Application of T1 and T2 Maps for Stereotactic Deep-Brain Neurosurgery Planning

This work presents the application of a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique in stereotactic deep-brain neurosurgery planning procedures. The high spatial resolution T₁ and T₂ maps acquired using this imaging method have been normalized to the standard CJH-27 brain coordinate system and integrated into a neurosurgical visualization and navigation system to improve the accuracy of surgical target localization. The T₁ and T₂ maps, along with the standardized anatomical and functional information within this system, can be navigated, non-rigidly registered, and arbitrarily processed. Once applied to individual patients, these maps facilitate the delineation of surgical targets. Our preliminary studies compared the centroids of segmented deep-brain nuclei based on the T₁ and T₂ maps with those according to Schaltenbrand and Wahren atlas, and with the actual surgical targets of 15 patients who had undergone thalamotomy, pallidotomy, and subthalamic nucleus deep-brain stimulation. The average displacement was 3.21mmplusmn0.80mm, indicating the potential capability of this system to accurately initiate target identifications