Map Of The Developing Human Brain Shows Where Problems Begin

A high-resolution map of the human brain in utero is providing hints about the origins of brain disorders including schizophrenia and autism.

The map shows where genes are turned on and off throughout the entire brain at about the midpoint of pregnancy, a time when critical structures are taking shape, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature.

"It's a pretty big leap," says Ed Lein, an investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle who played a central role in creating the map. "Basically, there was no information of this sort prior to this project."

Having a map like this is important because many psychiatric and behavioral problems appear to begin before birth, "even though they may not manifest until teenage years or even the early 20s," says Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/04/02/298332344/map-of-the-developing-human-brain-shows-where-problems-begin