Brain atlas

A brain atlas is composed of serial sections along different anatomical planes of the healthy or diseased developing or adult animal or human brain where each relevant brain structure is assigned a number of coordinates to define its outline or volume. Brain atlases are contiguous, comprehensive results of visual brain mapping and may include anatomical, genetic or functional features.^[1] A functional brain atlas is made up of ${\displaystyle N}$ regions of interest, where these regions are typically defined as spatially contiguous and functionally coherent patches of gray matter.^[2]

In most atlases, the three dimensions are: latero-lateral (x), dorso-ventral (y) and rostro-caudal (z). The possible sections are

• coronal
• sagittal
• transverse

Surface maps are sometimes used in addition to the 3D serial section maps^[3]

Besides the human brain,^[4] brain atlases exist for the brains of the mouse,^[5] rhesus macaques,^[6] Drosophila,^[7] pig^[8] and others.

Notable examples include the Allen Brain Atlas, BrainMaps, BigBrain, Infant Brain Atlas,^[9] and the work of the International Consortium for Brain Mapping (ICBM).

See also

• Brain mapping
• Connectome
• Neuroanatomy
• Stereotaxic atlas
• Stereotaxy