“I believe connectomes are the meeting ground for nature and nurture. The gene controls how the brain wires up, but experiences also modify the connections of the brain.”- MIT Neuroscientist, Sabastian Seung [via]

Most of you have heard of the Human Connectome Project. If not, have a look.

Using “state-of-the-art diffusion-imaging scanner” images of neural pathways are collected via a MRI looking machine, which allows scienctists to view connections of the brain “by tracking the passage of water molecules through nerve fibers, giving a more accurate picture of the brain’s structure and its neuronal pathways”. [via] Eventually, the idea is to identify connectopathies (abnormal circuits) then treat with appropriate pharmacology targeted for that area.

Above: [via] “White matter fiber architecture of the brain. Measured from diffusion spectral imaging (DSI). The fibers are color-coded by direction: red = left-right, green = anterior-posterior, blue = through brain stem. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Randy Buckner, PhD and the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging.”