Hi Bruce, True, I am trying to use Freesurfer skullstripping as a first step to create an input for Brain extraction tool of FSL so as to get in general acceptable extracted brains without changing BET options a lot for different brain.
So, what I am doing is as following:
I Deoblique anatomical image in AFNI. Then Bring it to FSL friendly orientation (RPI). Then, change the NIFTI format to mgz using mri_convert and then apply mdi_watershed using the command :
mri_watershed -atlas mprage_RPI.mgz mprage_skullstrip.mgz
Here is the output of my anatomical scans preprocessing (including the watershed section)
!!!! PREPROCESSING ANATOMICAL SCAN!!!!
--------------------------------------
deobliquing sub01 anatomical
++ 3drefit: AFNI version=AFNI_2011_12_21_1014 (Apr 12 2012) [64-bit]
++ Authored by: RW Cox
++ Processing AFNI dataset mprage.nii.gz
+ loading and re-writing dataset mprage.nii.gz (./mprage.nii.gz+orig.HEAD in NIFTI storage)
++ 3drefit processed 1 datasets
Reorienting sub01 anatomical
skull stripping sub01 anatomical
mri_convert --in_type nii --out_type mgz --input_volume mprage_RPI.nii --output_volume mprage_cut.mgz
$Id: mri_convert.c,v 1.179.2.7 2012/09/05 21:55:16 mreuter Exp $
reading from mprage_RPI.nii...
TR=0.00, TE=0.00, TI=0.00, flip angle=0.00
i_ras = (-1, -0, 0)
j_ras = (-0, 1, 0)
k_ras = (-0, -0, 1)
writing to mprage_cut.mgz...
Mode: Atlas analysis
*********************************************************
The input file is mprage_cut.mgz
The output file is mprage_skullstrip.mgz
conforming input...
MRIchangeType: Building histogram
*************************WATERSHED**************************
Sorting...
first estimation of the COG coord: x=124 y=128 z=125 r=76
first estimation of the main basin volume: 1892714 voxels
mri_watershed Error:
w=White Matter =Intensity too high (>240)...valid input ?
mri_convert -i mprage_skullstrip.mgz -o mprage_orient.nii.gz
$Id: mri_convert.c,v 1.179.2.7 2012/09/05 21:55:16 mreuter Exp $
reading from mprage_skullstrip.mgz...
mghRead(/scr/somalia3/HEP_C_total_II/restingstate_analysis/fconscript_preprocessings/HCV_subjects_2mm_Template/sub01/anat/mprage_skullstrip.mgz, -1): could not open file
Error: input image mprage_orient not valid
Thanks,
Shahrzad