Abstract
We introduce NeuroCave, a novel immersive visualization system that facilitates the visual inspection of structural and functional connectome datasets. The representation of the human connectome as a graph enables neuroscientists to apply network-theoretic approaches in order to explore its complex characteristics. With NeuroCave, brain researchers can interact with the connectome—either in a standard desktop environment or while wearing portable virtual reality headsets (such as Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear, or Google Daydream VR platforms)—in any coordinate system or topological space, as well as cluster brain regions into different modules on-demand. Furthermore, a default side-by-side layout enables simultaneous, synchronized manipulation in 3D, utilizing modern GPU hardware architecture, and facilitates comparison tasks across different subjects or diagnostic groups or longitudinally within the same subject. Visual clutter is mitigated using a state-of-the-art edge bundling technique and through an interactive layout strategy, while modular structure is optimally positioned in 3D exploiting mathematical properties of platonic solids. NeuroCave provides new functionality to support a range of analysis tasks not available in other visualization software platforms.
Highlights
Modern, noninvasive neuroimaging techniques provide a means with which to understand structural and functional brain networks, or connectomes (Sporns, Tononi, & Kötter, 2005)
We introduce NeuroCave, a novel immersive visualization system that facilitates the visual inspection of structural and functional connectome datasets
Through using the various features in combination in order to interact with connectome datasets, NeuroCave supports a range of analysis tasks, including identifying relevant brain regions, comparing variations between individual and average connectomes, investigating relationships between structural and functional connectomes, and analyzing group changes in connectomes, among others
Summary
Noninvasive neuroimaging techniques provide a means with which to understand structural and functional brain networks, or connectomes (Sporns, Tononi, & Kötter, 2005). Diffusion MRI–derived white matter interconnectivity between different brain regions yields the structural connectome, and BOLD signal correlations generate the functional connectome. NeuroCave: Immersive visualization platform regions as nodes. Such models enable neuroscientists to apply network-theoretic methods and metrics, revealing important properties of the brain, such as small-worldness (Achard, Salvador, Whitcher, Suckling, & Bullmore, 2006; Salvador et al, 2005), clustering and modularity (Meunier, Lambiotte, & Bullmore, 2010), and rich-club configuration (Van Den Heuvel & Sporns, 2011), and embeddedness (Ye, Zhan, et al, 2015) among others. NeuroCave facilitates a range of explorations, it was initially developed to support clinical neuroscience investigations, primarily related the following analysis tasks: T1 Identify regions responsible for specific cognitive functions and study their interactions with other regions
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