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Introduction to Cartography of the Brain
Source: 2002 SEP;:3-25.
Author: Toga AW, Mazziotta JC.
Abstract:
Cartography is the ancient art-science of making maps. Even before recorded history man has always tried to communicate the concept of place and its character. Whether the cartographic topic is a description of a shoreline or the boundaries of the basal ganglia, the fundamental issues are the same. In the study of brain, understanding the structure of the entire organ is as important as identifying the genetic program for cell replication. In either scale, cartography seeks to guide our explorations and to record our progress. A good map must represent reality as we know it. The goal of this chapter is to provide and introduction and guide through a complicated set of intersecting fields, reflecting the depth and scope of disciplines needed to carry contemporary brain mapping into the future. It is clear that the present state of brain mapping has been profoundly influenced by efforts in such diverse fields as art, geography, neurobiology, and computer graphics. The traditions and languages of these and other scientific disciplines provide us with the tools for descripton and exploration, but also provide the context for future discovery. SUMMARY: An introduction to cartography of the brain is, by its very intent, broad in its coverage. This chapter described the emergence of cartographic strategies and their application to a better understanding of brain structure and function. Maps of the brain are different from maps of other objects because they must accommodate so many diverse aspects of neuroscientific inquest. Therefore, there are many different versions of brain maps. The degree to which each is successful depends not only on the available technology for acquiring the data, analyzing it, and taking advantage of it, but on how it is used with complete understanding of its underlying assumptions and limitations. Equally important is the faith garnered by these maps. The degree to which maps of the brain are developed and used by the scientific community depends on the collective belief that the data are accurate, reliable, representative, and, above all, useful.
Source: 2002 SEP;:3-25.
Author: Toga AW, Mazziotta JC.
Abstract:
Cartography is the ancient art-science of making maps. Even before recorded history man has always tried to communicate the concept of place and its character. Whether the cartographic topic is a description of a shoreline or the boundaries of the basal ganglia, the fundamental issues are the same. In the study of brain, understanding the structure of the entire organ is as important as identifying the genetic program for cell replication. In either scale, cartography seeks to guide our explorations and to record our progress. A good map must represent reality as we know it. The goal of this chapter is to provide and introduction and guide through a complicated set of intersecting fields, reflecting the depth and scope of disciplines needed to carry contemporary brain mapping into the future. It is clear that the present state of brain mapping has been profoundly influenced by efforts in such diverse fields as art, geography, neurobiology, and computer graphics. The traditions and languages of these and other scientific disciplines provide us with the tools for descripton and exploration, but also provide the context for future discovery. SUMMARY: An introduction to cartography of the brain is, by its very intent, broad in its coverage. This chapter described the emergence of cartographic strategies and their application to a better understanding of brain structure and function. Maps of the brain are different from maps of other objects because they must accommodate so many diverse aspects of neuroscientific inquest. Therefore, there are many different versions of brain maps. The degree to which each is successful depends not only on the available technology for acquiring the data, analyzing it, and taking advantage of it, but on how it is used with complete understanding of its underlying assumptions and limitations. Equally important is the faith garnered by these maps. The degree to which maps of the brain are developed and used by the scientific community depends on the collective belief that the data are accurate, reliable, representative, and, above all, useful.