Grid structure of major pathways of the human left cerebral hemisphere.IMAGE COURTESY OF MGH-UCLA HUMAN CONNECTOME PROJECT
We often conjure up images of the human brain as a jostled bird’s nest, a mash of spaghetti, or a jungle of twisting wires. But the brain is no disorganized tangle of neurons, according to new research. Instead, it is structured into a three-dimensional grid of ribbon-like brain fibers that cross each other in an orderly fashion.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston visualized the simple geometric structure of the human brain using a specialized MRI scanner. Their results, described today (March 29) in Science, provide a coordinate system for mapping neuronal pathways—like longitude and latitude for the brain. The architecture could lead to a new understanding of brain development and evolution.
“Everywhere they looked, they found a geometric architectural principle that transcends any ...
