Map of Brain Wiring

A study at Eindhoven University has resulted in a breakthrough for brain imaging - researchers converted MRI scans into making a physical map of the brain - as pictured below:

Credit: Image courtesy of Eindhoven University of Technology

This is an interesting contribution because this method would be the least invasive way of finding out the wirings and pathways of a patient's brain - therefore an operation wouldn't be necessary. Neurosurgeons can utilize this for any type of brain surgery - especially for people with Parkinsons' disease, in where 'deep brain stimulation' would be more effective since the surgeons would know where to place the electrode in. The accuracy of the tool is being tested - same with the validation of the tool, since the way that this imaging can result is through scanner of the patient for 1 hour at a time - which is too much exposure at one sitting. However, if this new feature can be implemented, surgeries would produce more desirable results and more insights into psychological and neurological disorders would occur, since looking at the brain holistically would be possible (rather than manually picking at a patient's brain which would obviously be detrimental to the patient.)

Eindhoven University of Technology. "Three-Dimensional Maps of Brain Wiring."ScienceDaily 29 October 2010. 30 October 2010 /releases/2010/10/101028073914.htm>.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101028073914.htm

- Ronita Roy