Brain Mapping

There's a new paper in PLoS Biology entitled "A Computational Framework for Ultrastructural Mapping of Neural Circuitry". Researchers from two different universities have teamed up to create accelerated brain mapping capabilities. The researchers are using transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) to map specific brain regions. Previously the work to map brain regions could take years. Now, though, they have created more powerful software that enables a faster analysis of TEM created brain images. Here's an excerpt from the abstract;

We have assembled a complete framework for ultrastructural mapping using conventional transmission electron microscopy that tremendously accelerates image analysis. This framework combines small-molecule profiling to classify cells, automated image acquisition, automated mosaic formation, automated slice-to-slice image registration, and large-scale image browsing for volume annotation. Terabyte-scale image volumes requiring decades or more to assemble manually can now be automatically built in a few months. This makes serial-section transmission electron microscopy practical for high-resolution exploration of all complex tissue systems (neural or nonneural) as well as for ultrastructural screening of genetic models.

According to the press release the authors of this paper expect to have a molecular map of an entire mammalian retina including the neuronal networks very shortly. So this should be useful for understanding specific types of disorders.

Meanwhile there is another new challenge that has been assigned an unusual acronym. It's basically a competition among researchers to find faster ways to map the brain.

The organizers hope the DIADEM Challenge—short for Digital Reconstruction of Axonal and Dendritic Morphology—will lead to innovative solutions to a frustrating problem that has slowed efforts to create a functional atlas of the brain. Neuroscientists agree that a systematic characterization of neurons with their dendrites and axons is essential, since these tree-like structures are highly correlated with the electric activity of, and precise connections between, neurons and are thus linked to the functions of specific brain circuits. But scientists currently spend weeks—and, in some cases, months—tracing the intricate neuronal processes by hand, using data supplied by imaging studies.

There is a DIADEM challenge website that is up already. It is definitely going to be interesting as these type of brain maps become more common place. They should be very useful for understanding the workings of the brain.

source: brainstimulant