TKS Connectomics Module Wrap Up
I just finished TKS’ Connectomics explore module. There was a glitch in the system, which then lead to removing the required module updates, which is why I didn’t do any for this module. But for following modules I will add small updates here and there on my LinkedIn.
What is connectomics? Connectomics is the science of mapping and identifying the different connections and synapses in the brain. To map out the brain, we use the combination of AI and ML, along with taking photographs and slicing up the brain into 1000th size of a hair.
How does this process lead to creating an image of a part of the brain? We begin by taking a very small part of the brain, and we slice it up. Then, in the same order that it was sliced up, those thin segments of brain are put under microscopes for imaging. Once all the images of that one part of the brain are taken, the images are sent to a lab that uses AI to take those images and colour code each neural network, to then reconstruct a connectome in a digital space. It’s similar to what we see in this image:
Image credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/1BCWuc1BiFVGQZmMA
Why is this relevant? What are some of the applications for the future of connectomics? Understanding the mapping of the brain allows us to better perform operations or surgeries on the brain. For example, someone may have to have an operation to remove a tumour. While the operation was successful, it left them paralyzed. The reason this happens is because, while trying to get to one part of the brain, other parts were damaged. If we had a replica of the brain that we could refer to when doing these kinds of operations, we can identify which parts of the brain are safe to cut through to reach a specific area, like where a tumour may be located, to make sure that the patient isn’t left with any unwanted side effects afterwards.
Another application of connectomics is figuring out where in the brain sources of different diseases or disorders lie (some include depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) Everyone’s connectome is slightly different, so the exact area where depression may be caused in your brain is different in my brain. Currently, the types of medicines we have now for these disorders are very general. If we were able to take a scan of someone’s brain and identify the source of an issue, we can create personalized medicine that targets a specific area, proving to be more effective compared to the routine guesswork we do when it comes to the brain. This could eventually lead to having your brain being scanned every 6-12 months, with an evaluation of what your brain needs to perform at its best.
As exciting as these applications sound, the advancement is slow. We have been able to map out 1 cubic millimeter of the brain. 1 cubic millimeter has 150 million synapses, and the entire brain has over trillions. Advancements and research is being put into this field. With more and more young scientists involved, we will find a way to map out the brain and learn what’s going on inside the source of our existence.
