Scientists Create 3D Roadmap of Human Brain

June 20,2013

The nooks and crannies of the human brain are now on display in 3-D, offering scientists an invaluable tool in the quest to better understand brain form and function.

The project is called BigBrain. In three dimensions and intricate detail, it reveals the anatomy of the brain as never seen before.

“These are images of a 3-D reconstructed human brain with a spatial resolution of 0. 02 millimeters. So this is even thinner than a thin human hair, and it allows [us] to see the microstructure of the human brain in 3-D space,” said Katrin Amunts, director of the Vogt Institute for Brain Research at Germany's Heinrich Heine University, a partner in the project.

The scientists would like to understand the relationship within the structure of the brain, its function and behavior.

"It is necessary to have all the reference brains, which have this very high microscopic resolution and therefore we created such [a] reference brain,” said Amunts.

The BigBrain model on Amunts’ computer screen belonged to a 65-year-old woman who had no neurological problems.

To create it, the researchers first cut the brain into 7,400 slices, each 20 micrometers thick, then stained each slice with a special dye so all the cell bodies were visible. After that, the slices were digitized and carefully realigned.