Allan Johnson of Duke University and colleagues have created a three-dimensional stereotaxic atlas of the mouse brain, covering anatomical structures and cells. To create it, the brains and skulls of five mice were imaged in three ways. First, the brains in the cranium were imaged in three dimensions using diffusion tensor imaging with a resolution of 15 micrometers (2.4 million times higher than that of clinical tomographs), which allows one to see the cytoarchitecture of brain structures. Then, micro-computed tomography was used to mark reference points in the skull. After that, the brains were removed and images of its sections were taken using planar light microscopy to obtain maps of the cells. The results of the work were published in the journal Science Advances.
Data from all imaging modalities of the brain and skull of five animals were averaged, corrected for geometric distortions, and integrated into a 3D atlas with labels for all structures. It is designed to facilitate structural and functional neuroscience studies conducted on the mouse brain, as well as to provide visual aids for undergraduate education. The DMBA atlas, which is approximately 13 terabytes in size, is available free upon request.