Visualizing human brain surface from T1-weighted MR images using texture-mapped triangle meshes

We describe a novel method for visualizing brain surface from anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRIs). The method utilizes standard 2D texture mapping capabilities of OpenGL graphics language. It combines the benefits of volume rendering and triangle-mesh rendering, allowing fast and realistic-looking brain surface visualizations. Consequently, relatively low-resolution triangle meshes can be used while the texture images provide the necessary details. The mapping is optimized to provide good texture-image resolution for the triangles with respect to their original sizes in the 3D MRI volume. The actual 2D texture images are generated by depth integration from the original MRI data. Our method adapts to anisotropic voxel sizes without any need to interpolate the volume data into cubic voxels, and it is very well suited for visualizing brain anatomy from standard T1-weighted MR images. Furthermore, other OpenGL objects and techniques can be easily combined, for example, to use cut planes, to show other surfaces and objects, and to visualize functional data in addition to the anatomical information.