IIT Madras Captures Images Of Fetal Brain, World's Most Detailed Yet

In a breakthrough in understanding and studying the development of human brain, IIT Madras has released the most detailed, three-dimensional high-resolution images of the foetal brain. 

The institute has digitally captured 5,132 sections of the foetal brain for the first time in the world, using the cutting-edge brain mapping technology developed at their Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre. 

This cell resolution atlas has been developed during the second trimester of the foetal brain. It can pave the way for timely diagnosis and treatment of developmental disorders in children. 

Named 'Dharani', the database of the most-detailed images of the brain at such an early stage is free to access for everyone. 

One of the most key aspects of this research is its budget efficiency. The project, which produced such advanced neuroscience data for the first time in India, was carried out at one-tenth of the costs in western countries, said the institute. A team of researchers from India, Australia, US, Romania and South Africa worked in collaboration with Chennai-based Mediscan Systems and Saveetha Medical College Hospital for this project. It was led by Professor Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of IIT Madras' Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre. 

According to Professor Sivaprakasam, "This Study will pave the way for new scientific discoveries, allowing quantification of neurodevelopmental disorders and advances in foetal medicine. This is now the largest publicly accessible digital dataset of the human foetal brain, advancing current knowledge by 20X. This is the first time such advanced human neuroscience data has been produced from India and made freely available as a global resource."

This research is especially important for India as the country accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world's annual child births, according to UNICEF. 

"This makes it vital for the country to understand the brain development from the fetus to a child, to adolescence, and to a young adult, and developmental disorders like learning disabilities and autism," said IIT Madras.