Lichtman Jeff W, Sanes Joshua R
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2008 Jun;18(3):346-53. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2008.08.010.
Some neuroscientists argue that detailed maps of synaptic connectivity--wiring diagrams--will be needed if we are to understand how the brain underlies behavior and how brain malfunctions underlie behavioral disorders. Such large-scale circuit reconstruction, which has been called connectomics, may soon be possible, owing to numerous advances in technologies for image acquisition and processing. Yet, the community is divided on the feasibility and value of the enterprise. Remarkably similar objections were voiced when the Human Genome Project, now widely viewed as a success, was first proposed. We revisit that controversy to ask if it holds any lessons for proposals to map the connectome.
一些神经科学家认为，如果我们想要理解大脑如何产生行为以及大脑功能障碍如何导致行为紊乱，就需要详细的突触连接图谱——布线图。由于图像采集和处理技术的诸多进步，这种被称为连接组学的大规模电路重建可能很快就能实现。然而，科学界对于这项事业的可行性和价值存在分歧。值得注意的是，当现在被广泛视为成功的人类基因组计划首次被提出时，也有人提出了类似的反对意见。我们重新审视那场争论，想问它对于绘制连接组的提议是否有任何借鉴意义。
