Seeking tools for image fusion between computed tomography, structural and functional magnetic resonance methods for applications in neurosurgery

objective: to evaluate tools for the fusion of images generated by tomography and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. methods: magnetic resonance and functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed while a volunteer who had previously undergone cranial tomography performed motor and somatosensory tasks in a 3-tesla scanner. image data were analyzed with different programs, and the results were compared. results: we constructed a flow chart of computational processes that allowed measurement of the spatial congruence between the methods. there was no single computational tool that contained the entire set of functions necessary to achieve the goal. conclusion: the fusion of the images from the three methods proved to be feasible with the use of four free-access software programs (osirix, register, mricro and fsl). our results may serve as a basis for building software that will be useful as a virtual tool prior to neurosurgery.