Brain shift, i.e. the change in configuration of the brain after opening the dura mater, is a key problem in neuronavigation. We present an approach to co-register intra-operative microscope images with pre-operative MRI to adapt and optimize intra-operative neuronavigation. The tools are a robust classification of sulci on MRI extracted cortical surfaces, guided user marking of most prominent sulci on a microscope image, and the actual variational registration method with a fidelity energy for

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... 3D deformations of the cortical surface combined with a higher order, linear elastica type prior energy. Furthermore, the actual registration is validated on an artificial testbed with known ground truth deformation and on real data of a neuro clinical patient.