Abstract
There is an emerging interest in brain-mapping projects in countries across the world, including the USA, Europe, Australia and China. In 2014, Japan started a brain-mapping project called Brain Mapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies (Brain/MINDS). Brain/MINDS aims to map the structure and function of neuronal circuits to ultimately understand the vast complexity of the human brain, and takes advantage of a unique non-human primate animal model, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). In Brain/MINDS, the RIKEN Brain Science Institute acts as a central institute. The objectives of Brain/MINDS can be categorized into the following three major subject areas: (i) structure and functional mapping of a non-human primate brain (the marmoset brain); (ii) development of innovative neurotechnologies for brain mapping; and (iii) human brain mapping; and clinical research. Brain/MINDS researchers are highly motivated to identify the neuronal circuits responsible for the phenotype of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and to understand the development of these devastating disorders through the integration of these three subject areas.
Highlights
There is an emerging interest in brain-mapping projects in countries across the world, including the USA, Europe, Australia and China
Through the development of novel cutting-edge technologies for brain imaging and manipulation, Brain/MINDS will use the marmoset model to reveal the structure and function of the brain, improve future diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders, and establish new information technologies based on brain mechanisms
We have investigated whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to detect the denervation of the nigrostriatal pathway in the marmoset model of Parkinson’s disease and found that 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinetreated marmoset brains showed significantly increased axial and radial diffusivities in the bilateral nigrostriatal pathway, which is consistent with the observation that fibre structures of the nigrostriatal pathway were drastically decreased in the Parkinson’s disease model
Summary
As happened for the human genome projects almost a quarter of a century ago, there is an emerging interest in brain-mapping projects as an international big science, including The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative in the USA and the Human Brain Project (HBP) in Europe (reviewed in [1]). The Psychiatric Disorders Research Team plans to (i) identify disease-related neural circuits by using neuroimaging, neurophysiological and behavioural data; (ii) develop psychiatry-oriented ‘translatable’ brain markers that can be measured using techniques common to humans and primates; (iii) characterize the clinical relevance of neurocircuits by circuit analysis and manipulation experiments using marmoset disease models; and (iv) establish neural circuit markers that can be used to reclassify diagnostic systems and to develop supplementary diagnostic tools and innovative treatment strategies for psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, major depression and bipolar disorder. The Cerebrovascular and Neuro-rehabilitation Research Team plans to identify the injured and compensatory circuits that are present in patients with cerebrovascular disorders including motor paresis and higher brain dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease This team will develop new technologies to analyse the neurocircuits using rodent disease models, apply them to newly generated marmoset disease models, and establish translatable brain markers for neurocircuit injuries and subsequent recovery that are common to humans and animal models. These experts will monitor the appropriateness of measurements and the registration of biomarkers obtained from patients at each site as well as the accuracy of the database
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