February 1, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 3)

URL:
http://bit.ly/1eaB38R

Rating:
Strong Points: Highlighting feature, quiz feature
Weak Points: Limited number of identified structures and descriptions

Platform:
iPad/iPhone

Cost:
Free

Summary:

When learning neuroanatomy or neuroimaging with MRI, it is often helpful to turn away from textbook animations and look at an actual human brain. (Well, you know, images of an actual human brain…) The iSurf BrainView app provides users with access to 3D MRI image stacks through the human brain, from three different perspectives (top-to-bottom, front-to-back, and side-to-side). Using the scroll bar, users can navigate through the stacks, although there is a slight lag when proceeding through the images. The app utilizes the FreeSurfer software program to generate automatic segmentation of the MRI images into different brain regions, which can be highlighted in different colors. Thus, this app can be used as a study tool to learn basic neuroanatomy—the app even includes a quiz feature in which users are asked to identify the highlighted brain region.

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