Health Wrap Episode 57 discusses mapping the human brain, potential of brain atlases and more

The 57th episode of Health Wrap by The Hindu explores how researchers are using advanced imaging and reconstruction techniques to create detailed, three-dimensional maps of the human brain.

Zubeda Hamid, senior assistant editor, The Hindu, speaks to Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras, about the technology, how the maps are created and what they could reveal about the human brain.

The episode looks at C-STROKE, a recently released three-dimensional atlas of a stroke-affected brain.

Unlike conventional MRI scans, which provide images of the brain at a particular resolution, the new approach allows researchers to examine brain structures in greater detail and build comprehensive 3D maps.

The discussion explains how researchers prepare brain tissue, use imaging techniques and reconstruct the data to create these maps.

It also looks at the different scientific and technological disciplines involved in the process and how detailed mapping could help researchers study the brain’s structure and changes associated with neurological conditions.

Another focus is the Centre’s plan to map more than 100 human brains across different stages of life.

The project aims to build a larger collection of brain maps that could help researchers understand variations in brain structure, study neurological conditions and expand the available resources for brain research.

The episode also examines the potential applications of these atlases in clinical research and healthcare, including how they could contribute to a better understanding of stroke and other brain conditions.

It discusses the possibilities as well as the work needed before such maps can be translated into clinical applications.

The episode can also be viewed on The Hindu health page along with the full playlist of The Health Wrap https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/ https://www.thehindu.com/video/health-wrap-by-the-hindu/ EOM