US scientists create most comprehensive circuit diagram of mammalian brain
a year ago
- #brain-mapping
- #neuronal-circuit
- #neuroscience
- Scientists created the most comprehensive circuit diagram of neurons in a mammalian brain, focusing on a tiny speck of a mouse’s visual cortex.
- The map includes 84,000 neurons, 500 million synapses, and 5.4km of neuronal wiring, providing insights into brain organization and cell interactions.
- The research could impact understanding of intelligence, consciousness, and disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, and schizophrenia.
- The project, compared to the Human Genome Project, also studied electrical signaling between neurons to reveal hidden brain communications.
- Teams from Baylor College of Medicine, Allen Institute, and Princeton University collaborated, using microscopes, AI, and machine learning to reconstruct the brain's 3D structure.
- The dataset is 1.6 petabytes, equivalent to 22 years of HD video, revealing new cell types and principles of brain inhibition.
- Inhibitory cells were found to be highly selective, forming a coordinated network, contrary to previous beliefs.
- The findings could help understand brain disorders by comparing healthy and diseased brain wiring models.
- Results are published in a series of papers in the journal Nature.