The Whole Brain Atlas

The Whole Brain Atlas is an online resource for central nervous system imaging developed by Keith Johnson and Alex Becker that consists of six main sections: (1) a neuroimaging primer for those with limited knowledge of the imaging vocabulary; (2) a normal anatomy atlas; (3) cerebrovascular disease; (4) neoplastic disease; (5) degenerative disease; and (6) inflammatory disease. Some of the features of these sections are as followings: a)The Normal Anatomy atlas contains a navigable brain volume; b) Brain structure labels can be toggled for studying or quizzing; c) Brain volumes of normal aging and movies of cerebrovascular structure are available; d) multiple imaging modalities are available for comparison between structure and metabolic activity, and over time; and e) All clinical cases, including meningioma, Alzheimer disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome dementia, and encephalopathy are presented with a brief history and explanation.

Apart from these, a specific strength of the site is that the multiple modalities are captured on the same individual. Continuity across imaging modalities helps for a more rich and intuitive exploration of the brain. While the site may be of some help to clinicians or researchers as a reference, it seems most useful for didactic use. Altogether, the Whole Brain Atlas is a valuable and easy-to-use online learning resource for rehabilitation instructors, students, and professionals.

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