UltraCortex: Submillimeter Ultra-High Field 9.4T Brain MR Image Collection and Manual Cortical Segmentations

# UltraCortex: Submillimeter Ultra-High Field 9.4 T1 Brain MR Image Collection and Manual Cortical Segmentations

## Overview

Welcome to the UltraCortex repository, which hosts a unique collection of ultra-high field (9.4 Tesla) MRI data of the human brain. This dataset includes detailed structural images and high-quality manual segmentations, making it an invaluable resource for researchers in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience.

## Dataset Contents

- **Structural MR Images:** 86 T1-weighted images with resolutions of 0.6 to 0.8 mm.
- **Manual Segmentations:** Precise segmentations of 12 brains into gray and white matter compartments.
- **Validation:** Segmentations independently validated by two expert neuroradiologists.

## Purpose

The UltraCortex dataset aims to:

- Facilitate the development and validation of new algorithms for analyzing ultra-high field MRI data.
- Serve as a benchmark for existing neuroimaging methods.
- Provide a rich resource for educational purposes and detailed studies of brain anatomy.

## Data Acquisition

- **Scanner:** 9.4 T whole-body MRI scanner (Siemens Healthineers).
- **Sequences:** MP-RAGE and MP2RAGE sequences.
- **Participants:** 78 healthy adult volunteers (28 females, 50 males; age range: 20-53 years).

## Data Processing

- **Formats:** Data is provided in NIfTI format.
- **Anonymization:** Images have been anonymized and stripped of all revealing metadata.
- **Segmentation:** Manual segmentations were created using ITK-Snap and validated by expert neuroradiologists.

## Usage Notes

- **Data License:** The dataset has been marked as dedicated to the public domain.
- **Formats:** Data is provided in NIfTI and plain text formats for compatibility with various analysis tools.
- **Open-Source Software:** Data processing was performed using open-source software to enhance reproducibility.

## Accessing the Data

The dataset is publicly available on the OpenNeuro repository:

- **Repository Link:** [OpenNeuro UltraCortex]()

## Citation

If you use this dataset, please cite:

```TeX
Mahler, L., Steiglechner, J. et al. (2024). UltraCortex: Submillimeter Ultra-High Field 9.4 T1 Brain MR Image Collection and Manual Cortical Segmentations
```

## Contact

For any questions or further information, please contact the corresponding authors:

- Lucas Mahler: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])
- Julius Steiglechner: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Thank you for using the UltraCortex dataset. We hope it facilitates your research and contributes to advancements in neuroimaging.