A new stereotaxic multiarchitectonic atlas of the human thalamus in a 3D MRI navigation system

In the context of MRI-guided stereotaxy a new stereotaxic atlas of the human thalamus was developed in order to improve anatomical definition and precision in the prediction of the exact location of thalamic targets. It is based on multiarchitectonic parcellation (Nissl, myelin, calcium-binding proteins). Sagittal atlas data were digitized and registered together with 3D MRI data sets. In a coarse to fine strategy the atlas-to-patient transformation matrix is refined. Thus the atlas is tailored to the individual anatomy of the patient. The effects of the rigid transformation are directly monitored on the computer screen using visible anatomical landmarks as control.