Context: Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has released 3D high resolution images of human foetal brain, achieving a major landmark in the domain of brain mapping technology.

Key highlights Of Foetal Brain Mapping

• Dharini: It is an open-access dataset that includes over 5,000 brain sections and 500+ brain regions.

• The atlas focuses on the rapid brain growth during the second trimester (14-24 weeks of pregnancy).

• Indigenous Innovation: The freezing, slicing, imaging, and digitization technologies were developed entirely by IIT-Madras researchers.

• It will help in improving current foetal imaging techniques, early diagnosis and treatment of health conditions affecting the brain.

• It signifies advancement in neuroscience research, providing insights into neurological disorders like autism.

Implications for Neurological Research

• Understanding Disorders: The data can unravel mysteries of poorly understood developmental disorders such as autism.

• It offers insights into brain growth and development of the human foetus at the cellular level.

• Gene-Environment Link: Provides a platform to study how genes and environmental factors influence brain chemistry.

Focus on Maternal Health

• Vulnerabilities During Pregnancy: Brain development is particularly sensitive to maternal nutrition, stress, and infections.

• Public Health Message: Highlights the urgent need to meet maternal health, educational, nutritional, and environmental requirements for healthy foetal development.

National Relevance

• UNICEF reports that India, with 25 million child births each year, accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world’s childbirths. 

• Many pregnant women in India lack adequate nutrition and healthcare despite government initiatives. 

• The atlas can support evidence-based policymaking.

Cross-Disciplinary Applications

• Artificial Intelligence: A deeper understanding of brain functions may contribute to advancements in AI technology.