A Probabilistic Map of Human Visual Cortical Areas from Quantitative Microscopy

描述（由申请人提供）：我们对人类视觉皮层组织的大部分知识来自神经影像学研究，这些研究已经根据它们的功能特征定位了许多皮层区域。这些功能图没有固定在精确的解剖标志上，也没有真正的努力将功能边界的地形与皮层结构的局部差异联系起来。这是由于系统比较功能和组织学图像的困难。这项工作的总体目标是将功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）获得的详细视网膜定位图与定量皮层内髓鞘形成的组织学图相关联。我们建议通过使用高分辨率、非线性的基于表面的方法来明确这种比较，以最大限度地减少受试者和大脑非原位之间的差异。皮质几何形状将根据在表面上自动识别的可靠的沟槽地标进行扭曲。为了使组织学数据适应3-D空间转换，我们将使用经过测试的算法进行对齐和重建，以生成表面包含建筑信息的标本的数字3-D模型。此外，通过使用专业的受试者团队进行重复扫描和改进的视网膜定位刺激，可以在高阶视觉区域引发更强的反应，从而提高视网膜定位图的准确性和分辨率。本提案利用神经解剖技术、神经成像和计算方法三个实验室的综合专业知识进行形态测量分析和转化。这是第一次将这些专家方法结合起来创建人类视觉皮层的综合地图。拟议项目的结果是与宏观表面（沟）地标相关的高级视觉区域的多模态定位。该项目生成的地图和定义将为进一步的功能和解剖研究以及高分辨率MRI、fMRI和MR-DTI提供的连接新研究提供必要的框架。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Most of our knowledge on the organization of the human visual cortex derives from neuroimaging studies that have localized a number of cortical areas based on their functional characteristics. These functional maps are not anchored to precise anatomical landmarks, and no real effort has been made to correlate the topography of the functional borders with local differences in cortical architecture. This is due to the difficulty of systematically comparing functional and histological images. The overall goal of the work is to correlate detailed retinotopic maps acquired by functional MRI (fMRI) with anatomical maps produced by quantifying intracortical myelination histologically. We propose to make this comparison explicit by using high resolution, non-linear surface-based methods to minimize the variability between subjects and brains ex-situ. Cortical geometry will be warped based on reliable sulcal landmarks that are identified automatically on the surface. In order to make histological data amenable to 3-D spatial transformations, we will use tested algorithms for alignment, and reconstruction to produce digital 3-D models of specimens whose surfaces contain architectonic information. In addition, the accuracy and resolution of retinotopic maps will be enhanced by employing a professional team of subjects for repeated scans and improved retinotopic stimulation proven to set off stronger responses from higher order visual areas. This proposal utilizes the combined expertise of three laboratories in neuroanatomical techniques, neuroimaging and computational methods for morphometric analysis and transformation. It is the first time that these expert methodologies are combined to create comprehensive maps of the human visual cortex. The result of the proposed project is the multimodal localization of higher visual areas in relation to macroscopic surface (sulcal) landmarks. The maps and definitions produced by this project will constitute a necessary framework for further functional and anatomical studies, as well as new studies of connectivity afforded by high resolution MRI, fMRI, and MR-DTI. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Computer-aided microanatomical mapping methods will be used to conduct a topographic survey of the visual cortex in the human brain. Specimens will be processed according to multiple histological protocols to reveal complementary architectonic features. Quantification of myelination and neuronal density will be the basis for the statistical delineation of structural borders which will result in a digital, surface-based and probabilistic map of cortical visual areas.