Brain model Image provided by Petra Vertes
Scientists have created a simple new model of the human brain which reproduces the statistics of its complex network organization. Our model hints at possible mechanisms behind schizophrenia, which will be interesting to investigate further." - —Dr Petra Vertes Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a simple mathematical model of the brain which provides a remarkably complete statistical account of the complex web of connections between various brain regions. Their The brain shares a similar pattern of connections with other complex networks such as social networks and the world wide web. However, until now, it was not known what rules were involved in the formation of the human brain network. The scientists, from the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute in the Department of Psychiatry, and the National Institute of Mental Health in the US, discovered that the network can be modeled as a result of just two different competing factors: a distance penalty based on the cost of maintaining long-range connections between various brain regions and a second term modeling the preference for links between regions sharing similar input. Professor Ed Bullmore, lead author on the paper, explains the dynamic between the parameters they identified: "There is a huge amount of evidence that the wiring of brain networks tends to minimize connection costs. Less costly, short-distance connections are much more numerous than more costly, long-distance connections.
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