Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the imaging technique of choice for the diagnosis of many brain disorders. It is also increasingly used to assist diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and dementia, which are characterized by subtle abnormalities in the size and shape of brain structures, instead of the distinct lesions visible in patients with, for example, brain tumors. Unfortunately, these subtle abnormalities are difficult to describe precisely, making diagnosis of individual brain MRI scans difficult. However, the dynamic brain atlas, a new technique for analyzing brain MRI scans, may assist physicians to overcome these diagnostic obstacles.