title: Lost in localization: the need for a universal coordinate database.
abstract: One of the great advantages of neuroimaging research is the use of an established and uniform coordinate system. This 3-D coordinate system allows for the comparison of activation locations across studies. In order to capitalize upon this advantage, however, researchers must be able to find relevant studies based upon activation locations. A number of research groups have embarked upon solutions to this problem, but to date there exists no exhaustive, universal coordinate database. In this commentary we outline the nature of the problem, its current solutions, and propose alternate solutions. We close with suggestions on how those in the field can facilitate the process of developing a universal coordinate database.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Koeln, Germany. jan.derrfuss@nf.mpg.de
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Derrfuss
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mar
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D035843:Biomedical Research; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D019992:Databases as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval