South Middlesex Times

Rutgers researchers have discovered how different brain cell types collaborate to form large-scale functional networks in the human brain. These networks support functions ranging from sensory processing to complex decision-making. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, provides insights into the cellular foundations of cognition and mental health.

The research emphasizes a link between the functional organization of the human brain and its cellular underpinnings. Avram Holmes, associate professor of psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and core faculty member at Rutgers Brain Health Institute and the Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research, stated, "These findings highlight a connection between the functional organization of the human brain and its cellular underpinnings."

The study focuses on how varied cell types within the cortex contribute to the brain's functional properties. A significant goal in neuroscience is understanding how genetic, molecular, and cellular processes support these organizational properties, often measured through functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Historically, scientists examined brain organization using tissue samples from post-mortem studies or invasive techniques in animals. However, advances in genetics and technology now allow more precise studies of brain cell organization in human tissue. Rutgers researchers utilized recently developed post-mortem gene expression atlases to map differential gene expression across brain regions. This approach helps explore how different cell types align with brain networks studied in general populations.

The researchers identified that certain cell-type distributions correspond with specific networks in the cortex at both individual cell type levels and multivariate cellular profiles or fingerprints. Holmes remarked on the implications for understanding the cellular basis of brain functions across health and disease: "The study has significant implications for understanding the cellular basis of brain functions across health and disease."

This research lays groundwork for future studies exploring how diverse cell types work together within brain networks. Future research should integrate hierarchical structures of diverse cell definitions into analyses and consider alternate models of in vivo brain functioning.