By borrowing mathematical tools
from theoretical physics, CSHL neuroscientist Dmitri Chklovskii
and graduate student Quan Wen recently developed a theory that
explains why the brain tissue of humans and other vertebrates
is segregated into the familiar "gray matter" and "white
matter."
Based on no fewer than 62 mathematical equations and expressions,
the theory provides a possible explanation for the structure of various
regions including the cerebral cortex and spinal cord. The theory
is based on the idea that maximum brain function requires a high
level of interconnectivity among brain neurons but a low level of
delays in the time it takes for signals to move through the brain.
The study was published in the December issue of PLoS Biology and
is available at:
http://compbiol.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010078
