Various clinical imaging methods are being used to study the brain in vivo. These techniques enable comparisons of gross antomy (CAT - Computed Axial Tomography; MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the brain with electrical activity (EEG - electroencephalography, ERPs - Event-Related Potentials) and rate of glucose utilization in specific regions (PET - Positron Emission Tomography). From a clinical perspective, these techniques, in association with other diagnostic tests, enable qualitative judgments to be made as to the anatomic and physiologic integrity of the brain. In order to quantitatively analyze image data, the imaging techniques themselves are being investigated, as well as the effects of the associated mathematical models and subjective inputs on the reconstruction of the brain image. Moreover, mathematical and statistical methods for evaluating and relating these various sources of multivariate data are being developed.
