title: An automated and simple method for brain MR image extraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The extraction of brain tissue from magnetic resonance head images, is an important image processing step for the analyses of neuroimage data. The authors have developed an automated and simple brain extraction method using an improved geometric active contour model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The method uses an improved geometric active contour model which can not only solve the boundary leakage problem but also is less sensitive to intensity inhomogeneity. The method defines the initial function as a binary level set function to improve computational efficiency. The method is applied to both our data and Internet brain MR data provided by the Internet Brain Segmentation Repository.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained from our method are compared with manual segmentation results using multiple indices. In addition, the method is compared to two popular methods, Brain extraction tool and Model-based Level Set.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed method can provide automated and accurate brain extraction result with high efficiency.
authors.affiliation: College of Biomedical engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiafeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Haiyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*