[MINC-users] best_nonlin_reg.pl ?

[Claude LEPAGE]

Hi Lisa,

The "best" scripts are part of the CIVET image-processing 
pipeline for cortical surfaces (Brain-Imaging Center, Alan
Evans). They are not part of the mni-autoreg package for
volume registration, but they could be added to the package
eventually. They are a simplification of the registration
script mritotal. Unlike mritotal which incorporates linear
and non-linear registration in the same script, there are
two separate best scripts for linear and non-linear 
registration. These scripts are easier to use (in my
opinion). Finally, there is another script called nlpfit
which also accomplishes non-linear fitting. 

Are these scripts the best? They seem to be quite robust
and accurate. If you are familiar with minctracc, the best
non-linear registration scripts will use smallest steps of
4mm whereas the nlpfit script will use smallest steps of
2mm. The best linear registration script provides an option
to apply a brain mask, which I feel adds to the robustness
of the algorithm (provided you have a tool to extract brain
masks). 

Perhaps you can tell us your intended usage of the minc
registration tools so that we can provide more focussed 
guidance.

Claude


> Hello,
>
> I read on the BIC website that "best_nonlin_reg.pl" is the most commonly
> used nonlinear registration tool.
> Is this a tool that is widely available? I do not see it with the version of
> MINC I have.
>
> Lisa