Scientists have been able to draw a map that define the shape of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher mental functions such as abstract reasoning, language, memory, depending on the magnetic resonance images of the brains of 210 people.
Said David Van Essen Neurosurgery at the University of Washington and the world: "We consider that this map is the most accurate and detailed cortex between what was published so far."
Scientists from the University of Washington, said they were able to identify 180 distinct region of the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of wrinkled so-called rule of gray, and identify the specific function of some of these in Naughty right brain and left areas, while 97% of these areas unknown Before.
It is expected that the map will help in the study of brain diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and dementia, epilepsy, highlighting the differences between the brains of people who suffer from these diseases and healthy brains.
Matthew Glaser also stressed, a scientist in neurology at Washington University in St. Louis and lead researcher in the study that the map may also be useful in the brain and nerve surgery because will help surgeons to avoid damaging the important areas of the brain responsible for speech or movement.
Were the areas selected on the map on the basis of characteristics such as the thickness of the crust and the amount of substance myelin insulation of nerve cells, the researchers adopted a magnetic resonance concerning the activity of the cortex data when people are doing tasks such as listening to stories or solve mathematical questions on the computer or look at the people in the course of change and faces expressions.
