Newswise — Specific cellular, molecular and gene expression patterns in brain areas are linked to function, but their precise relationships remain largely unknown. New findings by scientists at the Human Brain Project (HBP) shed light on these relationships and enable a more comprehensive understanding of human brain organisation.
The HBP researchers conducted a study that targeted three levels of cortical organisation: cytoarchitecture, neurotransmitter receptor architecture and neurotransmitter receptor gene expression. The study elucidates principles of human brain organisation across the visual, auditory, somatosensory and motor functional systems, going beyond the simplified view of a ‘mosaic’ of areas forming the neocortex. The results were published in the journal NeuroImage.
Image: Credit: D. Zachlod, Julich Brain Atlas The analyzed areas: visual system (purple line), auditory (orange) and motor area (dark grey), and the somatosensory area (green line)
