Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Kötter, Rolf
• Wanke, Egon

Titel

Mapping brains without coordinates

Ist Teil von

• Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences, 2005-04, Vol.360 (1456), p.751-766

Ort / Verlag

England

Erscheinungsjahr

2005

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Brain mapping has evolved considerably over the last century. While most emphasis has been placed on coordinate-based spatial atlases, coordinate-independent parcellation-based mapping is an important technique for accessing the multitude of structural and functional data that have been reported from invasive experiments, and provides for flexible and efficient representations of information. Here. we provide an introduction to motivations, concepts, techniques and implications of coordinate-independent mapping of microstructurally or functionally defined brain structures. In particular, we explain the problems of constructing mapping paths and finding adequate heuristics for their evaluation. We then introduce the three auxiliary concepts of acronym-based mapping (AM), of a generalized hierarchy (GM ontology), and of a topographically oriented regional map (RM) with adequate granularity for mapping between individual brains with different cortical folding and between humans and non-human primates. Examples from the CoCoMac database of primate brain connectivity demonstrate how these concepts enhance coordinate-independent mapping based on published relational statements. Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of spatial coordinate-based versus coordinate-independent microstructural brain mapping and show perspectives for a wider application of parcellation-based approaches in the integration of multi-model structural, functional, and clinical data.