The Human Green Brain Project: computational models of the developing connectome

The human brain consists of connections between neurons at the local level and of connections between brain regions at the global level. The study of the entire network, the connectome, has become a recent focus in neuroscience research. Recent advances in neuroimaging, using diffusion tensor imaging, allow us to observe how the human brain network differs over ages ranging from the embryonic to the adult stage. In the Human Green Brain Project, which started in October 2013, we analyse how the human brain network arises during development by combining data analysis with simulations of brain development. Objectives are to develop a simulation of human brain development, to analyse network features of human brains at different developmental stages, and to compare simulations with real data to discover the underlying mechanisms for brain network development. Understanding these mechanisms will be crucial to identify the causes and predicting the best treatment options for neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.