Closing the gap from transcription to the structural connectome enhances the study of connections in the human brain.
Christine J CharvetPublished in: Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists (2020)
The brain is composed of a complex web of networks but we have yet to map the structural connections of the human brain in detail. Diffusion MR imaging is a high-throughput method that relies on the principle of diffusion to reconstruct tracts (ie, pathways) across the brain. Although diffusion MR tractography is an exciting method to explore the structural connectivity of the brain in development and across species, the tractography has at times led to questionable interpretations. There are at present few if any alternative methods to trace structural pathways in the human brain. Given these limitations and the potential of diffusion MR imaging to map the human connectome, it is imperative that we develop new approaches to validate neuroimaging techniques. I discuss our recent studies integrating neuroimaging with transcriptional and anatomical variation across humans and other species over the course of development and in adulthood. Developing a novel framework to harness the potential of diffusion MR tractography provides new and exciting opportunities to study the evolution of developmental mechanisms generating variation in connections and bridge the gap between model systems to humans.
Keyphrases
- white matter
- resting state
- functional connectivity
- contrast enhanced
- high throughput
- multiple sclerosis
- endothelial cells
- magnetic resonance imaging
- transcription factor
- magnetic resonance
- computed tomography
- depressive symptoms
- heavy metals
- cerebral ischemia
- risk assessment
- oxidative stress
- high density
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- early life