Osen K.K., Imad J., Wennberg A.E., Papp E.A., Leergaard T.B. (2019) Waxholm Space atlas of the rat brain auditory system: Three-dimensional delineations based on structural and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging. NeuroImage 199, 38-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.016
Papp E.A., Leergaard T.B., Calabrese E., Johnson G.A., Bjaalie J.G. (2014) Waxholm Space atlas of the Sprague Dawley rat brain. NeuroImage 97, 374-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.04.001
Volumetric brain atlases are increasingly used to integrate and analyse diverse experimental neuroscience data acquired from animal models, but until recently a publicly available digital atlas with complete coverage of the rat brain has been missing. Here we present the new Waxholm Space rat brain atlas, a comprehensive open-access volumetric atlas resource.
The mammalian auditory system comprises a complex network of brain regions. Interpretations and comparisons of experimental results from this system depend on appropriate anatomical identification of auditory structures.
Atlases of the rat brain are widely used as reference for orientation, planning of experiments, and as tools for assigning location to experimental data. Improved quality and use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other tomographical imaging techniques in rats have allowed the development of new three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric brain atlas templates.
The main focus of our original article was to describe the anatomical delineations constituting the first version of the WHS Sprague Dawley atlas, apply the Waxholm Space coordinate system, and publish the associated MRI/DTI template and segmentation volume in their original format. To increase usability of the dataset, we have recently shared an updated version of the volumetric image material (v1.01). The aims of this addendum are to inform about the improvements in the updated dataset, in particular related to navigation in the WHS coordinate system, and provide guidance for transforming coordinates acquired in the first version of the atlas.
Three-dimensional digital brain atlases represent an important new generation of neuroinformatics tools for understanding complex brain anatomy, assigning location to experimental data, and planning of experiments. We have acquired a microscopic resolution isotropic MRI and DTI atlasing template for the Sprague Dawley rat brain with 39 μm isotropic voxels for the MRI volume and 78 μm isotropic voxels for the DTI.
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