The 97 Areas Of The Brain That Are Unknown To Us
Studies of areas of the brain are still a fascinating subject today. The more we study this organ, the more questions and surprises flow.
Excellent proof of this is the brain map made by some scientists at the University of Washington. It shows that there are 97 areas of the brain that are still unknown to us.
The brain map, or brain mapping, is a graphic representation of the brain. It is obtained by using different imaging techniques and allows us to observe different areas of the brain and their activity. When used for diagnostic purposes, it can tell if the brain is abnormal.
Researchers at the University of Washington, in collaboration with scientists from St. Louis, Missouri, Oxford, London, Minneapolis and Nijmegen, developed a brain map of a different kind. Their goal was to determine all of the areas constituting the cerebral cortex using high-tech methods. This is how they were able to identify areas of the brain that we do not yet know.
The research method used
To identify areas of the brain that are unknown to us, the scientists worked in collaboration with 210 volunteers. These were all perfectly healthy young people. The aim was to study brains that had not suffered any deterioration or problems.
The researchers used very high-tech tools. In particular, they used software capable of detecting specificities and contrasts in different areas of the brain. Using this tool, they therefore detected the fingerprint of each of these areas.
This research was supplemented by data from post-mortem studies. Parts of the brains of deceased people were examined using very powerful microscopes in order to zoom in, verify or clarify the findings. The full study was published in the journal Nature and it proves that there are 97 areas of our brain that are still unknown to us.
Neurology and areas of the brain that are unknown to us
Neurology is a young science that was born just over a century ago. Since its inception, this discipline has been based on the following fact: the cerebral cortex is divided into zones or “modules”. Each of them is specialized in specific functions. However, mapping these areas was initially a very complex task, the results of which were imprecise.
The first to make a brain map was the German Korbinian Brodmann, in 1909. His work allowed him to determine the existence of 51 different areas in the brain. Today, this card is still in effect and it has not undergone any major changes.
However, neurologists supplemented Brodmann’s studies with data from cases of brain damage. The existence of lesions, blows or tumors made it possible to verify the influence of these various problems on certain motor, visual functions, etc. This is how we acquired current knowledge on the subject.
Researchers Matthew Glasser and David Van Essen recently presented their new version of the brain map. To achieve the new brain mapping, 3 criteria were taken into account: function, local micro-architecture and connectivity. These criteria made it possible to determine the differences between the multiple areas of the organ. This is how the 97 areas of the brain that are unknown to us were discovered.
Interesting discoveries
Concretely, the scientists came to the following conclusion: in each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex there are 180 cortical areas. There, there are 97 areas of the brain that we don’t know about. The new brain map made it possible to discover the new regions with much more clarity. It is as if it is a “map with a political division”.
The study is called HCP ( Human Connectome Project ) and it was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. It is not yet concluded because the findings are not yet 100% clear. There are also many hypotheses regarding the functions performed by areas of the brain that we do not know about.
One of the areas named “55b” has generated a lot of interest from researchers. This area lights up when an individual listens to a story. Another area that has aroused the curiosity of researchers is the so-called “POS2”. Scientists believe that this is an area controlling high and highly specialized functions. The approach to this area is totally different from that used by the other areas.
In fact, the work has only just started. The entire pre-frontal cortex, containing the majority of human high intellectual functions, has hardly been explored. We hope that this first step will open the doors to years of research which will certainly offer us many surprises.
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