For imaging the neural structures involved in spatial orientation, we have used structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique. This method was carried out in cooperation with the Computer Diagnostic Centre, Pécs.

Sixteen young, healthy female university students (age mean=21, SD=3 yrs) were scanned in a Magneton Impact Siemens type machine with 1,0 Tesla. 60 pieces of continous, coronal 1 millimeter thick slices were acquired. The aquisition method was done with FDSP 3D sequences, with 30 ms relaxation and 10 ms echo timing. The raw image resolution was 1,05*1,05 pixels.

For volumetric analysis of the related neural areas - hippocampus, amygdala, corpus callosum - an offline slice-by-slice measurement was done by two independent, expert neurologists on the basis of anatomical atlases. When the slices were measured manually one by one, than with an integration method, absolute volumetric data could be obtained. The absolute data were than adjusted with the hemispheric voulmes.
In addition, a 3D image of the selected area was created by a computer program called Mass 40 and Mass 41 (by Medical Imaging System).

You can also examine on the picture above, the three - anatomically and histologically - distinctive areas of the hippocampus. These are respectively: head, body and tail.

For full details of the measurement, see

Horváth Krisztina, Kövér Ferenc, Kovács Norbert, Kállai János, Nagy Ferenc (2002) A hippocampus és amygdala MRI volumetriás vizsgálata egészséges személyekben. Orvosi hetilap. 143, 37. 2145-2151. (in Hungarian)