ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 27 -- Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory are using software developed by Eastman Kodak Co.'s Research Systems Inc. (RSI) unit to study the workings of the human brain, including efforts to better understand and treat mental disorders. Neuroimaging researchers involved in the lab's Human Brain Project are using RSI's patented IDL software for basic brain research and to develop a new software tool to view and analyze data obtained through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RSI's IDL software lets scientists extract information from medical images, which is then analyzed for any links to mental illness. The Human Brain Project is dedicated to noninvasive neuroimaging research to understand general brain function and to aid clinical applications, including neurosurgery planning, epilepsy and stroke recovery. A central goal is to develop software tools to help advance the understanding and treatment of mental disorders. According to Doug Ranken, a researcher at the New Mexico-based lab, the use of IDL software has been instrumental in the development of the lab's noninvasive brain imaging software, called MRIVIEW, because of its ability to handle the extremely large, multi-format files associated with medical image data, which allows researchers to quickly display and visualize the data in meaningful ways. For more information, visit: www.rsinc.com