MEBRAINS: a new population-based monkey template (v2.0)

An important limitation of existing anatomical templates for the macaque brain is their reliance on one subject and/or on unimodality (usually T1 images). The MEBRAINS template overcomes this limitation. It is constructed using the multi-brain toolbox for SPM12 and represents a population average of T1- and T2-weighted MRI scans from 10 macaque brains. In addition, 9 CT scans of the same monkeys (one missing) are registered to the T1 modality and co-registered to the population average. Through its main features (multi-subject based, multi-modal, volume-and-surface), MEBRAINS represents an essential step towards the integration of multi-level macaque data, fulfilling a similar role as the EBRAINS multilevel Human Brain Atlas.