Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This text describes FreeSurfer, an open-source suite of tools for neuroimaging data analysis. It provides algorithms to quantify functional, connectional, and structural brain properties. Given a T1-weighted input image, it automatically creates models of most macroscopically visible human brain structures.
Key findings
- FreeSurfer provides an array of algorithms to quantify the functional, connectional and structural properties of the human brain.
- It automatically creates models of most macroscopically visible structures in the human brain given any reasonable T1-weighted input image.
- It is freely available, runs on a wide variety of hardware and software platforms, and is open source.
Why it matters
FreeSurfer is a free, open-source software suite that automatically builds models of brain structures from standard T1-weighted MRI scans. It is a measurement tool that many brain-imaging studies rely on, not a study of a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence, so that was left out: it earned 56 of the 95 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (NeuroImage) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | NeuroImage: journal h-index 523 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 9,589 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 599.3 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 128.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 3,882 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bruce R. Fischl: h-index 125 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22248573) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 56 / 95 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 56 of the 95 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.021
- PubMed: 22248573
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Fischl, B. R. (2012). FreeSurfer. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.021
Vancouver
Fischl BR. FreeSurfer. NeuroImage. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.021. PMID: 22248573.
BibTeX
@article{fischl2012-22248573,
author = {Fischl, Bruce R.},
title = {{FreeSurfer}},
journal = {NeuroImage},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.021},
pmid = {22248573},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.021}
}