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Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources Clearinghouse

Many neuroimaging tools and databases are under-utilized because they are not easy to find, are not user-friendly, or are not compatible with end-user systems.  NITRC serves as a hub for finding a variety of neuroimaging tools, and an online community for getting technical information and assistance.
NITRC users can quickly search for, evaluate and download software tools used to support different imaging methods, including:
  • Functional MRI and structural MRI
  • Computerized tomography (CT)
  • Positron emission tomography/single-photon emission computed tomography (PET/SPECT)
  • Electroencephalography/magnetoencephalography (EEG/MEG)
  • Optical imaging

The NITRC interface allows users to compare different tools side by side, and identify which ones best meet their needs.  Users are also encouraged to upload new tools, and to rate tools regarding ease of use, functionality, quality of documentation and support, and overall satisfaction. 

In NITRC's community forums, researchers can seek expert advice, and discuss trends and challenges in neuroimaging informatics.  NITRC also serves as a home for test datasets and image databases.  For example, NITRC is the public repository for data from the 1000 Functional Connectomes Project.  In this international project, researchers have explored the functional connections of the brain at rest, by using resting-state fMRI to collect data from 1400+ individuals at 35 laboratories.

Since its launch in 2007, NITRC has become host to more than 450 tools and resources, more than half of which had not been previously shared online.

One of the resources available through NITRC is the Diffusion Toolkit with TrackVis, a cross-platform software package that does reconstruction, fiber tracking, visualization and analysis on various diffusion imaging data. Screenshot courtesy of Dr. Ruopeng Wang, Massachusetts General Hospital.