Thanks to a full scale 3D printout of the human brain, scientists advance on the quest to unravel the human brain mystery. Or one of them, at least. The focus of this particular study was for the scientists involved to study the way the brain develops its characteristic folds when it starts developing. By creating a fake gel brain that mimics the exact way it looks in fetal form and studying it closely, several scientists at Harvard University may have unraveled some very important facts about the way the human cortex works.
The purpose of the study is the hope that some of the physical implications behind certain mental disorders could be explained in the end. Scientists have believed that some psychological issues may be at least partially caused by the structure of gray matter and either overfolding or underfolding of the human brain.
The experiment was done by using a 3D printing technique based on magnetic resonance images of the way the brain looks in human fetuses. Made from a special type of gel, it was then coated with another layer of a similar gel that swells when absorbing a solvent. The purpose of this was the emulation of constrained cortical expansion – just the way it does in developing human brains.
Once the fake brain was put in a solvent, it took mere minutes until the mold started slowly morphing into the very familiar wrinkly shape of the human brain, by first developing deeper regions in the top most part and then slowly compressing even further.
This is a very important experiment that has more applicability than it may seem. Firstly, it proves that brain development is reliant on more than just biochemical processes, also employing physical forces in its growth. This study could play a major role in neurodevelopment study, with the potential of gaining real life applicability in detecting, diagnosing, treating and even preventing a great number of neurological disorders.
The fold patterns that the human brain displays has been a major interest for scientists for a very long time; especially since it was discovered that it doesn’t seem to be a common factor between animals for example. According to various studies, the folded structure of the human brain actually enables a better connectivity across the cortex. The structure itself starts developing somewhere in the 23rd week of pregnancy and continue to develop until soon after birth.
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