Brain Researchers Start Mapping the Human ‘Connectome’
Brain Researchers Start Mapping the Human ‘Connectome’ (Press release):
“Analogous to the Human Genome Project—which mapped the human genetic code—the Human Connectome Project seeks to map “the complete, point-to-point spatial connectivity of neural pathways in the brain,” according to Arthur W. Toga, PhD, and colleagues of David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. They write, “For neuroscientists and the lay public alike, the ability to assess, measure, and explore this wealth of layered information concerning how the brain is wired is a much sought after prize.”
“The 100 billion neurons of the human nervous system interconnect to form a relatively small number of “functional neural networks” responsible for behavior and thought. However, even after more than a century of research, there is no comprehensive map of the connections of the human brain.”
–> To Learn More: To Be (Your Connectome), or Not to Be (Your Genome)