A brain atlas is composed of serial sections along different anatomical planes of the healthy or diseased developing or adult animal or human brain where each relevant brain structure is assigned a number of coordinates to define its outline or volume. Brain atlases are contiguous, comprehensive results of visual brain mapping and may include anatomical, genetic or functional features. [1] A functional brain atlas is made up of regions of interest, where these regions are typically defined as spatially contiguous and functionally coherent patches of gray matter. [2]
In most atlases, the three dimensions are: latero-lateral (x), dorso-ventral (y) and rostro- caudal (z). The possible sections are
Surface maps are sometimes used in addition to the 3D serial section maps [3]
Besides the human brain, [4] brain atlases exist for the brains of the mouse, [5] rhesus macaques, [6] Drosophila, [7] pig [8] and others.
Notable examples include the Allen Brain Atlas, BrainMaps, BigBrain, Infant Brain Atlas, [9] and the work of the International Consortium for Brain Mapping (ICBM).
A brain atlas is composed of serial sections along different anatomical planes of the healthy or diseased developing or adult animal or human brain where each relevant brain structure is assigned a number of coordinates to define its outline or volume. Brain atlases are contiguous, comprehensive results of visual brain mapping and may include anatomical, genetic or functional features. [1] A functional brain atlas is made up of regions of interest, where these regions are typically defined as spatially contiguous and functionally coherent patches of gray matter. [2]
In most atlases, the three dimensions are: latero-lateral (x), dorso-ventral (y) and rostro- caudal (z). The possible sections are
Surface maps are sometimes used in addition to the 3D serial section maps [3]
Besides the human brain, [4] brain atlases exist for the brains of the mouse, [5] rhesus macaques, [6] Drosophila, [7] pig [8] and others.
Notable examples include the Allen Brain Atlas, BrainMaps, BigBrain, Infant Brain Atlas, [9] and the work of the International Consortium for Brain Mapping (ICBM).