"A new brain database and atlas developed by the International Consortium for Brain Mapping may answer some of the most vexing questions about how the brain works."

Based on the brain images of 7,000 demographically diverse individuals, the atlas uses image warping techniques to capture the variability in a population of brains. Led by John C. Mazziotta, head of the neurology department at the University of California, Los Angeles, teams of investigators can compare individual brains with populations of healthy or diseased brains and can chart normal development, aging, disease progression, or changes that occur more rapidly such as tumor growth or recovery from injuries.

For the full story, go to http://www.nibib1.nih.gov/eAdvances/042905.htm.