[3] The goal of the Human Connectome Project is to build a "network map" (connectome) that will shed light on the anatomical and functional connectivity within the healthy human brain, as well as to produce a body of data that will facilitate research into brain disorders such as dyslexia, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia.
Diffusion MRI, employed in both projects, maps the brain's fibrous long-distance connections by tracking the motion of water.
Using this imaging method, the long extensions of neurons, called white matter, can be seen in sharp relief.
[9][10] The new scanner built at the MGH Martinos Center for this project is "4 to 8 times as powerful as conventional systems, enabling imaging of human neuroanatomy with greater sensitivity than was previously possible.
The core of its battery is the tools and methods developed by the NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral function.
[20] Another study showed that healthy individuals who had a high tendency to experience anxious or depressed mood had fewer connections between the amygdala and a number of brain areas related to attention.
The purpose of these groups is to determine ordinary brain connectivity during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and aging.
Two more of the research groups focus on the effects of psychosis, a symptom of some psychological disorders in which an individual perceives reality differently than others do.
Finally, one research team is documenting the brain connections of the Amish people, a religious and ethnic group that has high rates of some psychological disorders.