Lifesaving Brain Mapping Project

A lifesaving Australian brain mapping project that could lead to further medical breakthroughs for many of the world’s most common brain disorders and diseases has been given a timely $4 million research funding boost.The funding, over five years, has cut in half the time it would have taken to complete some of the most important mapping. Prof. George Paxinos, from the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, and the most prolific brain cartographer in history, will construct a new generation of atlases so that genetic and imaging research can be used to develop treatments for major neurological disorders in humans.His mapping work over the past 30 years is cited in scientific articles in the fields of psychology, neurology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, neuro-endocrinology and, in general, brain and spinal cord research."It will permit us to produce the next generation of brain atlases by using genetic information as well as imaging," Prof. Paxinos said today after the announcement of the grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council, by Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Aging, Senator Jan McLucas, as part of the Australian Fellowship Awards.

Geography of the brain

"As in geography, maps and coordinate systems are required to navigate the brain accurately and map its functions. Much as on a map of Australia we can superimpose forest cover, rainfall, railway lines and population data, on a map of the brain we can superimpose types of neurons, types of chemicals, connections and function.

"By studying genetically modified mice we can understand how the normal brain is organized. By studying images such as those produced by magnetic resonance (MRI) we can produce more accurate atlases, avoiding distortions that happen during histological processing.

"The benefit of the project funding will come from improved maps which will assist those who study brain disease to be more accurate in targeting the brain and interpretation of their data.

"Professor Charles Watson, my colleague of 30 years, and I want to pass on the art of brain mapping to some people who may continue it."

Prof. Peter Schofield, Executive Director and CEO of the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (http://www.powmri.edu.au/ ), today congratulated Prof. Paxinos.

"George’s work is unmatched anywhere in the neuroscience world. And considering the cost of brain related diseases and disorders is more than the combined cost to the community of heart and cancer related illnesses this funding will have an enormous impact on the community over the next five years and on in to the future," Prof. Schofield added.

"With this new Award, Neuroscientists and clinicians around the world won’t be working in the dark."

The future of brain mapping

One of the key funding areas will be a very detailed atlas of the human cortex.

"This could have taken 10 years without the recent support," Prof. Paxinos conceded.

"With the additional funding, we should be able to achieve it in 4 years. Likewise, projects on imaging the mouse, rat and human brain with MRI would have taken us a decade, but now can be completed within a few years. The new funding is accelerating our work."

The brain maps, or atlases, are already used in a variety of way.

"Some of our atlases of the human brain are used in operating theaters when neurosurgeons make electrode implantations for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and compulsive behavior," Prof. Paxinos explained.

"As a tide that lifts all boats, our work is of assistance to most people in neuroscience. Neuroscience has the allure of finding the cause and treatment for some of the psychiatric and neurologic diseases that cause a lot of financial and personal suffering.

"However, their most frequent use is by other scientists or clinicians who wish to find out precisely where in the brain an activation focus or an abnormality in located.

"These scientists or clinicians have a need to compare their MR images or postmortem histology of their subjects/patients with an atlas of the "normal" brain. I will hire six post-doctoral Fellows and two research assistants with the funding."

(Source: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute: January 2009.)