation-based evaluation of image-processing and classification
methods"
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. 18(11):1085-97, Nov 1999.
- R.K.-S. Kwan, A.C. Evans, G.B. Pike :
"An Extensible MRI Simulator for Post-Processing Evaluation"
Visualization in Biomedical Computing (VBC'96). Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 1131. Springer-Verlag, 1996. 135-140.
- D.L. Collins, A.P. Zijdenbos, V. Kollokian, J.G. Sled, N.J. Kabani, C.J. Holmes, A.C. Evans :
"Design and Construction of a Realistic Digital Brain Phantom"
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, vol.17, No.3, p.463--468, June 1998.
- paper available in [html].