The atlas for human brain research

Abstract

The human brain atlas has recently become an essential tool for exploring the structure and function of the human brain. It serves as the primary platform for analyzing and processing both structural and functional brain information. The atlas plays a vital role in interpreting computational results, visualizing information, and processing data. Additionally, it is a crucial component of brain research programs. This review provides a brief history of brain atlas development and an overview of the current state-of-the-art in brain atlases. The applications, principles, and benefits of brain atlases are also discussed. Brain atlases can be classified into five types, including: (1) Brain atlases based on sectional specimens. (2) Visual brain atlases based on digital human technology. (3) Probabilistic brain atlases based on in vivo imaging data. (4) Brain atlases at the histological and gene level. (5) Brainnetome atlases. In this review, future directions for the development of brain atlas in developmental neuroscience and their potential clinical applications are proposed.