title: A method of correlating and merging cerebral morphology and function by a special head holder.
abstract: A method is introduced which records and correlates topographically identical morphological and functional image data by means of a special head holder system which is adaptable to different modalities (MRI, PET, SPECT). It is based on a commercially available thermoplastic headmask. A thermoplastic form is used to mold an individual headmask (time required: 7 min) for all modalities providing a fixation of the patient during acquisition. This method guarantees an exact repositioning and therefore the same slice orientation of the images. The in-plane correlation is performed by adapting standard offset parameters determined with a homogeneous head phantom. By fusion (merging) of the brain outline contours or images themselves the accuracy was tested in MRI vs. PET resp. SPECT (transaxial accuracy: < or = 2.0 mm, axial: < or = 3.0 mm in patients with MRI-slice thickness of 6.0 mm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, FRG.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sabri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wagenknecht
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lege
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Büll
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose