Mapping the Human Connectome: Structure, Function, and Heritability

描述(申请人提供)：这个项目将描述成年人的大脑回路，包括它的可变性及其与行为和遗传学的关系。为了实现这一雄心勃勃的目标，一个由杰出研究人员组成的基础广泛的多机构联盟将获取1200名健康成年人的尖端神经成像数据，以及用于基因分型的行为表现数据和血液样本。受试者的主要群体将是双胞胎和非双胞胎兄弟姐妹--这一策略能够对特定大脑回路的遗传性和遗传基础进行强有力的分析。将使用复杂的数据分析方法，为每个人和人口平均水平生成全面的连接地图。这种人类连接体将相对于由连通性和经典建筑方法定义的功能分区(地块)来表达。来自这些地图的数据将揭示大脑网络组织的基本方面。将实施一个强大的、用户友好的信息学平台，以促进对这些丰富和复杂的数据集的管理、分析、可视化和共享。由于这些工具和数据集将立即和长期地影响健康和疾病方面的神经科学研究，因此计划开展广泛的推广工作，以促进对它们的广泛认识和使用。成像方式包括三种类型的磁共振成像：(I)使用Hardi方法的扩散成像来绘制结构连通性图；(Ii)静息状态fMRI(R-fMRI)，以揭示功能连通性图；(Iii)任务-fMRI(T-fMRI)，以揭示与广泛的行为任务相关的大脑激活模式。脑磁图(MEG)和脑电将被用来描述神经活动的动态模式，这些模式可以与结构和功能连接图相关。成像将受益于为该项目开发并最终安装在华盛顿大学的定制3T扫描仪，明尼苏达大学的新7T扫描仪，以及将在项目优化阶段实施的改进的脉冲序列和定制线圈。通过在3T扫描所有受试者，在7T扫描子集和用脑磁图扫描，将利用每种成像方式的互补优势，并最大限度地发挥数据收集和分析战略的整体影响。联合会成员为数据获取和分析战略的最新进展作出了巨大贡献，这些战略使人类连接组项目在技术上可行。预计在项目优化阶段取得的重大进展将使在生产阶段获得的结构和功能连接图达到前所未有的逼真度。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will characterize adult human brain circuitry, including its variability and its relation to behavior and genetics. To achieve this ambitious objective, a broad-based multi-institutional consortium of distinguished investigators will acquire cutting-edge neuroimaging data in 1,200 healthy adult humans along with behavioral performance data and blood samples for genotyping. The main cohort of subjects will be twins plus non-twin siblings - a strategy that enables powerful analyses of heritability and genetic underpinnings of specific brain circuits. Comprehensive connectivity maps will be generated for each individual and for population averages using sophisticated data analysis methods. This human connectome will be expressed relative to functional subdivisions (parcels) defined by connectivity and by classical architectonic methods. Data from these maps will reveal fundamental aspects of brain network organization. A powerful, user-friendly informatics platform will be implemented to facilitate the management, analysis, visualization, and sharing of these rich and complex datasets. Because these tools and datasets will have Immediate and long range potential to influence neuroscience research in health and disease, extensive outreach efforts are planned for promoting their widespread awareness and usage. The imaging modalities include three types of magnetic resonance imaging: (i) diffusion imaging using HARDI methods to map structural connectivity; (ii) resting-state fMRI (R-fMRI) to reveal maps of functional connectivity; (iii) task-fMRI (T-fMRI) to reveal brain activation patterns associated with a broad set of behavioral tasks. Magneto-encephalography (MEG) and also EEG will be used to characterize dynamic patterns of neural activity that can be related to structural and functional connectivity maps. Imaging will benefit from a customized 3T scanner developed for this project and ultimately installed at Washington University, a new 7T scanner at the University of Minnesota, and improved pulse sequences and custom coils to be implemented during the project's optimization phase. By scanning all subjects at 3T and subsets at 7T and with MEG, the complementary strengths of each imaging modality will be utilized and the overall impact of the data collection and analysis strategy will be maximized. Consortium members have contributed greatly to the recent progress in data acquisition and analysis strategies that make the Human Connectome Project technically feasible. Major additional advances anticipated during the project's optimization phase will lead to unprecedented fidelity of the structural and functional connectivity maps to be obtained during the production phase.