Article ID: WMC00995 2046-1690 Standardized Digital Mapping Of The Central Nervous System Connections In Humans Corresponding Author: Dr. Slobodan Malobabic , Professor of Human Anatomy , Dept. of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade University , Dr Subotica 4/II , 11 0000 Submitting Author: Dr. Slobodan P Malobabic , Professor of Human Anatomy , Dept. of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade University , Dr Subotica 4/II , 11 0000 Article ID: WMC00995 Article Type: Original Articles Submitted on:16-Oct-2010, 09:39:54 AM GMT Published on: 16-Oct-2010, 01:42:44 PM GMT Article URL: http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/995 Subject Categories:ANATOMY Keywords:Human neuroanatomy, Central nervous system, Presentation, Connections mapping, Nervous pathways, Terminology How to cite the article:Malobabic S . Standardized Digital Mapping Of The Central Nervous System Connections In Humans . WebmedCentral ANATOMY 2010;1(10):WMC00995 Source(s) of Funding: There is not any founding source Competing Interests: There is not competition of interests related to this article. Webmedcentral > Original Articles Page 1 of 14 WMC00995 Downloaded from http://www.webmedcentral.com on 22-Dec-2011, 07:25:03 AM Standardized Digital Mapping Of The Central Nervous System Connections In Humans Author(s): Malobabic S Abstract about the connections within the central nervous system (CNS) of vertebrates has been accumulated. In addition to directions of fiber pathways, also the sizes of these fibers, transmitters, actions (e.g. This paper attempts to unite different aspects of excitation- inhibition) and other relevant data were knowledge of both, human neuroanatomists and reported, identified or described. Throughout the neuroinformatics engineers, related to the same neuroscience community, there is a general frustration problem of presentation of human brain connections. with the volume of data that are generated, and their During the history, until to the end of twentieth century, relative inaccessibility in forms other than narrative presentations of the central nervous system text [1]. The development of graphical visualization connections or pathways in humans were related to tools that enable and enhance scientific interaction technical and printing limitations, as well as to with large-scale databases is the next step in insufficient knowledge and data. Explosion of both, neuroimaging informatics and there is a need for a information technologies and neurosciences, caused next generation visual interaction framework [2]. There fundamental changes of this almost traditional is no established common practice in the situation. Different presentations and different computational neuroscience literature for how to approaches in collecting neuroanatomical data visualize what, or which notation to use [3]. Because resulted in very incoherent systems of data of the lack of a generalizable, computable presentation about central nervous system representation of anatomy, developers of computable connections, which situation itself became now terminologies and ontologies in clinical medicine and additional limiting factor. In this paper we propose a biomedical research represented anatomy from their standardized system of presentation, or better to say, own, more or less divergent, viewpoints resulting in of mapping of nervous pathways in geographical terms. heterogeneity [4]. Unification in theoretical medicine is In order to contain the maximum of information and to necessary for international communication and proper remain practical for use, here described system of exchange of results [5], and data sharing can indirectly presentations of connectivity data should be based on benefit and affect computational neuroscientific tool following principles: 1. presentation of one functional development [2]. system by one basic colour; 2. exactly defined colour However, both in anatomy and in neuroscience, the in RGB (red, green, blue) system for each of “neurons” accurate and uniform way of visual presentation of all in neuronal chain forming a pathway; 3. simplicity in of these data combined, has not yet been established visual presentation with several levels (magnifications) or even proposed. In different texts, including of details presentation; 4. design for use primary in textbooks and monographs, different ways of these computer systems, including the possibility of addition presentations were applied and used. Here we present, of new data (extensibility and adaptability). only as examples (Fig. 1), the illustrations published in In creation of such readable representations that are high quality textbooks from three different periods of capable to be updated effectively, aesthetics also twentieth century [6, 7, 8], and it is obvious the should be considered. Several examples in mapping diversity in graphic forms of presentations of human of motor, sensory and limbic pathways are presented. brain connections. Also, problems present in creation of such one system Fig. 1 are discussed, especially those related to It is easy to understand that the minimal knowledge neuroanatomical terminology, as well as possible about human CNS connections (macro- and solutions which offer new technologies. microconnectivity) and pathways, as well as the Introduction absence of corresponding printing and processing technologies, justified such situation in the past. Current situation with a huge amount of dispersed details about human CNS, different level of their significance and importance, and different potential During the last two centuries large amount of data usage, cannot be synthesized into more coherent Webmedcentral > Original Articles Page 2 of 14 WMC00995 Downloaded from http://www.webmedcentral.com on 22-Dec-2011, 07:25:03 AM system of knowledge without adequate system of Necessary are the efforts directed to the creation of presentation, mainly of mapping. The basic language increasingly dynamic, interactive maps of human CNS of neuroscience is neuroanatomy [1], and in pathways that can be manipulated digitally. Also, this neurosciences the term “mapping” was almost proposal could be practical as it was the introduction exclusively related to different procedures of of unique anatomical terminology (Nomina Anatomica estimation of functions and connections of cortical and Terminologia Anatomica), more than century ago areas [9], or to a tracer studies in different parts or [see 14, 15]. Great and excellent work in the study of systems of brain [10]. only one, and relatively small part of rat brain (bed During our work in science and in education appeared nucleus of stria terminalis) [16] illustrates the that different brain systems were presented differently. proportions proposed enterprise. Most known example is that motor projection Below, we first review principles of visualization, pathways are marked usually in red and somatic before giving several examples of what is necessary to sensory systems in blue color. This originates from be illustrated in a neuronal network, followed by early circulation illustrations with arterial flow (as discussion about some aspects of such mapping, and efferent- from the heart) in red and venous flow (as potential highlights and problems. afferent- to the heart) in blue color. But increasing knowledge about brain revealed that this, almost Methods symbolic, way of presentations is far than sufficient enough. As illustration of successful but isolated (particular) presentation of only basal ganglia In this paper we consider the standardized use of connections is Figure 2 (reproduced with permission) colours, combined with often used traditional markings from a relatively recent book of Nolte [11]. In this figure of directions of neural connections (circles and lines excitatory connections are shown in the green color with terminal bifurcation) within the central nervous and inhibitory ones in red color, as in traffic regulation. system. Connections belonging to one functional This way is suggestive and reasonable for motor system should be precisely numerically defined always systems (go/stop), but cannot be included in some by one standardized colour (hue), including its wider presentations of neural systems. In nearly different, but also precisely defined tonal range. opposite example, the excitatory connections are Definition of colours in this presentation is within the shown in red, and those considered inhibitory were RGB (red, green, blue) colour model, which is an shown in blue [12]. additive colour model widely used in creating Fig. 2 computer graphics. Proposed RGB system In this paper we consider a new, standardized and corresponds to the existence of 3 types of cone cells potentially universal system of presentation of CNS in human retina, red, green and blue (primary colours), connections, convenient for integration of different according to their maximal spectral sensitivity [17]. data- bases. This paper is aimed only as an indication Proposed use of RGB system can be even more and definition of the problems which require valuable in the future, when only the information about international organized collaboration of experts and wave length of colours would be sufficient for their high technology. Here proposed presentations of definition, what is different from recently used even connections are only the illustration of what the defined, monitor colours. Disadvantages are in degree potential solution may be and what are the currently of discrimination of colours by human eye. Our noted problems. The