A Mature Brain Architecture Knowledge Management System

神经系统可以被认为是一个非常复杂的生物计算机，其结构组织已经被分析了2500年。然而，尽管科学研究有这么长的历史，但关于它的基本部分到底是什么，它们是如何相互联系的，甚至如何称呼它们，仍然存在大量的困惑。这里提出的工作的长期目标是在网络上开发和实现一个成熟的、健壮的、用户友好的神经信息学工作台，允许神经科学社区访问、评估和可视化神经解剖学文献。这个脑结构知识管理系统（BAMS）将促进对影响大脑和精神的所有疾病的病因和治疗的基础研究。在Web上已经可以获得原型<http: llbranch . usc.edubkmsl >，以及

The nervous system can be thought of as a very complex biological computer whose structural organization has been analyzed for 2,500 years. Yet despite this long history of scientific investigation a great deal of confusion remains about what its basic parts actually are, how they are interconnected, and even what to call them. The long-term objectives of the work proposed here are to develop and implement a mature, robust, user-friendly neuroinformatics workbench on the Web that allows the neuroscience community to access, evaluate, and visualize the neuroanatomical literature. This Brain Architecture Knowledge Management System (BAMS) will facilitate basic research into the cause and treatment of all diseases that affect the brain and mind. A prototype is already available on the Web <http:llbrancusi.usc.edulbkmsl>, and it has four basic modules: brain part Nomenclatures, Relations between parts from different nomenclatures, neuronal Cell Types, and Connections between regions and cell types. The proposed work has four Specific Aims, to enhance or implement the following BAMS components. 1) Nomenclature ontology: a systematic, global ontology for the basic structural divisions of the mammalian nervous system, along with one for the rat central nervous system will be implemented. This neuroanatomy ontology allows comparisons of parts within and between nomenclatures. This work departs from the bias toward a single "standard" brain nomenclature and allows users to determine the meaning of terms used in the literature by particular authors. 2) Homologies: this function allows users to obtain similarity or identity estimates about structures between or within a species, respectively. 3) Networks: this functionality will allow users to view connectional data in schematics, and on flatmaps, atlas levels, and 3-D computer graphics models. 4) Web services protocols: they will allow BAMS to interact with other websites that contain information about neuronal cell types, gene expression patterns, and so on. A project Board of Advisors will help ensure neuroscience community involvement.