New 3D brain atlas is most detailed ever

Called "BigBrain," the project was published in the latest issue of the US journal Science.
The model shows features finer than a human hair and almost on the scale of individual cells, said lead researcher Katrin Amunts, a neuroscientist at Germany's Juelich Research Centre and a professor a tthe University of Dusseldorf. Those two institutions, along with the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, provided the bulk of the research team.
"Although the cells are still somewhat blurred, we see how densely packed they lie and how they're distributed. We see into the furthest corner of the brain," Amunts said.
She made an analogy by way of illustration. While continents, countries and cities were recognizable in old brain atlases, "now we can look into individual streets."
She said the brain model could later be supplemented with data on molecular structure, genetic information or connections between brain regions.
The scientists found that the cells were arranged according to brain functions. "The arrangement depends on whether the region controls movement, sounds or light signals," Amunts said.//DPA