# A Web-Based Atlas Combining MRI and Histology of the Squirrel Monkey Brain

Kurt G. Schilling, Yurui Gao, Matthew Christian, Vaibhav Janve, Iwona Stepniewska, Bennett A. Landman, Adam W. Anderson

Neuroinformatics · 2019 · Article

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12021-018-9391-z

## Summary

CHIASM combines structural MRI, diffusion MRI, histological stains, and motor-cortex tracing in a common squirrel monkey reference space. The integrated atlas lets researchers compare tissue appearance across modalities and use labeled cortical regions and white matter pathways for anatomical localization.

## Study overview

The Combined Histology-MRI Integrated Atlas of the Squirrel Monkey aligns in vivo and ex vivo MRI acquired at 9.4 T with Nissl and myelin histology. A tracer injection in primary motor cortex adds a specific anatomical connectivity reference. The atlas includes diffusion tensor glyphs, 57 tractography-defined white matter labels, and 18 cortical regions identified from cytoarchitecture, accessible through a multimodal web viewer. Bringing these contrasts into one coordinate system supports anatomical interpretation and validation across imaging methods. The reference remains tied to its specimen, registration accuracy, and motor-cortex injection; its tractography labels and histological measurements provide complementary rather than interchangeable evidence.

## Findings / topics

- The atlas combines MRI, Nissl staining, myelin staining, and primary motor-cortex tracer information in one space.
- It includes 57 tractography-defined white matter pathways and 18 histologically defined cortical regions.
- A web-based viewer supports comparisons between user-selected contrasts and resolutions.

## Resources

- [Original work](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12021-018-9391-z)
- [Open full text](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6330248/)

Lab page: https://www.microstructure-connectivity-lab.com/publications/chiasm-squirrel-monkey-atlas/

This is a research summary, not the full article.