Atlas

Probabilistic Maps

Cytoarchitectonic Probabilistic Maps in 3D Space

Julich-Brain provides maps of more than 200 brain areas based on their differences in cytoarchitecture, meaning the distribution, density and morphology of cells in a three-dimensional space. It considers variations between brains in their anatomy. Therefore, maps are probabilistic and reflect the interindividual variability in size and localisation of the areas in a three-dimensional space.

The Julich-Brain is the centrepiece of the Julich Brain Atlas as it allows to bring together and spatially align knowledge about the very distinct facets of the brain on a cellular level.

The Method in a Nutshell

The Julich-Brain is based on 23 post mortem brains from the body donor programme at the University of Düsseldorf. Brains were subjected to MRI and cut into 20 μm thick sections which were stained for cell bodies before digital imaging. Images of sections were 3D reconstructed, and aligned to a standard reference brain.

Borders between cytoarchitectonic areas were identified in brain sections using image analysis and statistical tools. Ten brains, five male and five female were studied to map each area. The areas were then 3D reconstructed, and superimposed in the reference brain. This allowed us to compute probability maps which provide measures of variability in areal size and localisation. Within the probability maps, colours code for the probability that an area can be found at a particular position. For these maps, regions which are not yet mapped are represented by so-called gap maps.

Probability maps can be simplified to show all areas at a glance: for this purpose, maximum probability maps were generated. Each position in the reference brain was assigned to the area with highest probability.

Data & Applications

Multilevel Human Brain Atlas of the HBP on EBRAINS

The Julich Brain Atlas forms the centrepiece of the open access Multilevel Human Brain Atlas of the digital research infrastructure EBRAINS, which has been built by the Human Brain Project (HBP).

Explore EBRAINS Atlas

Julich-Brain Anatomy Toolbox

The Julich-Brain Anatomy Toolbox (a.k.a. SPM Anatomy Toolbox) is an SPM plugin with the probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps of the Julich-Brain for combination with functional neuroimaging data.

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Julich-Brain Gene Expression Tool (JuGEx)

It enables analyses of gene expression with respect to a cytoarchitectonic brain area. The Allen Human Brain Atlas is a rich resource of regional gene expression data, and JuGEx allows to bring both worlds together: it integrates tissue transcriptome and cytoarchitectonic segregation and provides a framework for statistical analysis of differential gene expression in the adult human brain.

Publication Explore JuGEx Explore Allen Brain

Contact

Prof. Dr. med.
Katrin Amunts

Head of the research group Architecture and Brain Function

Get in touch

Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1)

Forschungszentrum Jülich
52425 Jülich
Germany

Tel.: +49-2461-61-4300
Fax: +49-2461-61-3483

k.amunts@fz-juelich.de

C. u. O. Vogt-Institute for Brain Research
Medical Faculty
University Hospital Düsseldorf

Life Science Center
Merowingerplatz 1A
D-40225 Düsseldorf
Germany

Tel: +49-211-81-06102
Fax: +49-211-81-06154

Key Publications

Bruno A, Lothmann K, Bludau S, Mohlberg H, Amunts K (2024)

New organizational principles and 3D cytoarchitectonic maps of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the human brain

Frontiers in Neuroimaging, 3: 1339244

Kedo O, Bludau S, Schiffer C, Mohlberg H, Dickscheid T, Amunts K (2024)

Cytoarchitectonic Analysis and 3D Maps of the Mesial Piriform Region in the Human Brain

Anatomia, 3(2): 68 - 92.

Stacho M, Häusler S, Brandstetter A, Iannilli F, Mohlberg H, Schiffer C, Smaers JB, Amunts K (2024)

Phylogenetic reduction of the magnocellular red nucleus in primates and inter-subject variability in humans

frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 18: 1331305

Unger N, Haeck M, Eickhoff S, Camilleri J, Dickscheid T, Mohlberg H, Bludau S, Caspers S, Amunts K (2023)

Cytoarchitectonic mapping of the human frontal operculum – new correlates for a variety of brain functions

frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 17: 1087026

Zhao L, Mühleisen TW, Pelzer DI, Burger B, Beins EC, Forstner AJ, Herms S, Hoffmann P, Amunts K, Palomero-Gallagher N, Cichon S (2023)

Relationships between neurotransmitter receptor densities and expression levels of their corresponding genes in the human hippocampus

Neuroimage, 273: 120095

Amunts K, DeFelipe J, Pennartz C, Destexhe A, Migliore M, Ryvlin P, Furber S, Knoll A, Bitsch L, Bjaalie JG, Ioannidis Y, Lippert T, Sanchez-Vives MV, Goebel R, Jirsa V (2022)

Linking brain structure, activity and cognitive function through computation

eNeuro, ENEURO.0316-0321.2022

Bruno A, Bludau S, Mohlberg H, Amunts K (2022)

Cytoarchitecture, intersubject variability, and 3D mapping of four new areas of the human anterior prefrontal cortex

Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 16: 915877

Kiwitz K, Brandstetter A, Schiffer C, Bludau S, Mohlberg H, Omidyeganeh M, Massicotte P, Amunts K (2022)

Cytoarchitectonic Maps of the Human Metathalamus in 3D Space

Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 16: 837485

Quabs J, Caspers S, Schöne C, Mohlberg H, Bludau S, Dickscheid T, Amunts K (2022)

Cytoarchitecture, probability maps and segregation of the human insula

Neuroimage, 260: 119453

Ruland SH, Palomero-Gallagher N, Hoffsteadter F, Eickhoff SB, Mohlberg H, Amunts K (2022)

The inferior frontal sulcus: cortical segregation, molecular architecture and function

Cortex 153: 235-256

Stenger S, Bludau S, Mohlberg H, Amunts K (2022)

Cytoarchitectonic parcellation and functional characterization of four new areas in the caudal parahippocampal cortex

Brain Structure & Function, 227: 1439-1455

Upschulte E, Harmeling S, Amunts K, Dickscheid T (2022)

Contour proposal networks for biomedical instance segmentation

Medical Image Analysis, 77: 102371

Zachlod D, Bludau S, Cichon S, Palomero-Gallagher N, Amunts K (2022)

Combined analysis of cytoarchitectonic, molecular and transcriptomic patterns reveal differences in brain organization across human functional brain systems

Neuroimage, 257: 119286

Amunts K, Lippert T (2021)

Brain research challenges supercomputing

Science 374: 1054-1055

Amunts K, Mohlberg H, Bludau S, Zilles K. (2020)

Julich-Brain: A 3D probabilistic atlas of the human brain's cytoarchitecture

Science 369: 988-992

Bludau S, Mühleisen TW, Eickhoff SB, Hawrylycz MJ, Cichon S, Amunts K (2018)

Integration of transcriptomic and cytoarchitectonic data implicates a role for MAOA and TAC1 in the limbic-cortical network.

Brain Structure and Function 223: 2335–2342

Amunts K, Zilles K. (2015)

Architectonic Mapping of the Human Brain beyond Brodmann

Neuron 88: 1086-1107

Amunts K, Schleicher A, Zilles K. (2007)

Cytoarchitecture of the cerebral cortex--more than localization

Neuroimage 37: 1061-1065

Eickhoff SB, Stephan KE, Mohlberg H, Grefkes C, Fink GR, Amunts K, Zilles K. (2005)

A new SPM toolbox for combining probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps and functional imaging data

NeuroImage 25: 1325-1335