Seven challenges for neuroscience
Seven challenges for neuroscience
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DOI：
10.11138/fneur/2013.28.3.145
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发表时间：
2013-07-01
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Markram, Henry
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Markram, Henry
虽然21世纪的神经科学是一项重大的科学事业，但基础研究的进展尚未转化为社会效益。在本文中，我概述了需要克服的七个基本挑战。首先，神经科学必须成为“大科学”--我们需要拥有资源和能力的大团队来解决大问题。其次，我们需要创建相互关联的数据集，以提供大脑不同组织层次上单个区域的完整图像，并将人类和其他物种的描述联系起来。这样的“数据阶梯”将帮助我们应对第三个挑战--开发高效的预测工具，使我们能够从昂贵的实验中提取大量信息。第四个挑战更进一步：我们必须开发新的硬件和软件，功能强大到足以模拟大脑。未来，基于超级计算机的大脑模拟将使我们能够进行计算机操作和记录，而这在目前的实验室中是完全不可能的。第五和第六个挑战是翻译。一方面，我们需要开发新的方法来分类和模拟大脑疾病，从而更好地诊断和更有效的药物发现。另一方面，我们必须利用我们的知识来建立新的大脑启发技术，为工业和社会带来潜在的巨大利益。这是第七个挑战。神经科学确实可以带来巨大的好处，但我们必须意识到社会对我们工作的广泛关注。我们需要认识到存在的恐惧，让他们休息，并积极建立公众对神经科学研究的支持。我们必须为自己设定目标，让公众能够认可和分享。然后我们必须兑现我们的承诺。只有这样，我们才能得到我们需要的支持和资金。
Although twenty-first century neuroscience is a major scientific enterprise, advances in basic research have not yet translated into benefits for society. In this paper, I outline seven fundamental challenges that need to be overcome. First, neuroscience has to become "big science" - we need big teams with the resources and competences to tackle the big problems. Second, we need to create inter-linked sets of data providing a complete picture of single areas of the brain at their different levels of organization with "rungs" linking the descriptions for humans and other species. Such "data ladders" will help us to meet the third challenge - the development of efficient predictive tools, enabling us to drastically increase the information we can extract from expensive experiments. The fourth challenge goes one step further: we have to develop novel hardware and software sufficiently powerful to simulate the brain. In the future, supercomputer-based brain simulation will enable us to make in silico manipulations and recordings, which are currently completely impossible in the lab. The fifth and sixth challenges are translational. On the one hand we need to develop new ways of classifying and simulating brain disease, leading to better diagnosis and more effective drug discovery. On the other, we have to exploit our knowledge to build new brain-inspired technologies, with potentially huge benefits for industry and for society. This leads to the seventh challenge. Neuroscience can indeed deliver huge benefits but we have to be aware of widespread social concern about our work. We need to recognize the fears that exist, lay them to rest, and actively build public support for neuroscience research. We have to set goals for ourselves that the public can recognize and share. And then we have to deliver on our promises. Only in this way, will we receive the support and funding we need.