Tech | August 08, 2011 | 27 comments

Mind Mappers

source: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/mindmappers.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51

Almibry
Understanding the Mind by Mapping the Brain
Picking people's brains is a good way to learn about their minds, says neuroanatomist Jacopo Annese.

"We're studying brain structure and trying to understand how the architecture of the brain supports our behavior, our thoughts, our memories, our way of thinking," says Annese.

Annese heads the Brain Observatory at the University of California, San Diego. It's where he and his team look for connections by mapping brain structure and connecting it to human behavior. Support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) helped Annese launch the Digital Brain Library back in 2008 when he acquired the brain of a man who couldn't remember anything for more than 20 seconds. Since then he has acquired about 35 donated brains and has been examining their physical characteristics. The process starts with slicing the brain into tiny slivers.

"The brain is sliced into thin sections, serially, going from one tip at the front to the back. And this is an operation that lasts a few days because you go very slowly," says Annese. A normal-sized brain produces about 3,000 slivers and each slice is no thicker than a human hair. Each sliver is placed on glass, is stained, and is digitized. Eventually, all the slices are digitally re-assembled, creating a virtual 3-D image of the brain.

"If somebody has a pattern of behavior during their life, is that pattern of behavior reflected in the structure of their brain? Can we see it?" asks Annese.

To help answer those questions, Annese seeks out people who knew the donors and what they were like while alive. "It is fascinating to try and connect a life with the actual brain," he says.

But locating those who knew donors can be a challenge. So Annese is looking for donors to commit to the program while they're alive. Ninety-two-year-old Bette Ferguson signed up, and she has no regrets about willing her brain to the observatory when she dies. "I'm proud of it," says Ferguson. "I mean look, I'm not going to need that brain anymore. Once I graduate, goodbye! If he can take that brain and learn something from it, I think that's important because he's studied me."

In addition to assessing her cognitive abilities, Annese will ask Ferguson about her unique life experiences like her role in the movie "The Wizard of Oz." "I was the flying monkey that came down and picked up Toto and took him to the witch's castle," notes Ferguson.

Annese is curious as to whether or not there are similarities between the brain of Ferguson and other individuals: those who have aged successfully and women or men with similar talents. He believes understanding the link between one's brain and behavior could very well lead to insights into treating brain injuries or diseases.

Now there's something to think about.

Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent
Jon Baime, Science Nation Producer
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27 comments // Mind Mappers // Video

  • sharin
    • +3
      sharin  

    • you all might find this interesting:

      How Your Brain May Be Different Than a Conservative's
      A new study shows liberals have more gray matter in a part of the brain related to understanding complexity, while the conservative brain is bigger in the section linked to fear.
      April 10, 2011 |

      Everyone knows that liberals and conservatives butt heads when it comes to world views, but scientists have now shown that their brains are actually built differently.
      Liberals have more gray matter in a part of the brain associated with understanding complexity, while the conservative brain is bigger in the section related to processing fear, said the study on Thursday in Current Biology.
      "We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala," the study said.
      Other research has shown greater brain activity in those areas, according to which political views a person holds, but this is the first study to show a physical difference in size in the same regions.
      "Previously, some psychological traits were known to be predictive of an individual's political orientation," said Ryota Kanai of the University College London, where the research took place.
      "Our study now links such personality traits with specific brain structure."
      The study was based on 90 "healthy young adults" who reported their political views on a scale of one to five from very liberal to very conservative, then agreed to have their brains scanned.
      People with a large amygdala are "more sensitive to disgust" and tend to "respond to threatening situations with more aggression than do liberals and are more sensitive to threatening facial expressions," the study said.
      Liberals are linked to larger anterior cingulate cortexes, a region that "monitor(s) uncertainty and conflicts," it said.
      "Thus, it is conceivable that individuals with a larger ACC have a higher capacity to tolerate uncertainty and conflicts, allowing them to accept more liberal views."
      It remains unclear whether the structural differences cause the divergence in political views, or are the effect of them.
      But the central issue in determining political views appears to revolve around fear and how it affects a person.
      "Our findings are consistent with the proposal that political orientation is associated with psychological processes for managing fear and uncertainty," the study said

    • 1 year ago
  • EmperorThan
  • EdJoyProductions
  • Joeydee44
  • Leen61
    • +3
      Leen61  

    • This was interesting! I thought Ninety-two-year-old Bette Ferguson was a hoot! Good for her for willing her brain to help others. Cool!

    • 1 year ago
  • KSirys
  • GRC54
    • +4
      GRC54  

    • What I could say. There are a few on this site that need their brains mapped but the only thing they would find is a black hole.
      I think most of you know who I'm talking about.

    • 1 year ago
  • KSirys
  • bailey78
  • Incredulous
  • bailey78
  • Incredulous
  • bailey78
  • eden49
    • +2
      eden49  

    • ...is a thought or type of behaviour totally unique to the individual, or do we mimic...fascinating, to say the least...the difference between genetically inherited behaviour and environmentally inherited behaviour...well, I know what I mean...lol...

    • 1 year ago
  • Almibry
  • eden49
    • +1
      eden49  
    • Almibry:

      ...a conumbrum, to be sure...I'm obviously no expert, but I do, on further contemplation, tend to agree with you that it is a combination...my bio parents were opposite ends of the spectrum, one aggressive, one detached...I've learnt to tone down the aggressive, with a detached air...(she scratches her head)...

    • 1 year ago
  • bailey78
  • remanns
  • Almibry
  • remanns
  • EdJoyProductions
  • bailey78
  • EdJoyProductions
  • bailey78
  • Incredulous
  • EdJoyProductions
  • remanns
    • +4
      remanns  

    • Kewl. Know your brain. Or I guess know someone else's brain. I guess that could now be YOUR brain as well. The brain in the chop shop, as it were.

    • 1 year ago
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