3D atlas of brain to assist with education
A researcher from the University of Wollongong has mapped a living human brain to create a 3D atlas.
The overarching goal of the project is to make the 3D brain atlas an open-access resource — optimised for modern tablets and computers — and fit for convenient use in research, clinical practice, teaching and training.
Dr Mark Schira, a neurobiologist from the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) School of Psychology, said they have now mapped more than 1000 known structures with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
“The premise of this project has been to visualise and define — for the first time in human history — the living brain and its architecture. We know a lot about how the brain is built, but until now, the living brain has never been captured in such a high resolution,” Schira said.
Since 2013, Schira has been supervising the research group that focuses on the function, organisation and imaging of the human visual cortex. For this brain mapping project, he has teamed up with internationally recognised University of NSW neuroscientist Professor George Paxinos (whose book, The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, has been ranked 10th on the global list of 50 most popular scientific titles) and Dr Steve Kassem, neuroscientist and psychologist from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA).
“In a way, we’re like the old world’s discoverers who tried to map the territory of the Earth. Professor Paxinos is the modern Galileo because he did most of the original maps that allowed us to understand the organisation of the brain. We are reimagining these maps for the modern times, using the living brain to create a 3D atlas of superb quality,” Kassem said.
Due to the lack of participants with sufficient patience to lie perfectly still for many hours, Schira and Kassem scanned their own brains to create the intricate mapping of the brain’s anatomical structure.
“Previously, medical students had to use the flat pictures of parts of the brain to learn anatomy and functional areas of the brain, piecing the shape together bit by bit in their mind. Now, since the final images are in a 3D format, alongside GIFs and visualisations, the students’ learning process will be much easier,” Schira said.
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