First Map Of Human Brain Wiring Soon To Be Released

Scientists are set to releasse first batch of data from a project designed to creat first map of human brain. The project could shed light on why some people are naturally scitific, musical or artistic. Some of the first images were shown at The American Association for The Advancement Of Science meeting in Boston. Scientists at Masachusettes General Hospital are pushing brain imaging to its limits using purpose bulit scanner. It is the one of the powreful scanners in the world. One of the lead professor of the project Van Wedeen said," We have all the mental health problems and our mthods for understanding them have really not been changed for over hundred years. The brain imaging technology is being developed for Us-led efforts to map the human brain called "Human Connectome Project". And just as as with the human Genome project before it, the data will be publicly released to scietists as the scans are processed, with the first tranche of data from between 80and 100 people to be released in few weeks time. The HCP is a five-year project funded by National Institute of Health. The aim $ 40 m project has is to map entire human neural wiring system by scanning brains of 1200 Americans. Researcher will also collect genetic and behaviourial data from the subjects in order to build up a complete of the factors that influence the human psyche. The brain wiring is not like that of an electronic device which is fixed. It is thought that changes occur with each experience so each person's brain map is different- an ever changing record of who we are and what we have done. The HCP will be able to test the hypothesis that minds differ as connectomes differ. We are likely to learn more about human behaviour, Dr Tim Behrenes of Oxford Uninversity told. "Some of the connections betweeen different parts of the brain might be different for the people with different characters and abilities, so for example there is one connection we alredy know about in people taking risks and a (different one) who like playing it safe." So we will be able to tell the type of people who like skidiving and who like rather watch Tv, from brain scan. " It will be an amazing resource for the neuroscience community to help them in their work to uinderstand how the brain works." He said. Prof Steve Peterson wants to identify the different parts of the brain involved with our ability to think about scietific problems, to concentrate and to hold information in our memort.