Deciphering the human-brain connectome

Understanding the human brain remains one of the greatest scientific challenges of the 21st century. The Washington University/University of Minnesota consortium leads the Human Connectome Project (HCP), a five-year initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, and was awarded $30 million in September 2010 to comprehensively map brain circuitry, which will yield information about brain connectivity and its relationship to genetic, environmental factors and behavior. It will pave the way for future studies on changes during development and aging, or in the context of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Nine participating research centers will use powerful neuroimaging and electrophysical recording techniques, such as magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI), magnetoand electroencephalography (MEG, EEG), computational analysis, informatics, and visualization to study 1200 healthy adults, aimed at better understanding the intricate workings of the human brain. To obtain high-quality maps of brain connectivity, the HCP will use cutting-edge MRI hardware and mathematical models. During the first two years, we will focus on optimizing a Siemens Skyra 3 Tesla (3T) system at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), to achieve faster data acquisition and increased spatial resolution. The instrument will then be shipped to Washington University to scan the 1200 subjects (twin and nontwin siblings from 300 families). Additionally, CMRR scientists will use their extensive experience with ultrahigh-field imaging to exploit the numerous advantages of the 7T scanner, including higher signal-to-noise ratio, improved spatial accuracy and functional resolution, greater anatomical detail,1 and enhanced parallelimaging capabilities.2 To better understand the 3T data, 200 subjects will also be scanned at 7T. Figure 1. (left) Anatomical and (right) functional connectivity of the area identified by the blue dot. (Source: M. Glasser, T. Laumann, D. Van Essen, Washington University in St. Louis.)