Indian scientists produce most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem

Scientists at the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have produced what they describe as the world's most detailed three-dimensional atlas of the human brainstem at cellular resolution, the centre announced. Called Anchor, the digital map combines more than 500 tissue sections from foetal, childhood and adult brains using high-resolution microscope images and eight chemical markers to identify more than 200 clusters of brain cells and nerve pathways. The atlas allows users to zoom from whole-brain MRI scans down to individual neurons while maintaining precise spatial relationships. The brainstem controls vital functions including breathing, heartbeat and movement, but its densely packed architecture has long frustrated detailed mapping efforts. Researchers said the atlas bridges medical imaging and cellular pathology and have made it freely available online as a reference tool for neuroscientists, neurologists and neurosurgeons worldwide. Around 20 scientists spent 18 months manually analysing more than 200 brain sections to create the atlas. The centre plans to image more than 100 whole human brains across different stages of life. Collaborators including Rebecca Folkerth of Harvard Medical School and New York University and Partha Mitra of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory said the atlas could help understand disorders such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and sudden infant death syndrome.