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Everything about Connectomics

Study of mapping wiring diagrams

Connectomics is the production and study of connectomes, which are comprehensive maps of connections within an organism's nervous system. Study of neuronal wiring diagrams looks at how they contribute to the health and behavior of an organism. There are two very different types of connectomes; microscale and macroscale. Microscale connectomics maps every neuron and synapse in an organism or chunk of tissue, typically using electron microscopy and histology. This level of detail is only possible for small animals or tiny portions of large animal brains. Macroscale connectomics, on the other hand, refers to mapping out large fiber tracts and functional gray matter areas within a much larger brain, typically using forms of MRI to map out structure and function. Both fields simply refer to their maps as "connectomes". Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: ConnectomicsA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Functional connectomics spanning multiple areas of mouse visual cortexInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Brain Network AnalysisThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: BrainNet Viewer: A Network Visualization Tool for Human Brain ConnectomicsCited 3,775 times
  5. Go sideways: ConnectomeA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: ConnectogramA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun The study of the brain in terms of wiring diagrams visualizing neural circuitry, including neurons, synapses, spines, and others.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Methods
  2. Examples
  3. Comparative connectomics
  4. Plasticity of the connectome
  5. Model systems
  6. Applications
  7. Comparison to genomics
  8. Mapping functional connectivity
  9. As a network or graph
  10. Origin and usage of the term
  11. Public datasets

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics