Human Connectome Project: mapping the human brain

The brain can be considered a collection of connected system of neurons, and a comprehensive map of neuronal connections in the brain is called a ‘connectome’. Tracing out the connectome of a brain is helpful to understand the working of a brain, and would help us to target new areas for drug action, to formulate new modalities of treatment. Scientists started constructing the complete human connectome under Human Connectome Project (HCP). One important aspect of HCP was to develop improved MRI system to trace neuronal connection. One of the ambitious goals of HCP is to incorporate genetic data to compare with connectomes. HCP plans to incorporate not only imaging studies but also behavioural and genetic data. Behavioural data to be obtained in HCP would assess a wide range of human functions, including cognition, emotion, motor and sensory processes, and personality. This will enable comparison of brain-behaviour relationships.