Neuroscientists, Just Now, Detail 97 Newly-Found Regions in Brain

The journal Nature reported today that a new map of the brain reveals 97 newly-found regions, each specialized to certain functions.

In an article, entitled, "A multi-modal parcellation of human cerebral cortex," the 12 scientists found 97 new structures and validated the "83 areas previously reported using post-mortem microscopy," bringing the total structures per hemisphere to 180.

As the scientists declare, such a map is critical to neuroscientists in evaluating neurological functioning.

"Understanding the amazingly complex human cerebral cortex requires a map (or parcellation) of its major subdivisions, known as cortical areas. Making an accurate areal map has been a century-old objective in neuroscience."

As should be obvious, we are still in the infancy of neuroscience. Any recommendations about learning — supposedly based on neuroscience, should be taken with extreme skepticism. See related article.

For nice review of the findings, see article in the New York Times.