Human Connectome Brain Map Say What A lesson
Human Connectome Brain Map “Say What? !” – A lesson based on a report by the New York Times
Mapping Milestone • This month researchers published a new map of the brain which introduced nearly 100 unknown regions of the brain. • Using this new information scientists hope to learn more about brain development in general as well as learning about diseases such as Alzheimers or schizophrenia.
How did they find them? • Using extremely advanced technology and artificial intelligence programs (think robots people – whoa)! • These programs “learned” to identify parts of the brain that had previously been considered “hidden” by “studying” several test subject brains (over 1, 200 volunteers through the Human Connectome Project HCP).
AKA a robot computer was studying our brains after scientists taught it how…and it discovered something us humans couldn’t……. ***cue Twilight Zone theme music
More to Come • Scientists believe that it may take decades to detail exactly how each region works and what their functions are.
Brain Geography Advancements • In the 1860 s, physician Pierre Paul Broca wanted to determine why 2 of his patients could not speak so upon their death he began to study their brains. • He discovered the both had injury to the same region of the brain which was studied and found to be the region of the brain associated with speaking/understanding speech – the Broca’s area.
Advancements continued… • In the late 1800 s German researchers identified many other regions of the brain and began detailing how they functioned and were different from other parts of the brain. • In 1907 Korbinian Brodmann published a catalog with 52 brain regions mapped out (hand drawn) and scientists have been using this drawing ever since, adding only a modest number of new regions over a long period of time.
References • http: //www. nytimes. com/2016/07/21/scienc e/human-connectome-brain-map. html? _r=0
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