A 180-area multimodal human cortical parcellation, on the left and right hemisphere surfaces, of the human brain, in this undated handout image. 劃分180區多模式人腦皮質, 大腦左右半球的表面, 未註明日期的講義照片

A 180-area multimodal human cortical parcellation on the left and right hemisphere surfaces of the human brain is pictured in this undated handout image. Neuroscientists acting as cartographers of the human mind have devised the most comprehensive map ever made of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions such as abstract thought, language and memory. Using MRI images from the brains of 210 people, the researchers said on Wednesday they were able to pinpoint 180 distinct areas in the cerebral cortex, the brain’s thin, wrinkly outermost layer made of so-called gray matter. These areas were present in both the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. More than half, 97 of them, were previously unknown. The researchers nailed down the specific function of some of the areas, but said they were only scratching the surface on understanding what all of the areas did. The map could assist in the study of brain maladies such as autism, schizophrenia, dementia and epilepsy, and shed light on the differences between the brains of people with such conditions and healthy people, the researchers said. Neuroscientist Matthew Glasser of Washington University in St. Louis, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature, said the map also may be useful in neurosurgery, helping surgeons avoid damaging important brain areas involved in speech or movement. (Photo by Matthew F. Glasser and David C. Van Essen/Reuters)
The Day in Photos – July 21, 2016
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