[표지로 읽는 과학] Thousands of neurons play together, the brain: Dong-A Science

Lines that look like thin bundles of fibers are connected in a row, and the sway is included on the cover of Science. To express the connectivity of nerve cells (neurons), the shape of the brain seen from the center is embodied.

The brain is like an orchestra with many neurons playing together. The process by which we move or think is the result of neurons working together. The 86 billion neurons that make up the brain are closely linked and interact by sending and receiving signals. A single neuron sends and receives signals from adjacent cells and distant regions of the brain.

This week, science has a special feature on brain connectivity. Connectomes, three-dimensional brain maps and the experimental techniques to study them are brought together.

A research team from the Urich Institute in Germany has introduced that new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning can be used to study and predict connectomes. It is known that the connectivity of these neurons, not individual neurons, is important and the concept that appeared in 2005 is the “Connectome”. It is a map in which all the neurons of an individual’s nervous system are connected to each other.

Neuroscientists around the world have started looking for connections between cells beyond simply identifying cell characteristics. In 2011, C. elegans connectome with 302 neurons was first published, and since 2009 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made maps showing connectivity between human neurons with the Human Connectome Project (HCP).

A study on creating a three-dimensional map to verify connectivity between neurons was also introduced in this issue of Science. The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of Oslo in Norway is conducting research to physically analyze neuronal connections between brain regions and to improve understanding of aging or disease. They published a three-dimensional map of the mouse brain and the process of verifying the neuronal connections within it.

Korean authors also stand out. Jinhyeong Lee, a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University in the United States, participated as first author in a review paper that introduces a method for identifying brain circuits and functional disorders using computer modeling and optogenetic functional magnetic resonance imaging (ofMRI). ofMRI is a representative brain imaging technique that confirms brain connectivity. Instead of physical stimuli such as opening the skull or inserting a needle into the brain, neuron connectivity can be controlled by capturing the electrical signals generated by neurons.