New trends in computer graphics and computer vision to assist functional neurosurgery

Computer vision (CV), a computerized method to analyze digital images (e.g., CT scans), and computer graphics (CG), a set of computer programs for displaying two, three- or four-dimensional data, are recent computer techniques which are appropriate to assist functional stereotactic surgery. CV and CG are useful for the evaluation of spatial relations between anatomical structures and the sites of spontaneous neuronal noise or of electrophysiological stimulation data gathered during stereotactic interventions for movement disorders. CV and CG can be employed for stereotactic operation planning, during the operation for target point evaluation and for further postoperative data analysis.